Urban Poor Re-enacted the Meeting of the Risen Jesus and Mary
Press Release
April 3, 2010
Two thousand urban poor showed up on F. Legaspi Bridge (former Javier Bridge) Manggahan Floodway, Pasig City, to watch Mary and Jesus puppets re-enacting their first meeting after the resurrection. Mary and Jesus approached each other riding rafts on Manggahan Floodway, accompanied by 50 children wearing angel costumes. With them were members of Task Force Anti-Eviction (TFAE) including Community Organizers Multiversity (COM), Urban Poor Associates (UPA), and Community Organization of the Philippine Enterprise Foundation (COPE).
This very traditional ceremony situates itself in the concrete problem faced by the residents living along the Manggahan Floodway. On December 4, 2009, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo revoked two presidential proclamations promising security of tenure to 100,000 informal settlers along Manggahan Floodway and in Taytay, Rizal through Executive Order No. 854.
This E.O 854 caused trouble to the residents because they are threatened with eviction and hundreds of them are relocated in distant settlement in Calauan, Laguna, which does not provide basic services and job opportunities.
“We strongly object to the issuance of E.O 854. We talked to all the agencies involved in the implementation of the E.O. but it seems no one is listening to our concerns. This day, through the Salubong we are showing our determination, just like the resurrection of Jesus we have high hopes that we will be saved from the looming eviction and that the government could reflect on this Lenten season to do changes favorable to the Manggahan residents,” said Vicky Morante, President of Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Kababaihan sa Floodway Inc.
“This salubong is also a form of Manggahan resident’ united prayer and a one voice, asking Jesus to spare us from losing our homes,” she added.
At 4:00 PM, urban poor cheered when children wearing angel costumes removed the black veil of Mary when she finally met with the Risen Jesus. People say they felt there are so many problems in the country that they must give time to the happy events in their faith including the resurrection of Jesus and the Salubong.
For her part, Jennilyn David, resident in Manggahan Floodway, Pasig City, said, “We are shouting no to demolition and no to distant relocation while marching to Legaspi bridge because if eviction and distant relocation will push through it is not just our homes that will be taken from us. It also poses other problems such as disenfranchisement.”
A Task Force Anti- Eviction study says that unless we stop the current eviction trend in Metro Manila the number of evicted families will dramatically rise. The number of evictions will grow until there are 59 families evicted every hour. In one day, 1,410 families will be rendered homeless and in a week there will be 9,873 evicted urban poor families. The total number of families scheduled to be evicted by the government is 404, 781. The looming evictions will not solve the issue of poverty in the country but will make the poor poorer. -30-
Showing posts with label manggahan floodway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label manggahan floodway. Show all posts
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Kalbaryo ng Maralitang Taga-Lungsod
MEDIA ADVISORY
In observance of the Lenten Season, the urban poor will hold their 24th year of Kalbaryo with a theme, “What Have You Done to My Brothers and Sisters”. This will show that the sufferings of Jesus should remind us of the sufferings of the poor.
The celebration of the annual Kalbaryo will be on March 30, 2010. The celebration will be led by men and women wearing Christ Masks. The urban poor actors will carry signs containing quotes from the bible. There will also be a small tableau of a child sleeping on cardboard and a mother begging while holding her baby.
Also this year, the urban poor will depict “Salubong” on April 3, 2010 (Black Saturday) in Manggahan Floodway, Pasig City, where 60,000 urban poor are being evicted because of the President’s issuance of Executive Order 854.
Program
Date Scenarios
Kalbaryo
March 30 (Tuesday)
Makati City At 10:00 AM, six Christs, one woman and baby, one young boy will be at the Philippine Stock Exchange in Makati lining up in the main door. There will be music and a drama about the condition of the poor.
Then they will walk to Ayala Ave. in a single file in rhythmic way. They cross to the Ninoy Aquino monument and stand there looking at the traffic.
Next, they will go to the Rustan’s Mall and do the same action as at the Stock Exchange.
At 2:00 PM, the last stop of the Kalbaryo is at the Comission on Election (Comelec) office in Intramuros. Christ will reiterate the message that demolitions should be banned during election period as they can disenfranchise thousands of urban poor voters.
Salubong
April 3 (Black Saturday)
Manggahan Floodway, Pasig City At 4:00 PM, 2000 urban poor people will meet at the F. Legazpi Bridge (former Javier Bridge) Manggahan Floodway, Pasig City, to watch Mary and Christ puppets riding rafts on the floodway and meeting one another, accompanied by 50 children wearing angel costumes.
