No more squatters in 3 years! 15,000 Manila slum dwellers to be relocated in next 2 years! Those were the news and strategies on how to solve the squatting problems.
Exactly three weeks ago, we were at the Bump Bar in Philadelphia with Chuva, Diwa, Flip and the rest of the gang. We were having fun when I received a text message “tawag ka, kelangan kita please!”. It was from a friend who lives in Floodway. He was crying on the phone. He said that they were demolishing his mother’s carenderia and they never got the chance to salvage some of her stuff. I could hear the shouts and the noise from the background. I felt helpless. And so, I am writing this article for him.
I’m also writing this article for Ross, who’s been asking me – what can you contribute to the Senate should you become a Senatress? This is one Ross. Many more will come.
And this is also to all my student visitors who gave me a lot of assignments to do – that I can’t do no more. Grrrrr!!!
Over the years, it seemed to me that the government’s solution to the squatter’s problem has just been to ignore these people or shoo them away like the whole problem will disappear. Have you seen the Tondominium series on the television a few months ago? Last week, there was not a mention whatsoever about the squatters problem on the SONA 2007. If you have read the Tondominium story, you’d find out that the number problem sabi nila is that the National Housing Authority is claiming na they don’t have enough funds. Hoo-hum!
Be that as it may, but the truth of the matter is, these people who are living in the squatter areas are the long forgotten and lost souls of the Philippine society. Would it be fair for me to say that politicians would only turn to them during election and would rather forget about them after that? Or maybe they have no intentions to solve the issue because they all need the squatters vote during election. Would that be a correct assessment? I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong.
But, whether we like it or not, they form part of the fabric of the Philippine society and if we don’t help them be productive and help them join the hardworking mainstream of the Philippine society then I have no clue whatsoever what kind of magic wand one would need to erase poverty in the Philippines if the only and only solution is to relocate these people and shoo them away. Trust me they won’t disappear they will come come back for they need to survive just like you and me.
Relocate. That’s it. That’s all that they do. That’s all the solution. It’s as if – moving these people somewhere where we don’t see them, where foreigners don’t see them – that we would soon be a 1st world country. It doesn’t work that way. I have not heard any relocation story that’s been successful yet. Or maybe I missed these news. Or is there any? Prove me wrong! I’m dying to find a squatter relocation success story!
The problem with relocation is that most of these people are solidly entrenched in or near the area where they live. That’s where they work, their kids go to school, and that’s where they could only find a job to have food on their table. When you relocate these people, do we make sure that at least their basic needs are met in their new location? Will there be a job for them in the area they are moving into? What about their kids? Where are they going to school? What are the chances that they won’t go back to squat somewhere? Does the relocation addresses these issues?
Lord have mercy! Stop the finger pointing!
If other countries can attack squatting and vagrancies and low income and people who are left out in the society, sans corruption and government’s indifference to these people, I believe that the government would be able to lick this problem. I don’t know exactly if the government agencies are doing this now, but I have a suggestion:
Why not attack the squatter problem with housing tax credits? I’m not reinventing the wheel here. This is a very successful program that’s currently being used by the US Government through HUD and it’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program and the HOPE VI Program by Bill Clinton. Will it work in the Philippines? Why not? Maybe there’s a way to tweak the program such that it would be applicable to the Philippine squatter situation. By golly! We are Filipinos! We are so damn creative even in the most volatile and precarious situation!
What’s a tax credit? Tax credits are subtracted directly from one’s tax liability. Credits reduces tax liability peso-for-peso. The whole idea being – is to provide the private market (builders and developers) with an incentive to invest in affordable rental housing. Developers or builders then sell these tax credits to investors to raise capital (or equity) for their projects, which reduces the debt that the developer would otherwise have to borrow. Because the debt is lower, a tax credit property can in turn offer lower, more affordable rents. These properties must maintain program compliance requirements, investors receive peso-to-peso credit against their income tax each year say for a period of ten years.
Now, before all my squatter friends starts jumping around, let me be blunt: this program is not intended to be free nor is it intended to bail out or is designed to people without any income. The whole idea is to help those people with very low income to afford to rent a low-income housing, meaning there will be income levels and restrictions and government subsidy.
Similar to the HUD program in the United States, this program should be a partnership by the Bureau of Internal Revenue who’d allocate housing tax credits to a designated City or Provincial housing agencies who would in turn award these credits to developers of qualified projects.
