no less than housing and jobs should be prioritized by the aquino government – GWP rep. emmi de jesus

"Buhay at dignidad ng informal settlers ang dapat na pangunahing sukatan ng kaangkupan ng mga polisiya at programa ng pamahalaan,” GWP Rep. Emmi De Jesus noted during the pre-plenary hearing on the budget for the key shelter agencies National Housing Authority and HUDCC.

The Gabriela solon said that more than housing facilities and relocation sites, the relocatees need sustainable and safe relocation sites with basic social services and a safe environment in order to live with dignity. The Aquino administration’s anti-poor policies however, contribute to further deteriorate their dismal situation and reduce them to casualties of ‘development’.

“This is the reality faced daily by people in relocation sites, as what was experienced by the relocatees in Kasiglahan Village after the onslaught of Habagat. They had been forcibly removed from various danger zones in Metro Manila, but then are now forced to live in a death zone as many almost drowned during the floods. Sobra na yung tatlong beses silang ililipat at hindi pa tayo sigurado kung ligtas na nga sila sa pinaglipatan na naman sa kanila,” added De Jesus.

“The poor have always been the collateral damage in all of the government’s ‘development projects.’ But a deeper analysis of their situation will show that multiple dislocations brought about by anti-poor economic policies of successive administrations pushed them to squeeze into these spaces in urban areas. Majority are victims of incessant land grabbing, land conversion, and uneven economic development in the countryside. Relocated ‘informal settlers’ meanwhile are doubly victimized as many of the relocations sites set up by successive administrations are danger zones in themselves,” the Gabriela solon further noted.

“Urban poor families have seen that the Aquino policies are no different from those of previous administrations. Big business interests continue to be favored at their expense. They no longer pin their hopes on President Aquino suddenly having a change of heart and deciding to push for a pro-poor agenda where the housing program is concerned. It is only right that urban poor families and communities continue to strengthen themselves because the Aquino administration will only listen to them if they show that they are organized and are strong in numbers,” the Gabriela solon ended.###