Lack of livelihood at relocation site pushes families to return to 'tunnel community' 

Residents of the “tunnel community” beneath the Osmeña Highway in Malate, Manila, have relocated to Cabuyao, Laguna, but something has led them to return to living underground.

According to JP Soriano’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday, around 50 families were living under the highway; some of them have been there for several decades.

One family had to sit or crawl to get in and out of their unit - which is less than a meter of clearance between the floor and the underside of the Osmeña Highway, which serves as the concrete roof of their unit.

In their small unit, they still have to lock their doors when leaving to protect their appliances like an electric fan and a television.

But barangay officials said that the residents of the “tunnel community” were forced to go back as there was no livelihood or opportunities in their supposed new home in Laguna.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said that its social workers have already conducted a census and profiling of the underground residents before their story went viral online.

Back in February, the DSWD spoke with the residents to assess what they would need to agree to a permanent relocation.

“Para maintindihan yung scenario, yung pangangailangan ng bawat pamilya kasi iba-iba ‘yan. Meron ba silang anak na nag-aaral? So hindi natin puwede i-uproot. Meron ba silang preferred relocation area? Kasi yung trabaho nila mas malapit dun,” said DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian.

(To understand the scenario, the specific needs of each family vary. Do they have children currently in school? If so, we cannot just uproot them. Do they have a preferred relocation area? Because their jobs might be closer to that location.)

The DSWD said they explained the types of aid available to each family, including transient rental assistance and livelihood support.

GMA News also reached out to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) regarding the situation of the underground community.

The housing agency stated that its short- and long-term solutions include enrolling the affected residents into the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program.

“Ang ibig pong sabihin ng pino-profile natin, mina-match natin anong modality po ang angkop o ang appropriate sa bawat pamilyang maapektuhan? Meron po tayong rental program, meron po tayong owned program. Depende po kung ano ang gusto nila at kung ano ang kaya ng capacity nila to pay for these modalities,” said DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling.

(What profiling means is that we are matching which modality is suitable or appropriate for each affected family. We have a rental program, and we also have an ownership program. It depends on what they want and what falls within their financial capacity to pay for these modalities.)

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno has yet to issue a statement regarding the city's underground community.

But the DSWD said that local government units are actively cooperating to resolve this long-standing issue, which they note is not unique to Manila.

“Admittedly, marami pang trabahong gagawin. Pero ang importante, kumikilos ho kami sabay-sabay pati na local government units,” said Gatchalian.

(Admittedly, there is still a lot of work to be done. But what is important is that we are moving forward together, along with the local government units.)

A town hall meeting between the DSWD, DHSUD, and the residents of the underground community is expected to happen in the coming weeks. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA News