Quezon City, UP ink housing deal for informal settlers

MANILA, Philippines — Informal settler families will soon be provided decent shelters in two temporary relocation sites inside the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

UP president Angelo Jimenez and Mayor Joy Belmonte signed a 25-year usufruct agreement on June 19, which would help qualified families affected by the Philippine General Hospital Diliman project at Pook Arboretum and those displaced by a fire in 2022.

Under the agreement, Jimenez said the local government would construct 300 housing units, manage the relocation sites as well as provide maintenance of water facilities, electricity and sewage disposal.

The university will provide the land for the relocation sites and ensure policies will be implemented by the city government.

UP also has the right to terminate the agreement on “reasonable grounds.”

Jimenez said he is looking forward to their collaborative effort’s success.

“This will give us breathing space to imagine a far more comprehensive resolution, a humane, just and legal way to address the issues of informal settlers,” he said.

The Pook Arboretum temporary relocation site is approximately 12,236 square meters while the Pook Marilag TRS is about 36,175 sqm.

The UP Board of Regents approved the proposed agreement in April.

Belmonte stressed the importance of trust and shared values to look after informal settler families’ needs and rights.

“We realized that the beginning of progress starts with people calling a place their home. That is a big thing in changing their mindset to become citizens with responsibility and civic duties in their city,” she said.