Published by reynz

No more squatters in 3 years! 15,000 Manila slum dwellers to be relocated in next 2 years! Those were the news and strategies on how to solve the squatting problems.

Over the years, it seemed to me that the government’s solution to the squatter’s problem has just been to ignore these people or shoo them away like the whole problem will disappear. Have you seen the Tondominium series on the television a few months ago? Last week, there was not a mention whatsoever about the squatters problem on the SONA 2007. If you have read the Tondominium story, you’d find out that the number problem sabi nila is that the National Housing Authority is claiming na they don’t have enough funds. Hoo-hum!

Be that as it may, but the truth of the matter is, these people who are living in the squatter areas are the long forgotten and lost souls of the Philippine society. Would it be fair for me to say that politicians would only turn to them during election and would rather forget about them after that? Or maybe they have no intentions to solve the issue because they all need the squatters vote during election. Would that be a correct assessment? I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong.

But, whether we like it or not, they form part of the fabric of the Philippine society and if we don’t help them be productive and help them join the hardworking mainstream of the Philippine society then I have no clue whatsoever what kind of magic wand one would need to erase poverty in the Philippines if the only and only solution is to relocate these people and shoo them away. Trust me they won’t disappear they will come come back for they need to survive just like you and me.

Relocate. That’s it. That’s all that they do. That’s all the solution. It’s as if – moving these people somewhere where we don’t see them, where foreigners don’t see them - that we would soon be a 1st world country. It doesn’t work that way. I have not heard any relocation story that’s been successful yet. Or maybe I missed these news. Or is there any? Prove me wrong! I’m dying to find a squatter relocation success story!

The problem with relocation is that most of these people are solidly entrenched in or near the area where they live. That’s where they work, their kids go to school, and that’s where they could only find a job to have food on their table. When you relocate these people, do we make sure that at least their basic needs are met in their new location? Will there be a job for them in the area they are moving into? What about their kids? Where are they going to school? What are the chances that they won’t go back to squat somewhere? Does the relocation addresses these issues?

Lord have mercy! Stop the finger pointing!

If other countries can attack squatting and vagrancies and low income and people who are left out in the society, sans corruption and government’s indifference to these people, I believe that the government would be able to lick this problem. I don’t know exactly if the government agencies are doing this now, but I have a suggestion:

Why not attack the squatter problem with housing tax credits? I’m not reinventing the wheel here. This is a very successful program that’s currently being used by the US Government through HUD and it’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program and the HOPE VI Program by Bill Clinton. Will it work in the Philippines? Why not? Maybe there’s a way to tweak the program such that it would be applicable to the Philippine squatter situation. By golly! We are Filipinos! We are so damn creative even in the most volatile and precarious situation!

What’s a tax credit? Tax credits are subtracted directly from one’s tax liability. Credits reduces tax liability peso-for-peso. The whole idea being – is to provide the private market (builders and developers) with an incentive to invest in affordable rental housing. Developers or builders then sell these tax credits to investors to raise capital (or equity) for their projects, which reduces the debt that the developer would otherwise have to borrow. Because the debt is lower, a tax credit property can in turn offer lower, more affordable rents. These properties must maintain program compliance requirements, investors receive peso-to-peso credit against their income tax each year say for a period of ten years.

Now, before all my squatter friends starts jumping around, let me be blunt: this program is not intended to be free nor is it intended to bail out or is designed to people without any income. The whole idea is to help those people with very low income to afford to rent a low-income housing, meaning there will be income levels and restrictions and government subsidy.

Similar to the HUD program in the United States, this program should be a partnership by the Bureau of Internal Revenue who’d allocate housing tax credits to a designated City or Provincial housing agencies who would in turn award these credits to developers of qualified projects.

Essentially that’s the whole idea. What’s good about this? Except for those squatter areas that are mercilessly hanging and/or right beside railways, highways or under the bridges where the pieces of land can no longer be developed, you can turn these squatter areas into gleaming and beautiful homes for the poor.

Consider what this project can do:

* Except for government subsidy, you’re not relying for the government to give you some funds anymore because you are raising equity from private investors.
* And because you have private investors, compliance and audit is more strict compared to the government. Di ba?
* You are creating an economic activity by giving work to builders, creating demand for building materials that eventually creates employment that in turn translates to more taxes for the government. You see the connection?
* You’re not only improving the neighborhood and creating an economic activity, more importantly, you are treating these people like they should be treated dahil Pinoy din sila gaya mo, gaya ko, gaya nating lahat at ang bandila nila eh kakulay nang bandila natin. Except yong flag ni Chuva na mukhang rainbow.
* You are directly solving the poverty and environmental problem.

In a big picture that’s the whole idea. That ladies and gentlemen is my vision for the next 20 years.

Will you do me and my friend a favor by bringing this blog article to the Congress? or the Senate?! I know, pantasyadora ako. But hey! At least, I have a vision too!!!

source here (http://www.reynaelena.com/2007/08/01/will-relocation-solve-the-squatter-problem)

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/shanty.jpg

VIEW FROM WITHIN. This is how the world looks like from inside a shanty, one of more than 1,000 along the Tripa de Gallima estero in Pasay and Makati cities demolished by the MMDA. The affected residents staged a rally to condemn the demolition of their homes before they could be relocated. INQUIRER/REM ZAMORA

have youi heard of Professional sqatters?...

even if they were given a house outside manila... they only sell it
and sqatt again back to manila..

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/pic-08280443250400.jpg

RUDE AWAKENING. A resident of Barangay Commonwealth, Quezon City watches helplessly as a fire early Tuesday morning destroys some 50 houses in their squatter colony, leaving around 100 families homeless. INQUIRER/RAFFY LERMA

^^ could this be arson? there were rumours that if illegal settlers in the metro refused to leave, and the city government with less patience to negotiate, would simply haul 3 big cats, bath them in gasoline, light them up, and off they go with the "burningspree."

^^ it could be true

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Perry Diaz <PerryDiaz@gmail. com>
To: BALITA-USA@yahoogro ups.com
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2007 4:28:27 PM
Subject: [BALITA-USA] PerryScope - Quo Vadis, Couples For Christ?


PerryScope
Perry Diaz

Quo Vadis, Couples For Christ?

Since the inception of Gawad Kalinga (GK) in 2003, the Couples For Christ (CFC) organization has been the prime mover of GK providing the indispensable village "caretaker" volunteers and raising the funds necessary to build the GK villages which now number 21,759 homes in 1,253 communities or villages. In the scheme of things, GK is one of the seven pillars of CFC. The others are Evangelization and Mission, Pastoral Support, Family Ministries, Pro-Life Ministries, Social Ministries, and Special Ministries. In recent years, GK has taken a dominant place at the expense -- as some of the CFC leaders were saying -- of the other six pillars. It was an issue that has been going around -- subtly -- within the tight-knit CFC/GK community.

