DPWH clears Road 10 of 1,000 squatter families

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said yesterday it has cleared Road 10 of more than 1,000 squatter families who have occupied the four northbound lanes of the major thoroughfare for the last three years.

DPWH Undersecretary for Luzon Romeo Momo told reporters that of the 1,189 families who set up shanties along the 55-meter stretch of Road 10, they have already settled with 1,108 families.

The illegal settlers were either relocated to Montalban, Rizal or received P21,000 financial assistance – equivalent to two months’ salary for an ordinary laborer, Momo said.

He said that for the last three years, the squatters occupied Road 10’s four northbound lanes, forcing authorities to use the four southbound lanes for northbound and southbound vehicles.

“This road is a major artery of the Circumferential Road 5 (C-5) because it leads to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). This is also a primary roadway for the big trucks with container vans because it is near the ports in North Harbor,” Momo said.

He said 81 families still live along Road 10, and they have been staging demonstrations in front of the DPWH since Friday last week. Momo said they refused the financial assistance and preferred to be relocated.

Momo said they were given permission to erect temporary shelters on the side of the road and the DPWH will let them stay until the end of next week.

He said the DPWH has been very lenient since these 81 families are reportedly not entitled to any compensation to begin with.

“They were already squatting on the road. They were already on the road right of way… A check with the National Housing Authority showed that some of them have already been (relocated) three times and they can be perceived as professional squatters,’” Momo said.

He believes they did not commit any human rights violation since the local government of Navotas issued a certificate of compliance (COC), which means that they were “allowed to dismantle” the illegal structures hampering the flow of traffic.