QC ordinance bans new illegal structures, informal settlements

The Quezon City government is set to start a massive clearing operation aimed to remove illegal structures put up by informal settlers.

The clearing is meant to give way to road widening, drainage improvement and other beautification projects, a local official said.

 

According to Voltaire Alcantara, officer-in-charge of the city's anti-squatting unit, Task Force for the Control, Prevention and Removal of Illegal Structures and Squatting (COPRISS), they are now in the process of setting a formal meeting with barangay officials regarding the clearing operations to be conducted in their respective villages. 

 

Alcantara said demolition of houses of illegal settlers has already commenced in Barangay South Triangle and illegal "sari-sari" stores and tricycle terminals on the sidewalk will be dismantled soon.

 

"Itong South Triangle gagawing tourist area, tatanggalin namin ang mga 'di kanais-nais," Alcantara said, adding similar clearing operations will be conducted in other barangays soon.

 

The city's stricter policy against squatting and the building of illegal structures came after QC mayor Herbert Bautista signed an ordinance last week giving barangay officials and the COPRISS the power to keep new structures from being built without permission.

  

Signed on Jan. 9, 2014, the ordinance directs barangay chairmen and members of the COPRISS to "summarily evict all persons conducting an on-going construction of any structure in public and private lands within the territorial jurisdiction of Quezon City without the express consent of the registered landowner or the necessary building permit from the city government and to demolish such structure." 
 

The ordinance directs the barangay chairman to advise illegal settlers under his jurisdiction to dismantle the structures on their own within three days, and, if the informal settlers refuse to vacate, the barangay officials or COPRISS must demolish the structures.

 

"Talagang malaking problema namin yan (squatting). Kaya ito (ordinance) malaking tulong," Alcantara said.

 

But for urban poor group Kadamay, the ordinance could be a way to force them out of their homes.

 

"Katulad niyan na may bagyo, may sunog... At kung kami ma'y masunog, ibig sabihin nun, sinadya kang sunugin, para lang lumayas kami," Estrelita Bagasbas, Kadamay vice chair said in a report on "Saksi" aired Thursday evening.

With the new ordinance in place, they will not be allowed to rebuild their homes in case calamities hit. "Pero kami, hindi kami makikinig dun," she said of the ban on illegal structures.

 

Tadeo Palma of the Office of the Quezon City Mayor, said in the same report said this is an old policy on illegal structures. "Dati nang ordinansa na basta illegal structures at ongoing ang construction, trabaho ng barangay na mag-demolish nun at ng city government," he said.

 

Aside from the old ordinance, he said the government is required to remove the structures because of new rules.

"May bagong patakaran talaga, pag nasa danger zone ka, eh talagang subject ka sa demolisyon. And danger doon kasi di lang sa baha kundi pati sa sunog, sa health," Palma said. — Elizabeth Marcelo/JDS, GMA News