Essentially that’s the whole idea. What’s good about this? Except for those squatter areas that are mercilessly hanging and/or right beside railways, highways or under the bridges where the pieces of land can no longer be developed, you can turn these squatter areas into gleaming and beautiful homes for the poor.
Consider what this project can do:
- Except for government subsidy, you’re not relying for the government to give you some funds anymore because you are raising equity from private investors.
- And because you have private investors, compliance and audit is more strict compared to the government. Di ba?
- You are creating an economic activity by giving work to builders, creating demand for building materials that eventually creates employment that in turn translates to more taxes for the government. You see the connection?
- You’re not only improving the neighborhood and creating an economic activity, more importantly, you are treating these people like they should be treated dahil Pinoy din sila gaya mo, gaya ko, gaya nating lahat at ang bandila nila eh kakulay nang bandila natin. Except yong flag ni Chuva na mukhang rainbow.
- You are directly solving the poverty and environmental problem.
In a big picture that’s the whole idea. That ladies and gentlemen is my vision for the next 20 years.
Will you do me and my friend a favor by bringing this blog article to the Congress? or the Senate?! I know, pantasyadora ako. But hey! At least, I have a vision too!!!
AND FOR OTHER NEWS
hay naku! ibang klase! nung nagsabog yata ng ka-eng-engan ay sinapo lahat netong si newbie#2. tuwing mag-i-spot checking ako ng mga gawa nya, wala… wala na akong tiwala. gustong kong balikan ang mga ginawa nya. nung nag-usap kami ni poging manedyer kagabi, binanggit ko na yun sa kanya na gusto kong balikan ang mga natapos na gawa netong si newbie#2. Yan ang hinaing nang aking kebigang si KiwiPinay na tiga New Zealand. Niyaya ko syang mag-work sa work ko, kaya lang baka saksakin nya sarili nya pag nalaman nyang puro bulate ang laman nang mga ibang bugok na ka-opisina ko.
at para naman saking kebigang si Chuva who’s going through some chuva chuva break-up break-up gaya-gaya me na minsa ginugulo ang buhay ko nang kanyang mga kestyons “What is life?”, Bea definitely can answer you that Life is Good with all the book launching that they did recently at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. and I know, sugatan ang puso mo kaya I think you should read OFW in Africa para malaman mo “What is Love?”.
at eto namang si Paulding, i swear this was not the low income housing rental that I had in mind nong sinulat ko tong vision ko noh?
Well, that’s it for now kids! Dami ko pang readings to do! Me presentation chuvalais ako bukas with investors kaya kelangan kunyari matalino ako!
Ciao!
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
but there are squatters who does it for a living. They will squat on private property and then when they are placed sa housing they sell it or rent it out naman… so every thing can’t be blame on the goverment… i remember doing social awareness back when I was in college part of the curriculum was live in a slum area. grabe ung inudoro butas lang sa floor na lagos sa ilog ng navotos… they have rental properties at isang inahin (no its not my mom) anyway sobrang haba ng nobela hindi ko mabasa … alam mo na certain words lang ang kayang attain ng brainiac ko!!!
salamat po mahal na reyna, na maganda!!!
*** waving !!!
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well, this program will separate the professional squatters from those hardworking squatter people that needs help because there is a compliance requirement here and these issues about re-renting or subletting will be addressed because you will have a property manager. unlike yong public housing currently na talagang ganyan ang nangyayari. it’s all about property management.
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Very well said. Iboto ang mahal na reyna!
In fairness, may mga low housing project d2 sa Pinas, like the one in Bulacan and meron din yata sa Rizal…500P yata monthly ang rent…
eto naman ang foint ko:
If you give people fish, they eat for a day. If you teach them to fish, they can eat for a lifetime
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ei! Malen, baka kailangan naten COMELEC, nag-iisa ka lang yatang boboto saken! kawawa ka naman! Tawagin mo nga si Garci!
TYPE KO TONG SINABI MO. Me koreksyun ako:
If you give people fish, they eat for a day. If you teach them to fish, they SELL THE BOAT, drink then beg for fish.
In fairness masaya dahil nalasing.
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ahahahaha….ibang level ka talaga…pwede ding:
If you teach them to fish, they SELL THE BOAT, drink then EAT the fish – pulutan daw.
harharhar
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pero day, mas type ko yong story na ganito. i found out na me mga ni-relocate pala na mga squatters dun sa Silang, Cavite, kasi may i go ako dun, pinuntahan ko ah… isang boylet ko… hehehe. mega-kwento sya kung ano ang mga drama nang mga lumipat dun. dahil nga walang trabaho dun, malayo sa school ang mga bata, binenta daw nila and balik manila squat uli! hahaha!!! kalimutan ko lugar sa Silang. Basta nasa bundok sya!
