As storms intensify
and trigger catastrophic floods in the Philippine capital, the government is
under pressure to improve drainage infrastructure and clear the waterways of
informal dwellings and garbage, but it cannot do so without ousting
impoverished families from their makeshift homes by the city’s rivers.
"It's a simple principle. Make room for the river. No river, no passage – you get flooding," Philippines' Secretary for Public Works and Highways Rogelio Singson said on a local talk show.
This year, the government is serious about removing informal settlers from high-risk areas. It has allocated 10 billion pesos (231 million US dollars) to relocate 19,444 families to permanent housing projects. Once vacated, the rivers will be dredged and walls will be built alongside them.
"If we can just clear them, this will significantly improve the carrying capacity of these waterways," Singson said.
Heavy flooding in recent years has been deadly and destructive. In September 2009, Typhoon Ketsana dumped a month’s worth of rainfall in six hours, killing close to 500 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Around 80 percent of the Manila region was under water.
Experts say climate change is partly to blame for the heavy flooding as global warming alters weather patterns, bringing storm surges and intense rainfall.
But those facing eviction from flood-prone areas are reluctant to leave, worried about the living conditions in their prospective new homes and concerned they will struggle to earn a wage.
Aside from expecting employment options, the evicts said they would want to see hospitals, police stations and schools near the new housing sites.
To ease the impact of the evictions, the Department of Social Welfare and Development plans to give each family an 18,000-peso ($415) subsidy to help move to the suburbs or find temporary bed space within the city while the public housing estates are being built.
The subsidy programmed sparked outrage on the Internet, with taxpayers calling it unfair and counterproductive.
"This system of encouraging squatting only guarantees one thing – it will never end,"
But Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman says the state has an obligation to help the most vulnerable.
The National Housing Authority is developing relocation options within Metro Manila, but the evicts who choose to live in the city will have to wait until early next year before they can move to these new buildings.
More than 8,000 families have already signed up to be relocated sooner, to nearby provinces like Cavite, Bulacan, and Rizal, where they can make monthly payments starting at 200 pesos ($5) spread over 30 years, to buy a 22 square-meter house.
By withholding the land titles until the payments are completed, the government hopes to discourage families from returning to the city.
The interior ministry said it will also file charges against municipality officials who allow informal settlers to rebuild their structures in the danger zones. Often, local politicians are blamed for tolerating squatting to get votes.
The biggest challenge, however, is to create sufficient work opportunities so resettled families can thrive. The government needs to develop industries that will in turn give birth to vibrant communities outside Manila and entice informal settlers to pack their bags and start a new life away from the flood-prone slums.
"An improvement for these families is an improvement for society as a whole," Soliman said.
"It's a simple principle. Make room for the river. No river, no passage – you get flooding," Philippines' Secretary for Public Works and Highways Rogelio Singson said on a local talk show.
This year, the government is serious about removing informal settlers from high-risk areas. It has allocated 10 billion pesos (231 million US dollars) to relocate 19,444 families to permanent housing projects. Once vacated, the rivers will be dredged and walls will be built alongside them.
"If we can just clear them, this will significantly improve the carrying capacity of these waterways," Singson said.
Heavy flooding in recent years has been deadly and destructive. In September 2009, Typhoon Ketsana dumped a month’s worth of rainfall in six hours, killing close to 500 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. Around 80 percent of the Manila region was under water.
Experts say climate change is partly to blame for the heavy flooding as global warming alters weather patterns, bringing storm surges and intense rainfall.
But those facing eviction from flood-prone areas are reluctant to leave, worried about the living conditions in their prospective new homes and concerned they will struggle to earn a wage.
Aside from expecting employment options, the evicts said they would want to see hospitals, police stations and schools near the new housing sites.
To ease the impact of the evictions, the Department of Social Welfare and Development plans to give each family an 18,000-peso ($415) subsidy to help move to the suburbs or find temporary bed space within the city while the public housing estates are being built.
The subsidy programmed sparked outrage on the Internet, with taxpayers calling it unfair and counterproductive.
"This system of encouraging squatting only guarantees one thing – it will never end,"
But Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman says the state has an obligation to help the most vulnerable.
The National Housing Authority is developing relocation options within Metro Manila, but the evicts who choose to live in the city will have to wait until early next year before they can move to these new buildings.
More than 8,000 families have already signed up to be relocated sooner, to nearby provinces like Cavite, Bulacan, and Rizal, where they can make monthly payments starting at 200 pesos ($5) spread over 30 years, to buy a 22 square-meter house.
By withholding the land titles until the payments are completed, the government hopes to discourage families from returning to the city.
The interior ministry said it will also file charges against municipality officials who allow informal settlers to rebuild their structures in the danger zones. Often, local politicians are blamed for tolerating squatting to get votes.
The biggest challenge, however, is to create sufficient work opportunities so resettled families can thrive. The government needs to develop industries that will in turn give birth to vibrant communities outside Manila and entice informal settlers to pack their bags and start a new life away from the flood-prone slums.
"An improvement for these families is an improvement for society as a whole," Soliman said.
[images are not mine]
No comments:
Post a Comment