By Sammy F. Martin
MANILA, Aug. 28 (PNA) — A senior House of Representatives official said on Thursday that empowering the informal settlers by providing them financial assistance can address the country’s increasing housing backlog.
“Empower these informal settlers and give them assistance, or if possible land for their permanent house, because if we consider what’s happening right now, they are able to build a roof . . . they create their own homes even without assistance of the government,” said Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez.
He noted that “informal settlers themselves are the biggest ‘construction company’ in the world … If we use their capabilities, we have a chance to decrease or eradicate the problem.”
Benitez told reporters in a chance interview that Metro Manila has the largest population of informal settlers in the country.
“Of course, nobody wants to live in slum areas, let’s give them a chance to get out from their predicament …, but right now we’re not doing anything to arrest the problem,” he pointed out.
“But I reiterated these people are actually part and parcel of the city development or the city’s urbanization and it is a wrong policy to move them out of the city,” he added.
In the past Congresses, lawmakers pushed the creation of a Department of Housing but because of budget constraints, it does not push through.
The measure has been revived several times but until now, the new department is still a dream.
Data of the National Housing Authority (NHA) showed that as of 2010, these were 544,609 informal settler families leaving in the National Capital Region alone.
He said the country’s housing backlog has ballooned to an estimated 5 million units, and continuously increasing.
Informal settlers, he said, need representation in the government through the proposed Department of Housing, Planning and Urban Development.
“A housing department is needed to monitor agencies doing housing-related projects and for them [informal settlers] to have representation in the Executive department,” Benitez added.
He said that the committee report on a consolidated bill creating the Department of Housing, Planning and Urban Development is now being prepared to be presented in the plenary for the second reading in the next few months.
He added that the measure aims to consolidate, rationalize and coordinate the functions and powers of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp., Home Guaranty Corp., Home Development Mutual Fund, NHA, and Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board.
Benitez also said that the measure will be a step in the direction of providing decent and affordable housing to every Filipino family at the soonest possible time. (PNA)