DILG to LGUs: Declare cleared areas no-build zones

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has urged local government units (LGUs) to take steps to end the never-ending cycle of demolition-clearing-relocation in their areas by declaring as “no-build zones” sites previously occupied by informal settlers.

DILG officer in charge Catalino Cuy suggested that ordinances be enacted to ensure that danger areas cleared of illegal occupants would not be retaken by squatters.

In a statement, Cuy said that “no-build zones” were easement areas not recommended for human habitation as these pose a risk to life and property.

He observed that there was inaction or some complacency among some LGUs despite numerous guidelines on informal settler families (ISFs) issued by the department.

“Unless LGUs declare no-build zones, ISFs will always be a huge concern and this will be an unending cycle of demolition, clearing and relocation,” he pointed out.

In a directive the DILG OIC recently issued, he called on cities and towns to ensure that “cleared territories remain uninhabited and unoccupied by enacting ordinances barring any construction of residential establishments in said areas.” —Jeannette I. Andrade