05/16/2012 [ tribune.net.ph ]
Some 5,292 informal settler families
(ISFs) residing along waterways and on road right-of-ways have been identified
by the Quezon City government as priority for relocation this year, Mayor
Herbert “Bistek” Bautista announced yesterday.
Of the total ISFs, 3,397 are
reportedly living along creeks and waterways and the remaining 1,895 on
road-right-of-ways, said urban poor affairs office chief Ramon Asprer in his
report to the mayor.
For those occupying waterways,
priority shall be given by the city government to some 850 ISFs along the
stretch of Calamiong creek extending from riverside in Barangay Commonwealth to
Barangay Bagong Silangan; 600 ISFs along Lagarian creek bounded by barangays
Obrero and Kalusugan; 320 ISFs occupying waterways at the Ninoy Aquino Parks
and Wildlife in Bagong Pag-asa; 150 ISFs at Ermitanyo creek in Barangay
Mariana; 40 ISFs at Road 5 creek in Project 6; 150 ISFs at Araneta creek in
Barangay Masambong; 200 ISFs at creekside in Barangay E. Rodriguez; 100 ISFs at
Dario Creek in Barangay Bahay-Toro; 300 ISFs at Diliman creek in Barangay Roxas
and 45 ISFs at Tullahan creek in Barangay North Fairview.
ISFs occupying road right-of-ways
along BIR Road, Barangay Central; Cardiz Street, Barangay Tatalon; Dupax,
Liwanag and Pook De la Paz streets, Barangay Old Balara; Pansol center island,
Barangay Pansol; Sitio Looban in Barangay Kaligayahan; Bernardo Park in
Barangay Kamuning; Judge Juan Luna in Barangay Bungad; Balingasa; Araneta
Avenue, Mauban and Sto. Domingo streets, in Barangay Manresa, and Geronimo
Street in Barangay Novaliches Proper, have also been included in the priority
list.
The QC government identified
Bistekville I and II; Site 4 Southville 8 in Barangay San Isidro in Rodriguez,
Rizal; IK1 in Rodriguez, Rizal and Towerville Phase 6 in Barangay Gaya-Gaya in
San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, as resettlement sites for the informal settlers in
the city.
In 2011, UPAO has relocated about 320
ISFs occupying waterways and more than 900 ISFs along road-right-of-ways in QC
and National Housing Authority-designated resettlement sites.
The bulk of relocatees came from BIR
Road in Barangay Central. Of the 576 affected ISFs, 454 availed themselves of
the government’s relocation program, Asprer said.
Aside from the relocation program, the
local government also provided electric and water connections to the relocated
families, the mayor said.
For the first six months of 2011, the
city has provided electric connection to 4,905 beneficiaries and water connection
to some 869 beneficiaries.
The mayor recently unveiled the local
government’s plans to put up a socialized housing fund so the city could
effectively implement its housing program.
The fund, which will be incorporated
in the city’s budget starting next year, shall be sourced from the collection
of the idle land tax and the city’s socialized housing tax. Arlie O. Calalo
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