New housing law benefits QC squatters

President Arroyo signed yesterday the National Government Center Housing and Land Utilization Act of 2003 that awards lands to some 55,000 squatter families in one of Quezon City’s poorest urban districts.

More than 600,000 individuals, including Muslims and members of the Iglesia ni Cristo and El Shaddai squatting in a compound of the 444-hectare NGC along Commonwealth Avenue, will soon realize their dream of owning their own lots.

Following a signing ceremony attended by lawmakers and city officials, the President distributed some 2,000 certificates of lot reservation and project qualification to long-time residents of the compound.

Joining the signing ceremony at the Commonwealth Elementary School were Senate President Franklin Drilon, Speaker Jose de Venecia and Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

De Venecia, who principally authored the measure with Quezon City Rep. Ismael Mathay III, said the law translates government concern for the urban poor into action.

"We must give our urban poor a decent life and lift their communities from the conditions in which they live," De Venecia said.

The beneficiaries also need not worry about paying annual realty taxes after they acquire ownership of the lots that they have been occupying for so many years.

Mrs. Arroyo said the Quezon City government under Belmonte can afford not to collect taxes from NGC residents, being the top-earning city in terms collections.

The west side of the NGC covers Commonwealth Avenue toward Barangay Holy Spirit and Barangay Commonwealth while the east side covers the entire IBP loop for a total 422 hectares. The remaining 22 hectares of the NGC are occupied by government offices, including the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit, Sandiganbayan and the Batasan complex. – Mayen Jaymalin