Then at 5:30 pm, the participants will go to Purok 6 East bank road, Sta. Lucia, Manggahan Floodway, Pasig City for a prayer service.
Please Cover.
In observance of the Lenten Season, the urban poor will hold their 24th year of Kalbaryo with a theme, “What Have You Done to My Brothers and Sisters”. This will show that the sufferings of Jesus should remind us of the sufferings of the poor.
The celebration of the annual Kalbaryo will be on March 30, 2010. The celebration will be led by men and women wearing Christ Masks. The urban poor actors will carry signs containing quotes from the bible. There will also be a small tableau of a child sleeping on cardboard and a mother begging while holding her baby.
Also this year, the urban poor will depict “Salubong” on April 3, 2010 (Black Saturday) in Manggahan Floodway, Pasig City, where 60,000 urban poor are being evicted because of the President’s issuance of Executive Order 854.
Program
Date Scenarios
Kalbaryo
March 30 (Tuesday)
Makati City At 10:00 AM, six Christs, one woman and baby, one young boy will be at the Philippine Stock Exchange in Makati lining up in the main door. There will be music and a drama about the condition of the poor.
Then they will walk to Ayala Ave. in a single file in rhythmic way. They cross to the Ninoy Aquino monument and stand there looking at the traffic.
Next, they will go to the Rustan’s Mall and do the same action as at the Stock Exchange.
At 2:00 PM, the last stop of the Kalbaryo is at the Comission on Election (Comelec) office in Intramuros. Christ will reiterate the message that demolitions should be banned during election period as they can disenfranchise thousands of urban poor voters.
Salubong
April 3 (Black Saturday)
Manggahan Floodway, Pasig City At 4:00 PM, 2000 urban poor people will meet at the F. Legazpi Bridge (former Javier Bridge) Manggahan Floodway, Pasig City, to watch Mary and Christ puppets riding rafts on the floodway and meeting one another, accompanied by 50 children wearing angel costumes.
Then at 5:30 pm, the participants will go to Purok 6 East bank road, Sta. Lucia, Manggahan Floodway, Pasig City for a prayer service.
Please Cover.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
EVICTIONS ARE UP DESPITE 2010 BEING A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR
Teodoro Añana
Deputy Coordinator
Urban Poor Associates
Based on Urban Poor Associates’ (UPA) monitoring many demolitions, some of them violent, have taken place in the first weeks of 2010.
From January to February last year UPA monitored only one demolition incident involving 87 families in Sta. Lucia, Pasig City. But during the same period this year 2,500 families have been evicted. If this trend continues for the year, it will go against a commonly held observation that the numbers of evictions and demolitions usually go down during a presidential election year
In the 1998 presidential election, the number of evicted families in Metro Manila went down to 3,882 from 8,067 in 1997 or a decrease of 107%. In the 2004 presidential election some 925 families in Metro Manila were evicted, a steep decline from the number of 4,315 families evicted in 2003 or a decrease of 366%. The reason is quite obvious: politicians do not want to antagonize thousands of urban poor voters. This is a common observation in other Asian countries where politicians consider urban poor communities as vote banks.
Beginning January this year, however, more evictions are happening. Is it because President Arroyo is not running for president? (She is running as a candidate for congress in a Pampanga district). For example, evictions are taking place in communities along the Manggahan Floodway in Pasig City, Road 10 in Navotas City, and C-5 Road in Quezon City. Evictions in the three places will dislocate thousands of urban poor families and potential voters: 4,000 families from R-10 Navotas, 40,000 from C-5 in Quezon City, and 100,000 families from the Manggahan Floodway in Pasig City and Taytay. The president is reported by the media as instructing the DPWH to finish the construction of C-5 Road so that South Luzon Expressway and North Luzon Expressway will be connected before she steps down.
The DPWH offers only financial assistance of P21,000 to a family it evicts; it shows a take it or leave it attitude. This is a departure from their practice under the administration of former President Ramos when DPWH built and managed its own resettlement sites such as those in Bulacan and Cavite. They say they do not have any relocation sites now. The financial offer is contrary to law. Section 28 of the UDHA specifically mentions only in court ordered demolitions can financial assistance be given.
