Cavite residents protest R1 road project

MANILA, Philippines - Residents of the town of Bacoor in Cavite staged a protest action Wednesday to condemn the proposed construction of the so-called R1 road project. Led by the Bacoor Coastal Area Development Council, the residents demanded assistance for those who will be displaced by the project and relocation from the developer and the government. "We are not resisting the demolition...nonetheless the residents are demanding assistance so that their lives and livelihood will not be displaced especially in a period of crisis such as what we are going through," said Hector Loyola, head of the council. The protesters assembled marched from the border of Bacoor and Kawit towns to the R1 project site. Joy Aguilar, secretary-general of the council, said they are asking the road developer and the government for assistance for in-city relocation, and to build a wharf so that the residents can continue their livelihood as fishermen. Aguilar called on the government to issue a moratorium on demolitions during the period of the economic crisis. "The least that the government can do in a time of crisis is not to destroy the houses and livelihood of the poor. A bailout program for the poor must include a moratorium on demolitions as much as funding for socialized housing," he said. - GMANews.TV