After demolition, Agham slum folk off to Bulacan

A YOUNG boy helps pick up what’s left of his family’s shanty after last week’s demolition of a slum colony on Agham Road to make way for a new business district in Quezon City. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Informal settlers affected by the recent demolition on Agham Road, Quezon City, have until Wednesday to accept the local government’s offer to have them relocated.

Tadeo Palma, secretary to the city mayor, said a resettlement site in Bocaue, Bulacan province, is currently being prepared by the National Housing Authority (NHA).

“The structures left behind after the Wednesday deadline will be demolished,” Palma said.

The official said 50 out of the 250 families affected by last week’s demolition on Agham had already availed themselves of the relocation program.

He added that 100 more families also expressed their willingness to move to the NHA resettlement site.

City Mayor Herbert Bautista also ordered that affected families be given P5,000 each in financial assistance as well as food packages.

Palma said all informal settlers affected by the demolition are qualified to avail themselves of the government’s relocation offer.

“There was no more resistance from the residents,” Palma said in the aftermath of the violent demolition in Sitio San Roque, Barangay Bagong Pagasa.

The property being cleared of shanties is owned by the NHA and is part of the Central Business District being developed by the city government.

The first batch of informal settlers were relocated to Bocaue on Friday.

Palma said the resettlement of the additional 100 families would begin on Saturday and could be completed over the weekend.

The NHA also provided transportation assistance to the families moving to their new homes in Bulacan.