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babawiin ko pala ung song na goodbye my lover, mas bagay sya kay chuvz ha ha ha
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see that tama ako about relocation, they usually complain about where its at take the money and may I go back sa siyudad at mag squat
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hehehe na-alala ko kasi si Charlie who works dun sa Techno Park in Sta Rosa and he lives dun sa Silang Cavite sa Relocation Area and he was the one who told me the story. Tawa ako nang tawa. But you know, you can’t blame these people dahil, eh ala ngang pagkabuhay dun eh! Anong gagawin nila? Magnakaw?
Yong Goodbye my Lover, dapat bigay mo sa Syota nya! HAHAHA
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GAGA mag hihingutohan sila sa hagdan… tapus benta nila sa intsik para dagdag sa mga masasarap nilang pag kain na may formalin (tama ba spelling ko)
ha ha ha ha… tama!
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PINK! depress ang lola mo! Nagpalit na siguro nang sim card ang BF#1 at #2 ko! Ooop! ExBF#1 pala. Puro “Unattended daw!!!!”
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MBA ka nga! baka naman nadapa or hindi ka nag padala ng load ha ha ha… naku makakalbo ka lang sa kakaisip sa duwa na yan… bakit di mo kalad karin si chuva at mag punta kayo sa woody’s
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tapus kodakan mo using your camera phone tapus text mo sa kanilang dalawa… damay mo na din ako ha hah a ha
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EEEEEEEEE!!! MALOLOKA NA TALAGA AKOOO!!!
Eh ngayon pa namang August ang kasal nila? Kelan? Ewan! Ayaw nang saguting mga tawag ko! Kelangan mabawi ko yong ref!!!!!!!
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That I can help… bawiin mo ang ref and kulong mo sya dun …
Hay naku!!!
I updated my bahay . Visit ka ulit ha
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parehas ba yan nung bahay ni paulding? hehehe! sige, check ko nga!
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“Forgiveness demands every mental, moral, and spiritual resource you have. Like love, it never stays the same, never ends, and deepens over the years. Forgiveness is hard, painful work that can take a lifetime.” —
YAN ANG NAKITA KO SA BALAY MO. Tsaka yong karton na sobrang kalupitan sa pusa mo.
PERO
TIGILAN AKO NANG MGA PORGIBNESS NA YAN! matapos kong pautangin, bilhan ang levis, ipagshopping, bigyan nang sandamakal na load, bayaran apartment, bilhan nang ref, palamunin, painumin sa sosyal na lugar sa berdeng sinturon at sa silangang kahuyan, taz magpapakasal sa iba – taz PORGIBNES?
DI PEDE
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GAGA akin un! Hindi para sa you!
Ikaw lang ba ang nabigo at nasaktan! Mas boba lang ako sa inyo dahil binahay ko! ha ha ha ha
teka pina utang mo binayaran ka ba?!
ung karton ay paborito ng pusa ko nilalagyan ko pa un ng tuwalya para malambot ang higaan nya sa kakuntan ko hindi ako gagasta ng 20.00 para lang higan nya no!
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ako? babayaran? walang nagbabayad sa mga pinautang ko ‘day. ke kebigan, ke boys foundation, ke relathieves. wala. yan ang role ko sa mundo. magpaloko.
ow? binahay mo? binilhan mo din ba nang pyanu?
tsk! tsk! tsk! mas matindi ka nga!
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At least may taga kamot ako ng ano pag bored ako
ha ha ha ha …
Mahal na reyna… walang tatalo sa inyong katalinuhan at katangahan.. kaya idol na idol kita… pag naging inahin ako gagayahin ko po kayo
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ako gagayahin mo? you mean, isasanla mo rin bahay mo taz kakaripas ka nang takbo sa pinas? taz uuwi ka nang merikang pa-hikbi-hikbi dahil niloko ka?
wag na.
*hikbi*
uuwi ka nang pinas… lahat nang lalaking makilala mo… puro ka i love you… taz pag tinawagan mo… an drama na-low bat
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there’s one in las pinas city. the place is called st.mary homes in almanza 1… the people there came from a slum area near the place… the city government with the help of sen.manny villar donated the land to those who live in pactor…
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