North Triangle squatters can still voluntarily relocate - Binay

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay said yesterday the National Housing Authority (NHA) will still welcome illegal settlers who wish to relocate from the North Triangle slum in Quezon City to Rodriguez, Rizal.

“We will stop the relocation as ordered by President (Aquino). But we will welcome those families who wish to be relocated and voluntarily come here,” he said.

Mr. Aquino earlier ordered the NHA to suspend the relocation after the demolition of houses in the North Triangle area turned violent.

Majority of the residents were supposed to be transferred to Southville 8C and some to Southville 8B in Rodriguez, Rizal.

The NHA said 3,369 families out of 8,968 families from North Triangle are now in Southville 8C and 71 others are in 8B.

Binay said the Southville 8B housing project is also home to 409 victims of typhoon “Ondoy” and 107 families displaced by the R-10 road widening project in Navotas.

He and the local officials of Rodriguez and top managers of the NHA earlier visited the Southville 8B housing project to commemorate the first anniversary of the Ondoy tragedy.

During the commemoration, Binay had a dialogue with the relocatees, who raised concerns over the lack of electricity, potable water, a hospital, a school, a transport terminal and livelihood programs.

They said they suffer from constant blackouts and depend on a generator for electricity. Binay said he already coordinated with the Manila Electric Co. to earmark P30.4 million for electrification in Southville.

The relocatees also expressed fears that their drinking water, which they draw from an artesian well, may not be safe. They called on the government to give them potable water.

Rodriguez, Rizal Mayor Cecilio Hernandez said the Manila Water Co. Inc. is drilling deep wells that would supply water to the Southville area. He said by 2012, Southville will already be sourcing its water from La Mesa Dam.

Rizal Gov. Casimiro Ynares III assured the relocatees that Manila Water would install pipelines that would connect each house to the water source. He said the installation would start around late November or early December.

On the absence of a hospital, Southville 8B has one health care center but the relocatees want to have a facility for emergency cases. Hernandez said the local government of Rizal is planning to build a hospital in the area.

The resettlement site also has one three-story school building that will be completed next year. NHA general manager Chito Cruz said they have coordinated with nearby public schools to accommodate the children of relocated families.

The relocatees also requested the construction of a transport terminal as most of them work in Navotas and Quezon City. Cruz said the NHA is already planning to organize a transport cooperative among the residents. He also noted that Binay suggested tapping Filipinos abroad to donate vehicles.

Meanwhile, Binay said the NHA already approved a P28 million budget for projects and programs to help relocatees earn money.

He also clarified that the NHA’s capacity to deliver services is highly dependent on the budget allocation of the national government.