Leni cites Valenzuela’s resettlement village

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo has urged the housing agencies to replicate Valenzuela City’s Disiplina Village in Bignay, the country’s biggest in-city relocation project so far.

“It’s a good example (of a relocation project), it’s off-site but in-city,” Robredo, who had a short stint as chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), said in a recent interview.

The P1.2-billion Disiplina Village in Bignay is a joint project of the national government and Valenzuela City, benefitting 864 informal settler families.

Robredo stressed that with in-city relocation, people would not be taken away from their sources of livelihood.

“This is the policy we would like to implement, I hope (the new HUDCC head) would do the same,” she said.

Robredo has been pushing for in-city relocation approach wherein informal settler families will not be relocated outside the cities they presently reside.

She also said relocation sites should have access to basic utilities like water and electricity as well as to schools, public transportation, and livelihood.

During her term as HUDCC head, Robredo had sought partnerships with the private sector in building socialized housing for low-income Filipinos.

The Vice President said the housing backlog currently stands at 5.8 million.

“We only produce an average of 200,000 a year. So we really need the help of the private sector,” Robredo said.

Robredo resigned from the Cabinet after receiving order from the President, through Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr., to desist from attending Cabinet meetings.

Evasco was appointed as the new HUDCC chair following Robredo’s resignation.