The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development has partnered with the Quezon City government in clearing of the city’s waterways with informal settler families, with both agencies citing the hazards of living along the danger zones, especially during the rainy season.
During a recent meeting, housing czar Jose Ramon Aliling and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte discussed ways on how to jointly pursue housing projects for the most vulnerable and underserved sectors of the city in compliance with the President’s directive.
“This is in accordance with the order of President Marcos Jr. to move our countrymen away from dangerous areas, along rivers, esteros and other waterways. We need to move them to decent and safe areas,” Aliling said.
“I am happy that Mayor Joy and I are aligned in our vision for advancing housing projects here in Quezon City under our President’s Expanded National Housing for Filipinos or 4PH Program,” he added.
Aliling and Belmonte agreed that a rental housing scheme is the most suitable set up for residents who will be displaced when their dangerously-situated homes are demolished.
The DHSUD chief earlier ordered the inclusion of rental housing among the new modalities under the Expanded 4PH Program and immediately, DHSUD explored piloting the scheme within the University of the Philippines-Diliman in Quezon City.
Citing the city government’s data, DHSUD said there are about 13,000 families living along the city’s different waterways.
“Just give us the list of priority sites, then if you have available land where we can proceed with the project,” Aliling said.
The city government, for its part, can provide suitable land, saying “and rental is really the best way forward.”