In June of this year, the subtlety was gone and what surfaced out of the one million-member Couples for Christ organization was an earthshaking temblor that shook it to its core. The headline of a leading Filipino-American newspaper proclaimed: "Split rocks CfC; Meloto quits Gawad." I read the article and nowhere did it say that Meloto quit Gawad Kalinga. However, he resigned as Executive Director of Gawad Kalinga last February but it is my understanding that he is still at the helm -- or behind the helm -- of Gawad Kalinga.

What is the problem? According to a reliable CFC/GK insider who spoke on condition of anonymity, it all came out in the open in June of this year when three Philippine bishops -- Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Bishop Gabriel Reyes, and Bishop Socrates Villegas representing Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales -- advised CFC to hold off the forthcoming election of its governing body, the International Council, which was to be held on June 22, 2007; thus, preventing a potentially divisive -- and explosive -- confrontation between the two factions. However, CFC decided to proceed with the election of the seven-member International Council. Tony Meloto was present but did not run for a seat in the council. CFC Co-founder Frank Padilla, who resigned from the International Council last February was present; however, he did not participate in the election and walked out. The outcome of the election gave a four-seat majority to the pro-GK/Meloto members.

On August 1, 2007, Padilla officially left CFC and formed the Restoration Movement (also known as the Easter Group), a step that split the CFC. What followed was a series of actions -- and reactions -- around the world. In the United States, CFC-USA's National Council convened and by a 5-2 majority decided to keep the "status quo" and made it retroactive to June 21, 2007 -- the day before the controversial June 22 election. It is interesting to note that CFC-USA is a US corporation which is therefore a separate legal entity. However, it recognizes the "moral authority" of the Manila-based CFC International Council. It is also interesting to note that Joe Duran, the National Director of CFC-USA did not sign the "status quo" declaration and another member abstained.

On August 13, at the conclusion of the CFC-USA's East Coast Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, the National Council's quarterly meeting was convened. At the meeting, Duran asked for another vote on the council's decision to keep the "status quo." The five members who voted for "status quo" reaffirmed their original vote. After the vote, Duran walked out of the meeting saying that "there is nothing more to talk about." The six remaining National Council members then proceeded to elect an acting National Director -- Nani Almanza, one of the five who voted for "status quo" -- to take over Duran's responsibilities. Once again, the National Council took another vote and all of the six remaining members voted unanimously for "status quo."

Meanwhile, on August 14 in Manila, the newly elected seven members of the International Council met with Tony Meloto, Frank Padilla, and Lachie Agana under the auspices of the Singles For Christ. It was a futile attempt to reconcile the pro-GK/Meloto faction with the splinter Restoration Movement of Padilla. My source said that the differences were irreconcilable and therefore separation between the two groups was inevitable. However, he also said that the two groups "did not close the door for future reconciliation and agreed that another meeting will be set as to how the separation could be implemented peacefully -- that is, amicably and civilly -- as brothers and sisters."

But things got worse on August 16 in the U.S. when Ricky Cuenca (a Filipino-Canadian) -- who was appointed by the newly elected International Council to replace Padilla as "Country Coordinator" for the U.S. -- appointed a four-member CFC-USA National Council composed of Joe Duran of Florida, Joe Sinsay of San Francisco, Norman Canete of Chicago, and Rod Bustos of Maryland to replace the existing seven-member CFC-USA National Council. It is interesting to note that as a matter of CFC policy, the "Country Coordinator" is not a resident of the country he or she is coordinating. When I asked my source why Cuenca appointed only four, his reply was that Cuenca didn't know of any other three persons in the U.S. to appoint. The existing CFC-USA National Council did not recognize Cuenca as their "Country Coordinator" claiming it was in violation of U.S. corporation law and that Cuenca did not follow "due process" which is also a violation of the policies of CFC. Furthermore, the CFC manual states that when replacing CFC councils of countries outside the Philippines, the existing council will nominate 10 to 12 nominees and from these nominees the Country Coordinator will choose seven to appoint." And by practice, the Country Coordinator' s appointees are usually ratified by the outgoing council.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced that its Episcopal Commission on the Laity is going the meet with the two factions on August 28. Could the meeting be able to bridge the gap that separates the two factions? The new leadership of CFC is committed to social development (Gawad Kalinga) while the Restoration Movement wants to bring CFC back to its core mission -- evangelization.

The question is: Does it have to be social development vs. evangelization? Or can social development and evangelization be achieved within the context of a unified Couples For Christ? And the answer was in Pope Benedict XVI's own words when he was still Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger: "How can positive social development be carried out if we become illiterate with regard to God?" Indeed, this was what Couples For Christ was all about --social development and evangelization working in tandem for the benefit of mankind. And this can only be achieved if the leaders of Couples For Christ and Gawad Kalinga stop playing "politics" and go back to the fundamental tenets of Couples For Christ.

(PerryDiaz@gmail. com)

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^^ ^^

kung totoo yaon.... really nasty and bad the burgis and the ruling
class. :)

like malu fernandez ......

^^ discrepancy:ohno:
they said corruption is the main reason why many Filipinos are homeless...
Now
the "enemy" aka corruption penetrates their organization
and worst...
it create divisions amongst them

Relocation of Makati-Pasay squatters extended two more days

By DJ Yap
Inquirer
Last updated 07:09pm (Mla time) 08/27/2007

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=85000
MANILA, Philippines -- Some 1,000 families living in shanties that were up for demolition at the boundary of Makati and Pasay cities got another last-minute reprieve Monday after a church group intervened on their behalf.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority gave the informal settlers living near or on the Tripa De Galina Creek another two days to relocate elsewhere after the week-long extension it earlier gave them had lapsed.

MMDA Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group Director Roberto Esquivel said church workers requested the agency for another extension to give them time to determine who among the families could be qualified for state-sponsored relocation.

"This is going to be the last extension. By Wednesday we'll definitely push through with the demolition," he said in a phone interview.

Officials said the dismantling of the more or less 150 shanties at villages 51, 54, 57 and 65 in Pasay and the villages of Palanan and San Isidro in Makati was in line with the MMDA's campaign to remove obstructions to waterways.

The illegal structures were blamed for clogging water channels, resulting in massive floods that had caused major headaches to commuters and pedestrians in the past weeks, Esquivel said.

The official said almost all of the settlers did not qualify for relocation since they had occupied a "danger area, which no one should be occupying at all."

He said officials of the city government of Makati, under whose jurisdiction most of the residents fell, were ready with the demolition and posed no more objections unlike last week when they sought an extension.

But Esquivel acknowledged the reluctance on the part of the Pasay city government, which was reportedly planning to pass a resolution to put a stop to the demolition.

Gawad Kalinga has good cause. I just hope it will not be ruined by some people who wanted to further their interests. Otherwise, the good start will just come to a sad end.