The Manggahan Floodway demolitions are being justified as part of the flood prevention initiatives of the Pasig River and its tributaries, in the light of the Typhoon Ondoy floods. Some of the affected communities have been given security of tenure through President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Presidential Proclamations which declared the place a socialized housing site. The proclamations have been revoked by Executive Order No. 854. People are saying that local politicians and HUDDC want to develop the place for commercial use. The evicted families are being relocated to Calauan in Laguna.
These are projects worth billions of pesos. They are on-going projects and thus are presumed exempted from the election ban on new infrastructure projects. Since corruption is endemic in public works projects many suspect that government officials and politicians want to push through the projects to take advantage of the last months of PGMA’s administration as well as to generate funds for the election campaign.
In Metro Manila most of the evicted families are being relocated to the Calauan Resettlement site. According to a UPA team who visited there, the site can accommodate some 8,759 units of houses. As of February 4, 2010, 3,866 families have been relocated. The Calauan resettlement site used to be a housing project of former President Joseph Estrada for government employees, such as, teachers and policemen. There were very few takers because the place was simply too far from the city, an estimated 120 kilometers if one starts from the Cubao area and lacks basic services, such as, water and electricity. Now government is relocating urban poor families and expects them to stay there. The urban poor say there is no livelihood and no job opportunities in or near the site; basic facilities of water and electricity are still lacking. Many relocatees have gone back to Manila because they do not want to starve in Calauan.
Evicting the urban poor during this election year and relocating them to Calauan, Laguna or somewhere in Bulacan poses other problems for the urban poor. It is now less than three months from the May 10 election and the local Comelec can prohibit them from voting in the municipalities where they are relocated for lack of the required six months residence. Will they be allowed to vote in the city from where they were evicted? Will they be prohibited from voting because they are no longer residents of the city. Since travel is very expensive (it costs nearly P400 for a round trip from Calauan to Manila and back to Calauan), can they accept transportation money from candidates? If not, they say quite a number of them will not be able to vote.
Many urban poor communities want to make the May 10 election meaningful for them and their children. However, some think the evictions are turning out to be a way for politicians to deprive them of their fundamental right to vote and to frustrate their desire for meaningful political change. They are, therefore, asking government, including the COMELEC, to impose a moratorium on demolitions for this year.
Deputy Coordinator
Urban Poor Associates
Based on Urban Poor Associates’ (UPA) monitoring many demolitions, some of them violent, have taken place in the first weeks of 2010.
From January to February last year UPA monitored only one demolition incident involving 87 families in Sta. Lucia, Pasig City. But during the same period this year 2,500 families have been evicted. If this trend continues for the year, it will go against a commonly held observation that the numbers of evictions and demolitions usually go down during a presidential election year
In the 1998 presidential election, the number of evicted families in Metro Manila went down to 3,882 from 8,067 in 1997 or a decrease of 107%. In the 2004 presidential election some 925 families in Metro Manila were evicted, a steep decline from the number of 4,315 families evicted in 2003 or a decrease of 366%. The reason is quite obvious: politicians do not want to antagonize thousands of urban poor voters. This is a common observation in other Asian countries where politicians consider urban poor communities as vote banks.
Beginning January this year, however, more evictions are happening. Is it because President Arroyo is not running for president? (She is running as a candidate for congress in a Pampanga district). For example, evictions are taking place in communities along the Manggahan Floodway in Pasig City, Road 10 in Navotas City, and C-5 Road in Quezon City. Evictions in the three places will dislocate thousands of urban poor families and potential voters: 4,000 families from R-10 Navotas, 40,000 from C-5 in Quezon City, and 100,000 families from the Manggahan Floodway in Pasig City and Taytay. The president is reported by the media as instructing the DPWH to finish the construction of C-5 Road so that South Luzon Expressway and North Luzon Expressway will be connected before she steps down.
The DPWH offers only financial assistance of P21,000 to a family it evicts; it shows a take it or leave it attitude. This is a departure from their practice under the administration of former President Ramos when DPWH built and managed its own resettlement sites such as those in Bulacan and Cavite. They say they do not have any relocation sites now. The financial offer is contrary to law. Section 28 of the UDHA specifically mentions only in court ordered demolitions can financial assistance be given.
The Manggahan Floodway demolitions are being justified as part of the flood prevention initiatives of the Pasig River and its tributaries, in the light of the Typhoon Ondoy floods. Some of the affected communities have been given security of tenure through President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Presidential Proclamations which declared the place a socialized housing site. The proclamations have been revoked by Executive Order No. 854. People are saying that local politicians and HUDDC want to develop the place for commercial use. The evicted families are being relocated to Calauan in Laguna.
