CEBU, Philippines - After providing relocation to what it calls "informal settlers," the Mandaue City government wants to make sure that those who have relocated will indeed keep their units for good and not sell them.
Housing and Urban Development Authority head Tony Pet Juanico told this to The FREEMAN in line with the city's celebration of the Urban Poor Solidarity Week.
"There is a marching order from the mayor to empower them (relocatees). Wa'y ayo kung sige ta'g hatag unya ibaligya lang nila (It's not good if we give them housing units and they just sell them)," Juanico said in a press conference.
One of Mandaue City's relocation sites is located in a 6.5-hectare lot in Barangay Paknaan.
Juanico said most of those who wished to sell their units cited not being able to pay off their units due to poverty as one of their reasons.
But he said that while he understands these factors, there is no stopping the city from implementing measures to free its danger zones from illegal settlers.
Of the 173 homeowners associations in Mandaue, 70 are accredited, according to Juanico.
Each association has an average of 100 members. Of this figure, only 33 are in relocation sites, while several others are yet to be transferred to a better place, he said.
But if those who have already been transferred to a relocation site will abandon the house provided for them and go back to illegal squatting, the cycle, he said, goes on and on, thereby defeating the purpose of providing them "a better life."
This is why Juanico said part of this year's UPSW celebration is a capacity and livelihood training for the urban poor housing beneficiaries.
The training, he said, will enable them to stand on their own while in their respective relocation sites.
He added that HUDA is also teaching them to understand why they need to keep their units instead of selling them.
"We are not just creating relocations sites, but a community that can sustain our projects," said Juanico.
The Mandaue UPSW, which kicked off last December 1, will culminate on December 7 with a series of events like a fun run, seminars and trainings for the members and leaders, among others. — Liv G. Campo (FREEMAN)