THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Quezon City government have agreed to prioritize the clearing of the city’s waterways with informal settler families (ISFs), citing the hazards of living along the danger zones, especially during the rainy season.
During a recent meeting, DHSUD Secretary 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 to the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“This is in accordance with the order of President Marcos Jr. to move our countrymen away from dangerous areas, along rivers, estuaries and other waterways. We need to move them to decent and safe areas,” Aliling said.
“I am happy and aligned with Mayor Joy’s vision for advancing housing projects here in Quezon City under our President’s Expanded National Housing for the Filipinos or #4PH Program,” he said.
Aliling and Belmonte agreed to prioritize Quezon City residents along various waterways in rolling out Expanded 4PH projects in the city.
Both officials also prefer rental housing scheme as the most suitable set up for the affected residents.
“We are in favor of rental (housing),” said Belmonte.
Upon his assumption last May, Aliling ordered the inclusion of rental housing among the new modalities under the Expanded 4PH Program. The DHSUD immediately explored piloting the scheme within the University of the Philippines-Diliman in Quezon City.
According to Quezon City Hall, 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 Quezon City mayor, for her part, shared that the city government can provide suitable land “and rental is really the best way forward.”