These are projects worth billions of pesos. They are on-going projects and thus are presumed exempted from the election ban on new infrastructure projects. Since corruption is endemic in public works projects many suspect that government officials and politicians want to push through the projects to take advantage of the last months of PGMA’s administration as well as to generate funds for the election campaign.
In Metro Manila most of the evicted families are being relocated to the Calauan Resettlement site. According to a UPA team who visited there, the site can accommodate some 8,759 units of houses. As of February 4, 2010, 3,866 families have been relocated. The Calauan resettlement site used to be a housing project of former President Joseph Estrada for government employees, such as, teachers and policemen. There were very few takers because the place was simply too far from the city, an estimated 120 kilometers if one starts from the Cubao area and lacks basic services, such as, water and electricity. Now government is relocating urban poor families and expects them to stay there. The urban poor say there is no livelihood and no job opportunities in or near the site; basic facilities of water and electricity are still lacking. Many relocatees have gone back to Manila because they do not want to starve in Calauan.
Evicting the urban poor during this election year and relocating them to Calauan, Laguna or somewhere in Bulacan poses other problems for the urban poor. It is now less than three months from the May 10 election and the local Comelec can prohibit them from voting in the municipalities where they are relocated for lack of the required six months residence. Will they be allowed to vote in the city from where they were evicted? Will they be prohibited from voting because they are no longer residents of the city. Since travel is very expensive (it costs nearly P400 for a round trip from Calauan to Manila and back to Calauan), can they accept transportation money from candidates? If not, they say quite a number of them will not be able to vote.
Many urban poor communities want to make the May 10 election meaningful for them and their children. However, some think the evictions are turning out to be a way for politicians to deprive them of their fundamental right to vote and to frustrate their desire for meaningful political change. They are, therefore, asking government, including the COMELEC, to impose a moratorium on demolitions for this year.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Urban Poor Right to Suffrage Might be Violated
News Release
February 23, 2010
Hundred thousands of urban poor are threatened with eviction and many of them are placed in distant relocation sites as in Calauan, Laguna and Bulacan areas. This massive demolition and eviction implemented by the government arouses fear among the affected urban poor communities that it could lead to violation of their right to vote in this May election.
Prescilda Juanich, President of Samahang Pinagbuklod ng Pagkakaisa (SAPIPA) said, “Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) attempted to demolish our houses last January 20, 2010, but they didn’t succeed as we women in the community formed a human barricade to protect our houses. The demolition crew fired water cannons and the Navotas police hit us. This not only caused us physical injuries but caused anxiety to the entire community. Until now, there is a threat of another violent eviction and it disables us to focus on the coming election.”
SAPIPA is a people’s organization along Road 10 Navotas comprised of 2000 families. They are affected by the road widening project of DPWH.
On the other hand, on December 4, 2010, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo revoked two presidential proclamations that would benefit 100,000 informal settlers along Manggahan Floodway, and in Taytay, Rizal through the issuance of Executive Order No. 854.
This means that 100,000 informal settlers along Manggahan Floodway and in Taytay, Rizal are subject to demolition and eviction at any time before the election. A number of them have been evicted and now relocated in Calauan, Laguna.
“Those of us living along Manggahan Floodway strongly object to the order of the president that will evict us. Now, we are forced to go to Calauan, Laguna on the last week of February or early March,” said Vicky Morante, President of Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Kababaihan sa Floodway Inc.
“If my family has to go to Calauan where there is no livelihood and 100 kilometers away from the City, how can we vote in this coming May election? The transportation will cost us a lot because I got three children who are also registered voters in Pasig. Will we not be accused of selling our votes if we accept pamasahe (transportation money) from candidates? Or can we still vote in Pasig even if we are already residing in Calauan? We are afraid we will not be able to exercise our right to vote. These are our concerns especially that a big number of urban poor families are affected of the issuance of Executive Order No. 854,” she added.
The Task Force Anti-Eviction group composed of various people’s organizations and NGOs such as Urban Poor Associates (UPA), Community Organizers Multiversity (COM) and Community Organization of the Philippine Enterprise (COPE) Foundation has been calling for a one year-moratorium on demolitions as big numbers of urban poor may be deprived of their right of suffrage.
