PALO, Leyte, Feb. 7 (PNA) — This town is eyeing to secure the informal settlers-free status through an ordinance up for approval this year.
Declaring their town as informal settlers-free is part of the development plan of Mayor Remedios Petilla to help residents of Palo, who are living in lots they do not own, said Councilor Wilson Uy.
To attain the status, the local government will provide housing units to all of the town’s informal settlers, according to Uy.
A survey will be done by the municipal social welfare and development office to determine how many informal settlers have to be transferred to permanent houses. Most of these informal settlers are living along roadsides.
The local government is studying ordinances from other areas, including the Lina Law that provides compensation to informal settlers when they are ordered to vacate properties where they are residing.
”We will harmonize the national law with the ordinance that I will create,” Uy said.
On the ordinance that he will create, Uy said that private property owners will be penalize if they allow informal settlers to construct house in their property.
”There should be a contract if a landowner allows somebody to construct a house in their property. If there is no contract, landowners should force those who reside in their property to vacate them,” he said. (PNA)