Kawawa naman. The situation of impoverished Filipinos is really grim kaya dapat magbanat ng buto!

MMDA cleans creek on Pasay-Makati border of shanties :applause:


By Julie M. Aurelio
Inquirer
Last updated 07:26pm (Mla time) 08/29/2007


MANILA, Philippines -- The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday began demolishing the remaining shanties along the Tripa de Galina creek on the boundary of Pasay and Makati Cities after giving residents a two-day reprieve.

Three trucks of MMDA personnel began dismantling the shanties at around 10 a.m. without much resistance from the residents who watched as their homes were torn down.

Pasay City Councilor Onie Bayona said the residents, after negotiations with the MMDA, eventually relented and allowed the demolition crew to dismantle the structures along the waterway.

The Tripa de Galina creek runs through part of Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. and serves as the boundary of Pasay and Makati cities.

MMDA Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group chief Roberto Esquivel said they will clear the waterway of any remaining obstructions despite the residents' insistence that they be given a relocation area first.

"It will take us quite a while because there are not enough access roads for our men. But we will clear the area," Esquivel said in an interview.

He estimated the remaining shanties to number around 500 from Barangay (village) 51, 54, 57, 65 in Pasay City and Barangay Palanan and San Isidro in Makati City.

Some residents of Barangay 51, fearing that their belongings will be lost in the demolition, voluntarily knocked down their shanties early in the morning and salvaged their possessions.

But Esquivel and MMDA general manager Robert Nacianceno assured residents that an interagency task force for illegal settlers is working out a relocation plan.

"We will be coordinating with the barangay officials to determine who among the residents are qualified for relocation," Nacianceno said.

Esquivel identified several sites which the MMDA and other government agencies were looking at as possible relocation areas: Calauan and Sta Rosa towns in Laguna, and San Mateo, Rizal.

Esquivel also warned residents against putting up temporary shelters along roads, saying they will be picked up by the MMDA as street dwellers and will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Meanwhile, Soti Sabarre of Task Force Anti Illegal Demolitions claimed that the MMDA has not been clear on where the squatter families will be allowed to rebuild their homes.

"Without a place to stay, these families will end up rebuilding their shanties along the creek again," Sabarre said.

On Monday, more than 500 residents formed a human barricade near the creek and demanded that they be given a place to stay before the MMDA demolished their homes.

Illegal structures along waterways have been blamed for the recent floods that hit Metro Manila during typhoons Egay and Dodong.

The MMDA dismantled 60 homes along the creek early last week, but gave the rest of the resident residents one week to pack up their things. That deadline passed last Monday.

MMDA to relocate riverside communities in San Juan City

By DJ Yap
Inquirer
Last updated 01:52am (Mla time) 08/29/2007


MANILA, Philippines – Some 3,000 families that live alongside the San Juan River will be evicted and relocated to nearby provinces in the next few months, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority announced yesterday.

“Apart from the fact that these families have no right to occupy the waterways, our primordial concern here is to take them away from these areas that pose a danger to their lives,” MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando said.

The official inspected the 9-kilometer stretch of the river on board a barge, along with San Juan City Mayor JV Ejercito and Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista.

Fernando said it was “high time” for the government to take action on the encroachments along the river, which was now heavily silted and filled with garbage, causing floods in surrounding areas even during light rains. He added that the Inter-Agency Committee on the Relocation of Informal Settlers, composed of local government units, the National Housing Authority, the MMDA and non-governmental organizations, would be in charge of the project.

The agencies will pool their resources together for the relocation of the families to Calauan, Laguna and other possible sites, Fernando said.

The clearing of the river banks is expected to declog waterways and improve flood control measures in the cities of San Juan, Quezon, Mandaluyong and Manila, he added.

There was/is not even a hint of financial impopriety in GK.

I would guess egos are involved in this schism, though it would be hard to imagine. I've been to a meeting at GK HQ with meloto and their head honchos. They served us instant coffee on cups you'd see sold for 4 pesos each at the palengke. hindi pa matching ang cups :)

Unassuming, unpretentious, and humble, these people are. (yoda speak)

suspetsa ko tuloy baka may kinalaman ang pagka-award ng prestisyohong Ramon Magsaysay award sa hidwaan nila.

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http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/GK.jpg

A DIFFERENT TUNE. For Joey Albert, the inner burning for music never stops. But the singer also has a soft spot for the less-fortunate. As Gawad Kalinga’s Ambassador of Goodwill in Canada, the two-time cancer survivor is now singing to help build homes for the homeless. RUDY ESPERAS


Joey sings – and helps build homes By Cora Lucas

Inquirer
Last updated 11:42pm (Mla time) 09/01/2007


MANILA, Philippines – It's her way of uniting the will of the spirit with the work of the body, she says.

For three years now, singer Joey Albert, two-time cancer survivor, has been lending her celebrity status to her work as a voice for the poor and homeless.

Joey talks of a loftier mission that she found after being appointed Ambassador of Goodwill in Canada for Gawad Kalinga. She uses her gift of music to touch the hearts of Filipinos abroad who could very well share their blessings with the less fortunate back home.

She says her advocacy started when she was invited to do a fund-raising concert for Gawad Kalinga (GK). It was the first time she heard of the NGO.

Joey, based in Canada for more than a decade now, says she was brought to the city of Edmonton, a half-hour flight from her Vancouver home, where the show was to be staged. Before the performance, she was shown video clips of the organization’s work—building homes for, and thus rebuilding the lives of, poor Filipinos. One of the clips was of a concert in Fort Bonifacio that starred Martin Nievera and Gary Valenciano.

Striking message

She recounts: “I said, ‘Wow, this is really good.’ Then they started explaining holistic community building. And when GK prime mover Tony Meloto spoke, one line really hit me. He said, ‘No Filipino should die without doing anything for his country.’ I realized that, for the past 10 years, I had been so focused on my own family life, that I had forgotten that aspect. So I decided it was time to get out of my little world.”

Coincidentally, the 47-year-old singer did some advocacy work in 1988 via the ABS-CBN outreach program with a similar name, “Bahay Kalinga.” For four years, she was host and executive producer of the show, which provided medical assistance to the poor.

“‘Bahay Kalinga’ planted in me the seed of involvement in public service,” she says. “When you’re searching for something deeper, I think eventually all roads will lead to a desire to reach your highest potential and answer your highest calling.”

As GK ambassador, Joey includes segments of GK projects in all her shows.

She explains: “I show video clips of GK, and also of my visits—with my children—to Baseco, an urban poor community in Tondo. I want to reach out to as many Filipinos abroad as possible, and get them interested in going home to see how GK is uplifting the poor.”

Joey relates how her work with GK has likewise changed the lives of donors. She cites the case of one Filipino couple in Canada, whom she met when she was invited to sing at their anniversary party. After she showed GK clips between her numbers and explained the movement’s mission, the couple made a pledge for three houses right then. Every year since, they’ve been repeating the gesture.

