Bayan: Government should re-examine housing programs

The government should re-examine housing programs following the illegal occupation of some units by an urban poor group, a militant group official said Tuesday.

"Kailangan talagang ire-examine natin 'yung programang pabahay. Gumagastos ang gobyerno ng bilyon-bilyon. Hindi maayos ang mga bahay na nako-construct. Ayaw tirhan o nahihirapan ang titira doon. Tapos walang gustong magpalipat kasi wala namang trabaho doon, walang tubig, walang kuryente. So mayroon talagang problema 'yung housing program," Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. said in an interview on Unang Balita.

"We cannot just continue 'yung dati nang sinimulan. Siguro magkaroon na ng bagong programang pabahay," he added. 

The National Housing Authority on Monday decided not to push through with its planned eviction of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) members who illegally occupied idle government housing units in Pandi, Bulacan. 

The deadline for Kadamay members to leave the housing units was on Monday. 

The NHA said they have arrived at the decision after a meeting with representatives of Kadamay on Monday.

Reyes, on his part, said that the NHA will start conducting an inventory of the housing units and will then determine whether Kadamay members are qualified to be awarded with the housing units they have occupied.

"Dahil suspended o dine-defer o tinanggal na ang eviction, nagkakaroon ngayon ng maayos na sitwasyon upang mag-usap-usap 'yung magkabilang panig. Isa nga doon sa gustong pagsumikapan ay kung paano ma-validate at maturing na kwalipikado 'yung mga nag-okupa," Reyes said.

"Dadaan sila sa proseso na mayroon silang fi-fill up-an [na] form at sisiguraduhin na hindi na sila na-awardan before. Ibig sabihin, hindi sila parang sindikato, professional squatter," he added.

Reyes said this is a wake-up call for NHA, saying that they have to address the loopholes in their housing programs.

"Hindi naman sa kinukunsinti. Malinaw dito mula sa Malacañang hanggang sa NHA, mukhang mayroong wake-up call sa kanila. Kung hindi ito ginawa ng Kadamay, hindi siguro mapag-uusapan at hindi natin mapapansin na libo-libo, limampung libo 'yung mga bahay na hindi okupado sa buong bansa na ginastusan ng gobyerno," Reyes said.

He further said that the government should be grateful that Kadamay members have brought the housing issues to light.

"We should thank Kadamay na they brought this issue to public attention at ngayon hahanapan ng solusyon 'yan ng gobyernong ito, ng Duterte administration. At siyempre magmumungkahi ang mga miyembro ng Kadamay kung how we can move forward," Reyes said.

In a separate interview on Unang Balita, Elsie Trinidad, spokesperson of NHA, said that both parties have agreed to settle with certain conditions following the deferment of eviction.

Trinidad said Kadamay members have to undergo profiling in order to determine who are qualified for the housing units.

She also said that NHA officials will meet with the housing board of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police on May 30 to discuss who are still willing to be included in the housing program.

"Makikipagpulong sa May 30. 'Yun po ang deadline na ibinigay ng general manager to the AFP-PNP housing board para tiyakin once and for all, ilan pa ba 'yung interesado na gustong mapabilang dito sa housing program ng for loan salary personnel," Trinidad said.

"So by that time, we hope na may datos na po tayo. At we hope na mas flexible na pag-usapan 'yung mga sinasabi nilang nakatiwangwang o hindi okupado," she added.

Trinidad, on the other hand, said, "Ipagpapatuloy ng NHA 'yung processing na doon naman sa nakapila sa amin para makabuo ng programa in 2018 at ma-pondohan."

She also mentioned that they will continue with the inventory of housing units that could be made available to beneficiaries who are still in line.

Trinidad also clarified that the said housing units are not for free but rather subsidized.

Reyes, on his part, said that Kadamay members are aware that the housing units are not awarded for free.

"Alam naman ng mga miyembro ng Kadamay na may binabayaran. 'Yun nga ang isang dahilan kung bakit hindi sila makakuha ng pabahay eh. Sa kanila, medyo mabigat 'yung hinuhulugan, so ano't ano man ang magiging moda, pag-uusapan pa ho 'yan," he said.

Trinidad in a separate interview on dzBB on Tuesday said that the NHA remains optimistic that Kadamay members will follow what they have discussed in the meeting. 

She said that both parties agreed that they have a mutual responsibility.

Trinidad also admitted that there are indeed setbacks in NHA's housing programs. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/KG, GMA News