Tenants react to MMDA's sudden order to vacate Gwapotel

Tenants of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Workers’ Inn on Bonifacio Drive in Port Area, Manila balked at the office’s order to evacuate them from the building, saying it came at such short notice.

The building’s tenants, both vendors and residents, argued that the MMDA gave them only until the end of the month to vacate the building, which is also known as "Gwapotel."

" Ang sabi nila sa amin, 'Hanggang katapusan [na lang] kayo.' Bakit bigla na lang kaming paaalisin nang walang warning?" said a woman who identified herself as a single mother.

“Tao kaming pumasok dito. Dapat tao rin kaming paaalisin,” she added.

Tenants wait outside the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Workers’ Inn (also known as Gwapotel) after they were suddenly evicted on Thursday, August 17, 2017. Danny Pata

According to Carlos Mateo’s report on radio dzBB on Thursday, about 300 tenants will be affected by the eviction notice.

The occupants are charged only P50 for a 12-hour stay, and P100 for 24 hours - cheap lodgings for people with meager earnings.

MMDA General Manager and now Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary Tim Orbos said the plan was to renovate the building, claiming some parts of the building are in such a state of disrepair that they may pose harm to the residents.

"The building in itself is structurally sound. What makes it hazardous ay 'yung mga division na gawa sa plywood. Mabilis po mag-deteriorate kaya naman kailangan na talaga nating i-repair," Orbos explained.

Only temporary

Orbos assured that the move to have tenants vacate the place is only temporary.

"As long as magkasunduan na ang MMDA at NAPOCOR [National Power Corporation], bubuksan na po ulit 'yan para sa ating mga kababayan," he said.

“Kung sino 'man ang mga nakatira diyan ngayon, kapag naayos na ulit, kayo pa rin 'yun, ” he added.

Orbos said the building may take one to two months to be repaired.

"Hindi alam pero siguradong bibilisan ang paggawa. Baka one to two months isasarado para i-repair, " he noted.

Orbos conceded that the people in charge should have warned the tenants well ahead of the required date to vacate.

“Kung hindi naabisuhan nang tama ang ating mga mamamayan, kailangang managot sila,” he said.

The MMDA Workers’ Inn was the project of former MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando.

The building is the property of NAPOCOR and is managed by MMDA. The two share a contract of agreement for the said project. —Akari Nakano/KG/KVD, GMA News