“I’m 47. I’ve reached the half mark of my life, survived so many things,” says Joey, who survived cancer of the colon after being healed of cervical cancer that struck her in the ’90s. “At the end of the day, I ask myself, ‘What is my highest calling?’ Personally, I’m looking for it here at GK.”

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view_article.php?article_id=86076

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http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/Airportapproach.jpg

kayong mga mapang-api sa mga mahihirap baka pati itong shanties ng mga
mahihirap na employees sa Airport ay ipaalis nyo pa. :)


bakit hindi nyo pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga magnanakaw ng pera ng bayan
na mga burgis at mga naghaharing uri (ruling class). :)

.

:cheers: hindi naman halos employee yan nang airport eh nakatira dyan.. mga dayu lang sila..dapat kasi hindi pinapayagang nang mga barangay captain yan eh magtayu dyan:) yan ang pinoy kahit saan pwde magtayu kahit sa gitna nang edsa:ohno: pinoy nga naman..milk and honey kasi ang maynila eh:cheers: like dto sa u.s!

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kayong mga mapang-api sa mga mahihirap baka pati itong shanties ng mga
mahihirap na employees sa Airport ay ipaalis nyo pa. :)


bakit hindi nyo pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga magnanakaw ng pera ng bayan
na mga burgis at mga naghaharing uri (ruling class). :)

.

para sa ikabubute nila yan. delikado ang lugar nila. plus it's a bad sign for potential investors to be shanties the very first sight as the plane lands.
we have to kill two birds with one stone. go after the corrupt ruling class and at the same time filipinos must show capability of following rule of law. there are such things as zoning and you can't just allow people to set shanties everywhere they choose. being poor is just finding excuses. you can be poor and still follow discipline.

tsaka a strategic place for terrorist ano ?

^ You defend the squatters or the poor pero palagi kang wala sa lugar, walang sense ang mga hirit mo. :yes:

Despite Erap's pro poor appearance, he is not only a bona fide member of the naghaharing uri. Because of his too many kabit, he too has naghahari-hariang ari.

PROVINCE OF ILOILO PASSES RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT GAWAD KALINGA (http://gawadkalinga.org/gk_news/gk_news_view.php?id=0708-017)
By: Gawad Kalinga
8/29/2007

As part of the growing recognition for the effectiveness of Couples For Christ's Gawad Kalinga community development movement, the Mayors of the Province of Iloilo last August 7th unanimously passed a resolution calling for broad support of the propagation of Gawad Kalinga throughout Iloilo as "a doable, sustainable, and replicable strategy of alleviating the plight of the poor sector of our society with the end goal of rebuilding the nation".

Motioned by the Hon. Oscar "Richard" S Garin Jr., and seconded by the mayors unanimously, the Resolution recognizes the holistic, all encompassing, and spiritual nature of Gawad Kalinga programs, as well as the unusual success Gawad Kalinga is having in the face of obstacles oft regarded as insurmountable. Governor Niel Tupas and board member Jet Rojas authored the resolution.

In calling for broad support for Gawad Kalinga, the resolution noted that many traditional approaches to poverty have so far failed to work, and that a culture of mere charity and dole-outs has indeed demeaned the self-worth and dignity of the poor, "serving only to further perpetuate poverty in the Philippines."

The Mayors note that despite the State's agreement with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the many government programs aimed at alleviating human poverty and suffering, poverty indexes continue to forecast a blank future for the poor and exploited of our society.

In the face of such hopelessness, the resolution acknowledges Gawad Kalinga's role in empowering the poor and marginalized of the Philippines to rise in dignity and self-respect through the old Filipino value of "bayanihan" community sharing. Further, it identifies several key success points integral in the drive for the Resolution:

- Gawad Kalinga is not based on dole-outs but on sharing and mutual help using the capabilities of all concerned, particularly the poor, and building the dignity of disadvantaged and exploited people by having the families contribute "sweat equity"

- Gawad Kalinga starts not with the building of the house, but the building of the community with value formation sessions.

- Each community is envisioned as a cohesive and committed community where there is freedom of worship, where the culture of love and respect is the foundation of community relationships and where health and environmental programs are promoted and practiced;

The repeated recognition of the unusual success CFC's Gawad Kalinga movement has had in alleviating the plight of the impoverished, exploited, and most vulnerable in society is also noted, with the Mayors stating "GK has already become the convergence point of all partners in the work of community and nation-building by attracting the attention of partners of national and local government units, non-government units and civil society groups including the United Nations"

This Resolution is a powerful opportunity for the many volunteers, partners, and workers of CFC and Gawad Kalinga to alleviate the suffering and plight of the poor and oppressed in Iloilo.

It is also a profound recognition of the value of the many hours dedicated to the work by those same people: the many volunteers from Couples For Christ who dedicate their time on the ground to restoring dignity, renewing the broken, and empowering the vulnerable; the GK fulltime workers who use their diverse and practical talents for the benefit of others; and the many partners and volunteers both in the Philippines and abroad who give generously of time, resources, and blessings, in order to treat their fellow man as someone worthy of the same blessings in life.

^ You defend the squatters or the poor pero palagi kang wala sa lugar, walang sense ang mga hirit mo. :yes:

that's according to you and your class like malu :lol:

mayroong bang sense yaong mga postings sa isang thread na lalasunin yaong mga nakatira sa mga squatters or they will burn them.... bakit hindi ka nag comment doon ? to you the people who have different opinion from you were negative.....

and those people na nag post ng walang sense basta okey lang sa views mo ay "postive" and you just take for granted and no comment from you.

so it's okey lang na maasar ka :bash:

do you think your way of " moderating " ay may sense ?

^^sometimes sayings such as lasunin mga squatters or mass sterilization for pop. control are just rantings or ventings of frustrations . It doesn't mean to be taken literally. maybe it's a way also for people to prod the govt. to be more aggresive in solving the problems because who knows there may be spies lurking here to monitor the peoples pulse.


For instance do you know where murderers, snatchers, kidnappers run to when they're apprehended? they run hiding in the shanty colonies where they instantaneously disappear.

social problem talaga yang squatter....manageable pa sana in the 1960s to 1970s but their numbers significantly increased due to the imbalance of development between Imperial Manila and the provinces....

^^And they've turned into some sort of "factories" for society's pains like snatchers, thieves, murderers, etc. Samahan mo pa ng mayayamang backers like syndicates and underground groups, perfect!

QC eyes purchase of relocation sites for informal settlers

By Margaux Ortiz
Inquirer
Last updated 09:33pm (Mla time) 09/03/2007


MANILA, Philippines -- The Quezon City government is looking into the acquisition of a relocation site to provide displaced illegal settlers with "livable and well-organized housing communities."

