26 February 2014. Task Force UDHA Amendments composed of Urban
Poor Associates (UPA), Community Organizers Multiversity (COM), Partnership of
Philippine Support Service Agencies Inc (Philssa), Peoples Alternative Study
Center for Research and Education in Social Development (Pascres) and various
peoples organizations from different cities attended the committee hearing on Housing
and Urban Development meeting today at
Speaker Yniguez Hall, South Wing Annex Building, House of Representatives that
discussed the amendments on House Bill 2791 entitled “Strengthening and
Securing the Rights of the Urban Poor Against Evictions and/or Demolitions and
to Provide Adequate Housing” introduced by Representatives Cresente Paez,
Leonor Robredo and et al.
Celia Santos, UPA UDHA Advocacy Officer
said, “We are happy that finally our proposed amendments on House Bill 2791 are
now being discussed in the committee Hearing under Congressman Alfred Benitez. This
bill will ensure that the rights of the poor for decent housing will be given a
priority.”
This bill aims to further secure the urban poor
from eviction and demolition of their homes and from relocating them in distant
places lacking basic services and livelihood opportunities, thus clarifying the
definition of “resettlement areas” that it must be within and/or near city
areas.
Last February 19, President
Benigno Aquino III graced the presentation of the first urban on-site
medium-rise building model unit through a people’s plan at Claro M. Recto High
School, Legarda, Sampaloc, Manila. The house is set three meters back from the
estero. It is energy efficient and resistant to floods, liquefaction and earth
shaking.
Filomena Cinco,
President of Nagkakaisang Mamamayan ng Legarda said, "It took us five years to realize our
dream of on-site housing along Estero de San Miguel. We have asked the help of
UPA, our NGO partner to get architects that will tell the government that the
project can be done. Through House bill 2791, the government will not just tell
urban poor people living along waterways that they must be evicted because they
are in danger areas. With the bill, waterways dwellers can seek proper
technical and scientific study to opt for on-site housing and a public
consultations will be done.”
Cinco added, "Our
proposed UDHA Amendments is not just a protection to urban poor people rights, more
than that it will protect the government and the public to secure that poverty
alleviation and risk mitigation can be achieved."
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