Almost half of Bacolod families are below poverty lines - report

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines- The Bacolod City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), headed by Tonette Tejario, validated an earlier Sun.Star report saying half of city residents are "squatters" as per Bacolod Housing Authority indicators. Tejario also presented similar data, which showed that 44 percent of total families in Bacolod are living below poverty lines. According to the latest CPDO data culled in 2000, there are 89,651 families (not individuals) living in Bacolod City. Of this figure, 39,696 (44%) are deprived of "adequate housing, basic social services, and transportation networks." Tejario said these three factors are the usual indicators of poverty, adding the trend could be worst nationwide. Sun.Star also earlier reported that the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) can only service 34 percent of its total coverage area. At least 10 percent of those not serviced rely on a private water system while the rest have to swarm around health-risky communal water pumps. Despite the water district's construction of a 6,500 cubic-meter water reservoir in Barangay Mansilingan, pending application for water connection stands at P19.2 million, which Baciwa is asking from the City Government. The lack of adequate water services are among the indicators of deprivation in social services that CPDO refers to when it speaks of "poverty line." Tejario said the 2007 statistics, which her office is now compiling, would come out soon, adding could not predict whether the "poverty line" has improved. "Our latest statistics, however, is already very conclusive on how the local economy is performing. Fifty-six percent of total families are doing well," she said. The data was also presented to retired provincial planning and now Provincial Historical Council executive director Roque Hofileña. Hofileña's attention was caught by the low population growth rate of Bacolod City, which he said is far below the national average. CPDO reported a 1.69 percent growth rate for Bacolod City as against the national average of 2.34 percent. "As a planning officer, this is an indication that our CPDO had done its job. This is also an indication that Bacolod City must now improve its vision or refocus on social services more than anything else," Hofileña said. "What will happen to this city without proper and clean means of accessing water? If this basic of all basics cannot be delivered, then I do not know where we are going." - Sun.Star Bacolod