"It would be better if the city had its own relocation site where it could shelter those families affected by summary demolition or evictions," said Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

According to city urban poor affairs office chief Ramon Asprer, the number of informal settlers in Quezon City has reached 154,000 families, the largest population of the homeless among all cities, towns or provinces in the country.

"Most of them are occupying areas considered as danger zones such as bridges, waterways and road right-of-way," Asprer said.

The National Housing Authority (NHA) has identified Rodriguez (formerly Montalban), Rizal and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan as relocation sites for Quezon City informal settlers.

As this developed, Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista urged informal settlers in danger zones to acknowledge their responsibilities to avoid loss of lives and properties during calamities, particularly flooding brought about by typhoons.

Bautista said the city government would continue to consult with concerned people's organizations to address their various concerns.

A slum-free Metro Manila (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/sept/04/yehey/opinion/20070904opi1.html)

The Fernando wrecking machine plows inexorably. Hardly a week passes by when we do not hear about the MMDA descending on a slum and clearing the area. Chairman Bayani Fernando has a timetable: clear Metro Manila of squatters by 2010 at the earliest, or in 15 years on a longer term.

The principal tasks of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority are to humanize traffic flow, tame recurring floods and to collect and process public trash as efficiently as possible. A new responsibility is to help clean up the Pasig River and the network of canals in the national capital region.

The squatters, and there are thousands in Metro Manila, have frustrated much of the MMDA’s goals. They are found all over the place: by the riverbanks, along the walls of Manila Bay, under and over bridges, in public parks and along railroad tracks.

Many have organized themselves into slums that have withstood pressures from city hall and the rightful landowners. The more durable slums have survived for many decades in the 17 towns and cities. The MMDA estimates at least 85,000 squatter families live in the greater Manila area.

The squatters have congregated in Metro Manila because of the pull of the city, poverty in the hometown, because of the government’s failure to develop the regions and its hollow policy on land and home ownership. Politicians have tolerated slums because the squatters constitute a big voting precinct.

The government has begun to realize that squatting must be stopped and the “informal settlers” be relocated elsewhere where they could own a home, a piece of land and have better access to jobs and the basic amenities of life. Slum clearing has not been easy but the interlopers gradually gave way. The task of giving them a new break is another matter.

The task of uprooting slums has become urgent. The government sees many reasons for this activity. A primary one is that the squatters are living on public and private land they do not own. Squatting has become a big public issue, a big concern to the national and local governments and an interminable war over property rights between owners and the intruders that sometimes end in violence.

Squatter families and big factories have become the principal polluters of Pasig River and Manila Bay. Public health and public safety are a big issue in slums and in the communities surrounding them. Environmental health is at stake. How do you promote tourism with these urban eyesores, unless the government (or the private sector) wishes to engage in poverty tourism?

All together now

Other urgent reasons explain the relentless slum clearance program. The north and south rail systems the government (and the Chinese) is building cannot proceed without relocating the thousands who live by the railroad tracks. They live dangerously close to the tracks, impeding rail traffic, causing misery for passengers and wreaking countless accidents.

Metro Manila mayors have begun to realize their development plans cannot prosper with the slums thriving in their cities. Mayor Alfredo Lim of Manila, for one, wants to transfer slums out of Intramuros to give way to his business district in the Port Area and to protect the historical and cultural treasures in the old Walled City.

Two others, Mayor Feliciano Belmonte of Quezon City and Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito of San Juan, are giving full support to an interagency committee created by President Arroyo to speed up the eviction and relocation of the homeless. These gentlemen, along with the MMDA chairman, inspected recently the nine-kilometer San Juan River to reassure the residents of an orderly clearance and a new home in Laguna where they can live in dignity.

The interagency committee on relocation enlists the membership of local governments, nongovernment organizations, the Church, the National Housing Authority and several national agencies dealing with land and housing issues.

Slum clearance and rebuilding lives has become a priority of the Arroyo government, hence the 2010 deadline—the sunset year of the administration—has been set. The President envisions a safer and more orderly Metro Manila and new, progressive communities in southern Luzon for the displaced families.

From one slum to another

A common complaint among the Filipinos who have resettled—under the current and past administrations—is that they were transferred from one slum to another or, in the more descriptive phrase of a disillusioned citizen, “from one sty to another.”

To a man, the squatters who were promised a new life said their new neighborhood was not any better from the old one. They have difficulty getting jobs, sending their children to school or having access to health care and basic public services.

Many complained about scarcities in water and power, bad roads and poor public transportation. The nearest job is “ten cigarettes” away. Building a small business is difficult. They have carried their misery from their old community to the new one.

Vice President Noli de Castro, whose responsibility is to give the former squatters a decent life, said his agency his coping. Chairman Fernando was quoted as saying it’s not his business to find them new homes and jobs. No wonder many of the former squatters are selling their homes and moving out. The program needs a review.

^^sometimes sayings such as lasunin mga squatters or mass sterilization for pop. control are just rantings or ventings of frustrations . It doesn't mean to be taken literally. maybe it's a way also for people to prod the govt. to be more aggresive in solving the problems because who knows there may be spies lurking here to monitor the peoples pulse.


True, true. Common sense lang kasi yun eh. Kasi kung iba ka sa kanila, baguhan at bigla nalang papasok ka sa lungga ng mga squatters, alam naman siguro natin na diyan nakatago ang mga druglords at ang mga taong may mga paltik. For sure walang kahit ninuman dito sa forum na nagsabi n'yan ang maghahamon na pumasok sa squatters area (at uunahan ko na ang malisyosong isipan ni Avenger: hindi sila maghahamong pumasok sa squatters hindi dahil matapobre sila or maarte kung hindi ay pinahahalagahan nila ang kanilang mga buhay at takot sila sa mga masamang elemento na maaaring sumulpot anumang oras sa mga lugar na iyon)

that's according to you and your class like malu :lol:

mayroong bang sense yaong mga postings sa isang thread na lalasunin yaong mga nakatira sa mga squatters or they will burn them.... bakit hindi ka nag comment doon ? to you the people who have different opinion from you were negative.....

and those people na nag post ng walang sense basta okey lang sa views mo ay "postive" and you just take for granted and no comment from you.

so it's okey lang na maasar ka :bash:

do you think your way of " moderating " ay may sense ?

And now you are branding me as a socialite and anti-poor. Wala na akong magagawa sa iyo hijo (tinatawag kitang hijo dahil kahit mas bata ako sa edad ay halatang ikaw ang isa sa mga pinakaisip bata dito sa forum na ito). Hindi na kita kukumbinsihin na baguhin ang anumang balbal na paniniwala mo dahil alam ko na iyang modus operandi mo. Nakasulat na 'yan sa aklat ko, nakataga na iyan sa bato. Sa tingin ko ikaw itong mayaman na nagpapanggap na mahirap at panig umano sa mga squatters kahit na hindi tama at nakasasama ang ginagawa nila para lang may mapatunayan kuno ang taong ito. Hainaku, magpasalamat ka hijo na nasa mood akong magtalak ngayon. At kinikuwestiyon mo pa ako sa hindi ko pagtawag sa atensyon ng mga tao na may mga joke kuno na lalasunin ang mga squatters. Well hijo, ang aking paliwanag ay nakasulat na sa itaas ay siya nawa'y basahin mong mabuti at unawain mong mabuti.

