RP tops in land reform, says GMA

The Philippines in Southeast Asia, with Brazil in South America, is the best in the world when it comes to implementation of the land reform program, President Arroyo said yesterday citing an unnamed United Nations report.

This developed as the President, joined by Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordianting Council (HUDCC) chairman Noli de Castro, national and local housing officials, Valenzuela City officials led by City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, the Metro police, headed by Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr. and other local officials, distributed Certificates of Entitlement for Lot Awards (CELAs) to some 10 leaders of homeowners’ associations in the Bignay resettlement area in Valenzuela City.

The leaders were awarded the certificates in behalf of some 2,000 raildwelling families displaced by the ongoing construction of the North Luzon speed railway project.

"The UN says Brazil and the Philippines are the best in the world in land reform (particularly urban land reform)," Mrs. Arroyo proudly told her adoring audience at her regular Pulong Bayan held yesterday. The President, however, neither said from what particular UN report nor when the report was made, she based her statement.

The President said this pointing out that her administration does not only provide the land for the relocatees but sees to it that it goes with the needed support services as education and health and facilities like water and power.

"This is what makes our new relocation sites from the others different (in previous years). Under our administration, we build the facilities (after we give you the land). What makes it better is that we are implementing the land reform under a democratic system (unlike others where this is implemented by some dictatorships)," Arroyo said.

The remark was made during the issue presentation portion in the President’s weekly dialogue with the masses, which was also graced by National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager Federico Laxa, Presidential Commission for Urban Poor (PCUP) chair Percival Chavez, and the AFP’s 51st Engineering Brigade commander Col. Cyrano Austria.

Mra. Arroyo, in casual light blue blouse and black pants, first unveiled a marker at the entrance of the community grounds proudly named by De Castro as "Northville 1" then met with the children and local residents who welcomed her and her entourage. She greeted her audience with a perk "Good morning sa inyong mga disiplinadong taga Valenzuela," in recognition of the city mayor’s battlecry "Sa Valenzuela, May Disiplina," emblazoned in posters in strategic places around the city.

The President also profusely thanked her Vice President for the speed and dispatch he has shown particularly in developing the new settlement for the urban poor.

"Maraming salamat kay Kabayan Noli. Relocation of settlers then took three years. Ngayon (under his management) tatlong buwan na lang. Sa susunod pa, tatlong linggo na lang!" the President said praising De Castro effusively. Austria and the soldiers of the 51st Engineering Brigade who built the site’s roads and bridges and other horizontal infrastructure, was given special commendation by the President for their job.

De Castro also gave credit to the support and cooperation of Gatchalian and all local officials in the speedy development of the site.