UPA, a housing rights non-government organization, noted that in 2007 election 6000 former railway dwellers in Makati affected by the North Rail and South Rail Linkage project transferred to Southville Resettlement in Cabuyao. They had to rally in front of the Laguna Commission on Election (COMELEC) Regional Office and faced a legal battle when Edgardo Collado and Oscar Ibay, both running for Mayor in Makati, filed a petition for exclusion against those relocated to Southville Cabuyao, claiming the relocated voters had ceased to be bonafide residents of Makati City.
The rallyists argued that they did not move out of Makati out of their own volition but were forced to be relocated by the government to give way to the railway project. In the process of relocation, only a few were able to register in Cabuyao. Most of them were not allowed to register because of the six-month residency requirement.
Had they not fought and pushed for it, they would have lost their basic right to vote to elect leaders.
“This is a major issue that should be addressed in this time. As we are all busy pushing for credible election let us not allow the urban poor be disenfranchised. Their right to vote should never be compromised,” said UPA Deputy Coordinator Teodoro Anana.
The Task Force Anti-Eviction together with NGOs and people’s organization will push for a demolition moratorium whatever it will take in order to avoid the voting problems mentioned in this article. -30-
February 23, 2010
Hundred thousands of urban poor are threatened with eviction and many of them are placed in distant relocation sites as in Calauan, Laguna and Bulacan areas. This massive demolition and eviction implemented by the government arouses fear among the affected urban poor communities that it could lead to violation of their right to vote in this May election.
Prescilda Juanich, President of Samahang Pinagbuklod ng Pagkakaisa (SAPIPA) said, “Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) attempted to demolish our houses last January 20, 2010, but they didn’t succeed as we women in the community formed a human barricade to protect our houses. The demolition crew fired water cannons and the Navotas police hit us. This not only caused us physical injuries but caused anxiety to the entire community. Until now, there is a threat of another violent eviction and it disables us to focus on the coming election.”
SAPIPA is a people’s organization along Road 10 Navotas comprised of 2000 families. They are affected by the road widening project of DPWH.
On the other hand, on December 4, 2010, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo revoked two presidential proclamations that would benefit 100,000 informal settlers along Manggahan Floodway, and in Taytay, Rizal through the issuance of Executive Order No. 854.
This means that 100,000 informal settlers along Manggahan Floodway and in Taytay, Rizal are subject to demolition and eviction at any time before the election. A number of them have been evicted and now relocated in Calauan, Laguna.
“Those of us living along Manggahan Floodway strongly object to the order of the president that will evict us. Now, we are forced to go to Calauan, Laguna on the last week of February or early March,” said Vicky Morante, President of Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Kababaihan sa Floodway Inc.
“If my family has to go to Calauan where there is no livelihood and 100 kilometers away from the City, how can we vote in this coming May election? The transportation will cost us a lot because I got three children who are also registered voters in Pasig. Will we not be accused of selling our votes if we accept pamasahe (transportation money) from candidates? Or can we still vote in Pasig even if we are already residing in Calauan? We are afraid we will not be able to exercise our right to vote. These are our concerns especially that a big number of urban poor families are affected of the issuance of Executive Order No. 854,” she added.
The Task Force Anti-Eviction group composed of various people’s organizations and NGOs such as Urban Poor Associates (UPA), Community Organizers Multiversity (COM) and Community Organization of the Philippine Enterprise (COPE) Foundation has been calling for a one year-moratorium on demolitions as big numbers of urban poor may be deprived of their right of suffrage.
UPA, a housing rights non-government organization, noted that in 2007 election 6000 former railway dwellers in Makati affected by the North Rail and South Rail Linkage project transferred to Southville Resettlement in Cabuyao. They had to rally in front of the Laguna Commission on Election (COMELEC) Regional Office and faced a legal battle when Edgardo Collado and Oscar Ibay, both running for Mayor in Makati, filed a petition for exclusion against those relocated to Southville Cabuyao, claiming the relocated voters had ceased to be bonafide residents of Makati City.
The rallyists argued that they did not move out of Makati out of their own volition but were forced to be relocated by the government to give way to the railway project. In the process of relocation, only a few were able to register in Cabuyao. Most of them were not allowed to register because of the six-month residency requirement.
Had they not fought and pushed for it, they would have lost their basic right to vote to elect leaders.
“This is a major issue that should be addressed in this time. As we are all busy pushing for credible election let us not allow the urban poor be disenfranchised. Their right to vote should never be compromised,” said UPA Deputy Coordinator Teodoro Anana.
The Task Force Anti-Eviction together with NGOs and people’s organization will push for a demolition moratorium whatever it will take in order to avoid the voting problems mentioned in this article. -30-
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