Once again, ang mga modus mo ay nakasulat na sa libro ko. Tama ka, ako ay tao lamang at may sarili akong opinyon at may sarili akong say sa mga bagay-bagay pero hindi ko hinahayaan na ang mga iyon ay umimpluwensiya sa anumang aksyong ginagawa ko bilang moderator ng forum. Ganyan ang mga troll, mga mumu, sinasabi agad na bias kuno ang moderator kapag ang hustisya ay hindi panig sa kanila.

Sabi mo, "to you the people who have different opinion from you were negative..... ". Oh really? Kung ganu'n eh bakit nandito at umaaligid-aligid pa si tootsjap na siyang hari o reyna (anuman ang kasarian nya) ng mga negatibo sa forum na ito? 'Yan ay dahil may sense naman ang ibang mga patapon niyang mga pagkukutya. Eh ikaw naman, talaga namang walang sense ang mga hirit mo. Palagi kang negatibo at wala sa lugar. Halatang hindi muna pinag-aralan ang mga isusulat bago ilathala sa forum. Kaya pala kitang-kita rin na halos lahat ng mga post mo dito sa forum ay inedit pa bago nabuo ang pinakafinal na post. Iyan ang sinasabi ko sa itaas, post lang ng post, kahit walang sense, para lang sumakay sa usapan kahit wala naman sa lugar upang may mapatunayan umano. Anong napatunayan? Napatunayang propesyonal at kagalang-galang? Sa tantiya ko ay hindi, mas napatunayan ko na isip bata ka nga at may mga batang labing-dalawang taong gulang pa lang na mas marunong pang umisip at umunawa ng mabuti sa anumang nakasulat sa forum. Hindi mo ba natanong sa sarili mo o sa akin kung bakit nandito ka pa sa forum na ito?

At huling hirit mo pa: do you think your way of " moderating " ay may sense ?. Oo naman at hindi ko na iielaborate. Uulitin ko na naman, nakasulat na iyan sa aklat ko, ang mga taong nagtatanong niyan sa gitna ng pagkukutya ay obvious na obvious na isang troll, isang halimaw na kinamumuhian.

Yan, ayoko nang bumaba sa lebel mo kasi mag-aaksaya ako ng panahon. Kung gugustuhin ko nga pwede ko nang pindotin ang isang button dito para maglaho ka na dito na dapat naman ay ginawa ko pa dati-dati pa pero hindi, titingnan ko muna kung magbabago ang isang TheAvenger, isang TheAvenger na ilang beses na umamin na isa siyang alagad ng demonyo.

it's hot in here. sira ba ang aircon?

^ H'wag mong sabihin na its hot in here at baka kasi ang mga talagang hot ay pumasok sa thread at maghubaran ng kanilang mga suot :lol:

temp is rising na lang edit, edit. hehehe

manong sinjin, kumusta na, hehehe

mayroong bang sense yaong mga postings sa isang thread na lalasunin yaong mga nakatira sa mga squatters or they will burn them.... bakit hindi ka nag comment doon ? to you the people who have different opinion from you were negative.....

and those people na nag post ng walang sense basta okey lang sa views mo ay "postive" and you just take for granted and no comment from you.



Ako ata to:lol:

Hindi mo ba natanong sa sarili mo o sa akin kung bakit nandito ka pa sa forum na ito?.....

.....


etc...etc...


Yan, ayoko nang bumaba sa lebel mo kasi mag-aaksaya ako ng panahon. Kung gugustuhin ko nga pwede ko nang pindotin ang isang button dito para maglaho ka na dito na dapat naman ay ginawa ko pa dati-dati pa pero hindi, titingnan ko muna kung magbabago ang isang TheAvenger, isang TheAvenger na ilang beses na umamin na isa siyang alagad ng demonyo.



Hindi na dapat sabihin ang mga ito dito. :ohno: Hinay-hinay lang :D


Baka iba ang mapindot mo...... :lol:


:lol: Mainit nga -- mainit na sa pinangalingan ko, mas mainit pala dito.

^ No, tama nga naman, hindi na dapat aksayahin ang panahon pa sa pagtotolerate ng mga trolls sa forum para lang lumaki ang kanilang mga ulo kung pwede naman agad-agad na pindotin ang isang button diyan. And that's supposed to be the standard operating procedure. Yun nga lang, we're having a high tolerance level here in the Philippine forums. Pero ano ang kapalit nu'n? Kami pa mismo ang kinukutya. Hmm, hanapin ko muna ang isang statement ng moderator sa isang Filipino forum na ganu'n din, kinukutya din siya. That statement very well describes the modus operandi of some people here

^^ Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, "diplomasya" ang kailangan.

^^ Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, "diplomasya" ang kailangan.

ang galing mo kuya. hehehe:lol:

"Sa ikauunlad ng bayan disiplina ang kailangan." (pero hindi Martial law style, Lee Kuan Yew lang ala Singapore)

"Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, pera ang kailangan"... OFW's send-send na! This portion is brought to you by Pera Padala Inc., your partner in crime! :lol:

MMDA chief vows relocation of squatters, clearing of streets

By Allison Lopez
Inquirer
Last updated 05:09pm (Mla time) 09/05/2007


MANILA, Philippines -- Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Bayani Fernando said on Wednesday that they will not randomly give relocation homes to squatters because it would only encourage more squatting.

"Parang pinepremyohan pa kasi kapag nag-squat ka [It’s like you are rewarded for squatting). So we will see to it that only those who are qualified will get relocation," he said at the Meet the Press forum in Manila.

The MMDA dismantled makeshift homes near sewers in Makati and Pasay last week as part of their clearing operations for flood control. Hundreds of "estero" (canal) settlers have been repeatedly blamed for clogging the sewers with trash.

Fernando said that with this strategy of "not rewarding" every illegal settler, squatters will also be discouraged from returning or transferring to other areas after being displaced.

He said the MMDA's "Balik Probinsya" (Return to the Province) program, which offers free transportation allowance, is still ongoing. This is part of efforts to counter a study that by 2020, 80 percent of the world population would be in the cities.

Aside from clearing sewers, Fernando said they plan to remove obstructions on 3,000 kilometers of Metro Manila roads to improve vehicular traffic.

The "Metro Clear Roads" project, he said, aims to open more streets up to motorists.

"We have about 5,000 kilometers of roads in Metro Manila but only 2,000 kilometers are being used. Karamihan kasi nagiging [It’s because many roads are used as] basketball courts...pati nga sala set at washing machine meron din sa kalsada [even living room sets and washing machines are found on roads]," said Fernando.

He said the Metro Manila Council (MMC), composed of the 17 city mayors, has pledged their commitment to the project, adding that relations between his agency and the council have become smooth.

"We're past the emotional stage, parang yung sa mag-asawa [it’s like a marriage]," he said.

To prevent some parts of Edsa, for one, from being converted into parking areas, Fernando said the MMDA will soon install barriers on sidewalks to prevent cars and buses from using them.

"Sa Edsa tinaasan na namin ang bangketa [we raised the sidewalk]...to physically bar vehicles from getting on the sidewalks. We need to do this by design para pigilan sila [ to deter them]," he said.

Discipline, added Fernando, had to be instilled, especially among bus drivers who take their time maneuvering their vehicles from their garages onto Edsa.

"We observed that buses take three lanes, and take three minutes to maneuver. We have to curtail some of the privileges we used to enjoy. Gone are those days...Now, people have to learn to go to loading stations, hindi yung ginagaygay yung buong kalye [and not have the buses scout for passengers while hogging the roads]," he said.

Hindi naman sa minamaliit ko ang squatters ha, pero parang karamihan sa kanila eh ang habol ay "free"(illegal tapping para sa free electricity) kahit they can afford. Nakakagulat na sa bahay ng mga squatters eh masmarami ang kumpleto ang appliances nila kesa sa middle class na nagtitipid at practical. Kaya maraming na-eenganyo. They are the one who causes their own miseries.
Pucha, may pangStarbucks sila pero walang pambili ng pagkain...

Is it just me or many Filipinos lack practicality and are social climbers?

totoo yan men, may kaibigay ako taga squatter sya pero hanep ang gamit sa bahay..naka plasma tv pa!!!

.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/Airportapproach.jpg

kayong mga mapang-api sa mga mahihirap baka pati itong shanties ng mga
mahihirap na employees sa Airport ay ipaalis nyo pa. :)


bakit hindi nyo pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga magnanakaw ng pera ng bayan
na mga burgis at mga naghaharing uri (ruling class). :)

.

kung ako tatanungin. oo tanggalin yan. kahit mga employees pa yan ng airport kailangan tangalin yan. hindi mo ba nakikita na runway yan. hindi porke't mahirap ay dapat nalang natin laging paboran.

sana kasi bagsakan ng eroplano para matoto
tapos dun nila marerealize na dapat, yes, nde dapat dyan tumira

parang yung nakatira sa ilalim ng tulay na nasunog ngaun yung tulay nde magamit-gamit

TAMA KA DYAN! kahit tulay tumira masabi lang na inaapi sila ayyyyyy naku ...ONLY IN THE PILIFINES......dati rin ako mahirap pero magsikap ako nohhhh,kaya marami sa pinas na ang tawag ay MR. ASA AT MRS. ASA!!

Para masmadali, let's just nuke the squatters area.

@tisoycuba: alam mo ba yung squatter sa bakuran ng bestfriend ko, dalawa nag kotse! Samantalang commuter ang bestfriend ko.

.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/Airportapproach.jpg

Swerte nga nila ang laki ng backyard! :lol:

sana kasi bagsakan ng eroplano para matoto
tapos dun nila marerealize na dapat, yes, nde dapat dyan tumira

parang yung nakatira sa ilalim ng tulay na nasunog ngaun yung tulay nde magamit-gamit

Para masmadali, let's just nuke the squatters area.

@tisoycuba: alam mo ba yung squatter sa bakuran ng bestfriend ko, dalawa nag kotse! Samantalang commuter ang bestfriend ko.
Masyado naman kayong marahas :lol:


Hindi naman sa minamaliit ko ang squatters ha, pero parang karamihan sa kanila eh ang habol ay "free"(illegal tapping para sa free electricity) kahit they can afford. Nakakagulat na sa bahay ng mga squatters eh masmarami ang kumpleto ang appliances nila kesa sa middle class na nagtitipid at practical. Kaya maraming na-eenganyo. They are the one who causes their own miseries.
Pucha, may pangStarbucks sila pero walang pambili ng pagkain...

Is it just me or many Filipinos lack practicality and are social climbers?

True. Subukan nyong magpunta sa mga squatters area, ilan sa kanila kompleto sa mga appliances from TV, DVD player, washing machine, audio component, electric fan, refrigerator, at ito pa ang matindi naka aircon!!!! Pero syempre hindi naman lahat ganon pero karamihan sa kanila may mga basic appliances sa bahay.

Isa pang problema sa squatters area eh ung illegal na pag tatap nila sa linya kuryente at tubig. Iyong kuryenteng iyon ginagamit nila sa ilang lohu nila sa appliances. Tuloy napapalaki ang binabayarang current loss adjustment ng mga ligitemate costumers ng Meralco at isa ding dahilan ng contamination ng water system natin eh ung mga illegal connection ng tubig. Hay nako sana bago sila bumili ng mga appliances nila at mag load sa cellphone unahin muna nila ung mga basic necessities nila. Minsan kasi hindi ang kahirapan ang dahilan kung bakit sila nagugutom kundi ung pag una nila sa mga luho sa buhay na hindi naman angkop sa standard of living nila.

Mas mabuti pa umuwi na lang sila sa mga province nila, atleast doon kahit magtanim lang sila ng mga gulay2 sa bakuran mabubuhay sila, kaysa naman d2 sila sa maynila bilang mga squatters at wala ding hanap buhay.

Masyado naman kayong marahas :lol:



Mas mabuti pa umuwi na lang sila sa mga province nila, atleast doon kahit magtanim lang sila ng mga gulay2 sa bakuran mabubuhay sila, kaysa naman d2 sila sa maynila bilang mga squatters at wala ding hanap buhay.

kung bibigyan lang ng gobyerno ng prioridad ang pagpapaunlad sa mga probinsya eh di hindi na sana pupunta at magpapakahirap sa Manila ang mga yan. :)

may punto ka dyan, pero higit kanino man sila ang may kakayahan para paunlarin ang sarili nilang buhay at wag magutom. :) Saksi kasi ako sa ibang taga probinsha na nagugutom pero meron namang bakuran na may matabang lupa na kahit anong itanim ay tutubo, pero sinasayang nila dahil sa katamaran.

Fun Run for less fortunate children
By Joselle Badilla

The SOS Children’s Village Davao, a non profit-organization that provides residential care and education to the less fortunate children will launch “Ambit Lakaw-Dagan” activity this Sunday, September 16.

“Ambit Lakaw-Dagan,” a fun-run, fun-walk will start at the Gaisano Mall of Davao along J.P. Laurel Avenue at 5:30 in the morning.

