Gawad Kalinga, Habitat villages in Baseco to be demolished?

MANILA, Philippines - Around 6,000 to 10,000 families are in danger of losing their homes after authorities announced they would reclaim the 56-hectare Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Co. (Baseco) compound in the city's Tondo district where several houses have been put up by non-government organizations. According to a statement released by non-government organization Urban Poor Associates (UPA) on Tuesday, the Philippine Reclamation Authority is planning to move 3,000 of the compound’s residents to a 10-hectare area west of Baseco because 35 hectares will be used for commercial purposes. More than a hundred million pesos are estimated to have been spent developing housing in the area since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo proclaimed it “for the homes of the people" in 2002. Some five hectares were reclaimed and distributed to 1,000 families in 2002 after four fires hit the area, but in 2004, thousands of houses were put up by non-government organizations following the endorsement of President Arroyo. Gawad Kalinga (GK) and Habitat for Humanity (HH) were able to put up around 2,000 houses despite a soil test showing much of the area would be at risk if a very strong earthquake—about 8 on the Richter scale—will hit the area. The danger was once again raised in 2007 when studies showed that building even one-story houses in Baseco’s poor soil is potentially hazardous. Manila mayor Alfredo Lim has since asked the NGOs to stop building houses on the site. The UPA said residents have expressed concerns regarding their move to the 10-hectare area off Baseco, saying there is “no clear black and white detailed description of the plan has yet been shown to the people." The government did not state how it will choose the 3,000 families who will be moved to the reclaimed area, what will happen to the rest of the residents who will be displaced from their homes in the Baseco compound, and whether the new units will be affordable. The residents also said they want houses similar to the ones built by GK and HH because these “encourage the formation of peaceful, neighborly communities." In support of the residents, activist priest Fr Robert Reyes ran around the Baseco area on Tuesday morning to publicize the petition which will be sent to the United Nations. A brief prayer service followed, and Baseco residents signed a banner with the words “United Nations Housing Rights, please help us. We want to stay here in our homes. We don’t want to move out." -Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV