Members of the urban poor group Kadamay prepare for their march to Quezon City. PHOTO FROM KADAMAY’S FACEBOOK PAGE
CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan—The families who forcibly occupied idle government houses in Bulacan province left their homes on Saturday (April 29) to stage a rally dramatizing the country’s housing problems in Manila, where a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is being held.
Thousands of Kalipunan ng Damayang Maralita (Kadamay) members rode out in 600 rented jeepneys from Pandi for the Quezon Memorial Circle in a massive show of force to press President Duterte into solving their housing problems, said Chief Insp. Manuel De Vera, Pandi chief of police.
Gloria Arellano, Kadamay chairperson, said the group wanted to take advantage of the ASEAN presence to remind the President that his administration should focus on the welfare of the poor and not serve the economies of the country’s Asian neighbors.
“The Asean summit is focused on improving the regional economy. We wanted ‘Dutertenomics’ to showcase a plan for the poor and not the interest of foreigners,” Arellano said.
Kadamay had criticized government’s housing agencies for neglecting the genuine poor families.
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