Palace: P18,000 to be given to informal settlers near waterways without conditions

Informal settlers who will be identified by the government to be living near danger zones will receive the P18,000 housing rental subsidy without any conditions, a Palace spokesperson said Wednesday.

 

At a news briefing, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said even those who have agreed to be relocated in structures already built by the goverment will receive the amount "in full."

 

"They will be provided, bibigyan lang ng upa, ng P1,500 a month or P18,000 a year, habang tinatayo ang kanilang mga structure. So ‘yon lang po ‘yon, wala hong kondisyon ’yon," Lacierda told reporters.

 

He added that this subsidy is not like the conditional cash transfer program, which requires families to do certain tasks — such as undergo check-ups and receive vaccinations — before receiving money from the government.

 

Interior Undersecretary Francisco Fernandez, who is in-charge of relocating informal settlers in Metro Manila away from danger zones, earlier said that the government is planning to shell out P18,000 for each of these families to encourage them to leave their houses near waterways.

 

On Monday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government will come up with a mechanism to make sure that the amount will really go to house rental and to informal settlers who need the subsidy.

'Nega stars'

 

Lacierda likewise said that he believes the choice for informal settlers between accepting the government's subsidy and staying near waterways will be a "no brainer."

 

"Here we are, the government is ensuring your safety. We are providing you a location. We are providing you a decent structure, a safe structure. Would you still stay near the waterways? I mean, no comparison. It’s a no-brainer," he said.

 

He even branded as "nega stars" those who doubt the government's intention in giving P18,000 to informal settler families.

 

"Those who feel that this is a bait, nakakaawa silang tingnan. Ang pamahalaan po ay nandoon po para magsilbi, tumulong sa ating mga mamamayan. Ang tingin po ‘nung mga ‘nega stars’ ay lahat ng gagawin ng pamahalaan ay mali," he said.

 

Lacierda also brushed aside criticisms that the rental subsidy will only be a "band aid solution" for the government's flooding and housing problems.

 

"Ang sabi po ng iba band-aid po ito; ang sinasabi po namin, first aid po ito dahil ito po ay unang tulong sa ating mga pamilya who are in danger zones, in the esteros, in those eight major waterways," he said.

 

National Housing Authority (NHA) general manager Chito Cruz, for his part, assured that informal settlers will eventually get the titles of the land they were relocated on.

 

"The lands have already been subdivided and titled individually in the name of NHA. Once it is fully paid by the informal settler, NHA will transfer the title to the informal settler," Cruz said in a separate text message. — RSJ, GMA News