[ journal.com.ph ] April 16, 2008
MORE than 200 families at the Subic Bay Freeport were affected by the ongoing expansion program of the South Korean shipbuilding giant Hanjin Heavy Industries Corp. inside the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority forested areas.
The SBMA natives, who have been residing in the area for more than 30 years, were evicted from their lands and given certificates of award for houses and lots on Wednesday at a newly-developed and more accessible resettlement site in Subic, Zambales.
The beneficiaries previously settled at Sitio Nagyantok in Bgy. Cawag, Subic, which had to be used for the construction of inland dry docks for the Hanjin shipyard project.
The area, which was previously used by the U.S. Navy for military exercises, forms part of the special economic zone managed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
In a simple ceremony, SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga and Hanjin President Jeong Sup Shim led groups involved in the relocation program in welcoming the 270 families to the so-called SBMA-Hanjin-Gawad Kalinga Village.
The 270 families were in addition to the 90 families which were the first batch of natives relocated from Sitio Agusuhin. They (90 families) will also occupy the new relocation site, as new housing units are still being constructed for them by SBMA authorities.
“Today, we are commencing the process of molding a new future for the residents of Nagyantok. We are very happy to welcome you all in your new homes where new hope will begin,” Salonga said.
Salonga said the project was successfully undertaken because of proper consultation and coordination between the affected residents and concerned agencies and groups like the SBMA, HHIC-Phil, the Gawad Kalinga Foundation and local government units.
The new village was built beginning February with the SBMA managing the relocation program and Hanjin shouldering the acquisition of the land, as well as materials for the new housing units.
The construction of the housing units was made by the Gawad Kalinga Foundation which mobilized hundreds of volunteers to finish the project in just two months.
In his welcome remarks, Salonga noted the assistance extended by GK, headed by its executive director, Luis Oquiñena; Hanjin Philippines, headed by Shim, as well as Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso.
SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza, meanwhile, lauded the residents of Nagyantok for their patience in undergoing the “long and very hard process” of relocating their homes.
Noting that most of the residents had been in their former village for the last 20 to 30 years, Arreza said they nevertheless accepted the relocation offer “because they knew that it will benefit the greater number of Filipinos.”
Hanjin, which has established a $1.7-billion shipyard project in the Redondo Pensinsula, now employs more than 5,000 employees and projects to sign in more workers as shipbuilding operations go full-blast.
“We have just started the long process,” Arreza told the Nagyantok beneficiaries. “These houses represent a cornerstone upon which new dreams start for the residents,” he added.
For his part, Jeong Sup Shim of HHIC-Phil expressed his pleasure in the success of the project and recalled the joy of owning his own house only 10 years ago.
“I was very happy, and my wife cried with joy when we finally got our own house,” he said.
“Owning a house really gives you a peaceful feeling. In your own home, you can do relatively anything without thinking about others. At home, you can scratch anywhere where it itches,” he quipped.
According to SBMA officials, the SBMA-Hanjin-GK Village will be a community complete with school buildings, a chapel, and other public facilities. As part of its social advocacy, GK will also implement social development programs in the area.
Aside from the housing units for the Nagyantok families, GK is building houses in the new village for 90 families from Sitio Agusuhin, the first village relocated due to Hanjin expansion.
This will bring to 360 the total number of housing units at the SBMA-Hanjin-GK Village. J.V.Antiporda
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