The activity is composed of a three-kilometer fun run category for 12 years under; five-kilometer fun run (open category) for 13 to 60 years old and a two-kilometer fun walk.

Registration fee is P100.00.


http://www.mindanaotimes.com.ph/story.php?id=17901
The fund raising activity will benefit children in SOS Village.

Today, SOS Children’s Village Davao is taking care of about 181 children and youth.

Aerial photography eyed to solve squatting menace

THE Metro Manila Development Authority is set to take aerial photographs of lands occupied by shanties and other illegal structures on roads, waterways and other areas classified as danger zones in a bid to prevent squatting while finding sites for relocation of displaced settlers.

Ramon Santiago, chief of the agency’s Public Safety and Special Operations/Rescue, said the image mapping would determine the magnitude of the slum bloom in the metropolis.

“I’d been in Seoul, South Korea, and was able to talk to government officials. There were a lot of informal dwellers in that place. The government took aerial shots of slum areas to determine whether the number of residents had increased or not,” he said.

Santiago said many informal settlers have been taking advantage of the efforts of an inter-agency committee looking after the welfare of those protected by the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.

“Squatters continue to swell in number despite an intensified effort of eviction. Some of them have just recently put up their homes in high-risk areas after learning about the government’s plan to provide them with a housing program,” he said, stressing only qualified beneficiaries were entitled to assistance.

“There is no entitlement for a relocation site for those who are not covered by the 1992 law.”

He said while the agency is taking steps to evict slum dwellers along the danger zones, barangay officials have failed to address the squatting problem on the grassroots level.

“Barangay officials play a very important role in blocking squatting,” Santiago said.

On resettlement activities, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said the inter-agency committee created by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been tasked to ensure the movement of 500 displaced families from Manila’s so-called “Little Vietnam” in Quiapo to Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

“We are giving a timetable to end the problem of squatting,” he said.

Earlier, he vowed to remove at least 15,000 informal settlers each year until 2010.

He expressed disappointment over the proliferation of slum dwellers in the National Capital Region.

“We cannot say that we have really accomplished something because of the rapid growth of the informal settlers despite our efforts,” Fernando said. Rio N. Araja

sana kasi bagsakan ng eroplano para matoto
tapos dun nila marerealize na dapat, yes, nde dapat dyan tumira

parang yung nakatira sa ilalim ng tulay na nasunog ngaun yung tulay nde magamit-gamit

Kapag na bagsakan ng eroplano ang mga squatters na iyan aba siguradong instant yaman agad dahil mapipilitang bayaran sila ng AIRLINE. Makaka bili na sila ng bahay at lupa bukod pa doon ang pang sugal...hehehehehehe... pang casino pala.
Pare iba sa Pinas, ang squatters kinakanlong dahil doon daw makukuha ang tunay na dahilan sa pagsikat ng isang politiko. Mabuhay ang mga squatters,hehehehehe. sabi ng mga NGO at AKTIBISTA kasama na ang CHURCH.

Thursday, September 20, 2007
2 urban poor housing projects get council nod
By Grace L. Plata

THE Davao City Council has approved two applications for land use reclassification in favor of two socialized housing projects during their session Tuesday.

Proposed by Councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling, chair of the council committee on housing, rural, and urban development, the requests were made by urban poor associations in the second district of the city.


The first was the reclassification of an agricultural land at purok 15, Barangay Indangan to a residential zone.

The other one was the reclassification of a light industrial zone with an area of 62,793 square meters to a residential zone as requested by the Golden Hills Village Homeowners Association, an application positively endorsed by the Barangay Council of Panacan.

Such applications are considered as amendments/exemptions to the city's Zoning Ordinance, thus needing the vote of 21 members of the body. The council members voted unanimously for both.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Class-A relocation site to be developed in Tugbok
By Ben O. Tesiorna

A CLASS-A relocation site for informal settlers is in the pipeline set to be put up by Davao City in the 23-hectare City Government property in Los Amigos, Tugbok district.

City Housing Officer Cesar Dataya said they will start developing the site by next year, which was purchased by the city for P43 million.

He said they will build about 1,200 housing units in the area that will be complemented with a paved road, electricity, water supply, basketball court and other amenities and even a commercial area where residents could do business.

Dataya said the money for the development of the relocation site will be sourced from the P990 million loan of the City Government from the Land Bank of the Philippines. He added that the city have allocated P100 million from the loan specifically for housing and land development.

He said they will change the way people expect of a relocation site.

With the well-paved road and other amenities, the Los Amigos relocation site will be the first-ever "Class A" site that is comparable to other subdivisions.

Dataya said they expect many squatters to avail of the City Government's housing program since the Los Amigos relocation site is just along the national highway.

The homeless will be given priority, as well as informal settlers living in identified hazard areas, like the city's coastlines.

The development of the Los Amigos site will hopefully be finished by the end of next year.

The city just finished developing another relocation site in Tibungco amounting to P15 million with about 200 housing units ready for occupation.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Class-A relocation site to be developed in Tugbok
By Ben O. Tesiorna

A CLASS-A relocation site for informal settlers is in the pipeline set to be put up by Davao City in the 23-hectare City Government property in Los Amigos, Tugbok district.

City Housing Officer Cesar Dataya said they will start developing the site by next year, which was purchased by the city for P43 million.

He said they will build about 1,200 housing units in the area that will be complemented with a paved road, electricity, water supply, basketball court and other amenities and even a commercial area where residents could do business.

Dataya said the money for the development of the relocation site will be sourced from the P990 million loan of the City Government from the Land Bank of the Philippines. He added that the city have allocated P100 million from the loan specifically for housing and land development.

He said they will change the way people expect of a relocation site.

With the well-paved road and other amenities, the Los Amigos relocation site will be the first-ever "Class A" site that is comparable to other subdivisions.

Dataya said they expect many squatters to avail of the City Government's housing program since the Los Amigos relocation site is just along the national highway.

The homeless will be given priority, as well as informal settlers living in identified hazard areas, like the city's coastlines.

The development of the Los Amigos site will hopefully be finished by the end of next year.

The city just finished developing another relocation site in Tibungco amounting to P15 million with about 200 housing units ready for occupation.


this is really good , is this also part of Shelter and Urban Land Reform Prorgam ?

^

I guess that move is in line with that program...

Class A? Meaning may-kaya (can afford)

Class A? Meaning may-kaya (can afford)

yung road at mga amenties, kung tama ako na part ito ng Shelter and Urban
Land Reform Program (SULRP) i read na parang sattelite community ito meron ng shopping area , create work for the people , market and even a church , this was planned bec informal settlers tend to go back to the city proper or near their work places bec of lack work and business opportunity.

this is really good , is this also part of Shelter and Urban Land Reform Prorgam ?

yes. tugbok relocation site part of urban land reform program. same with the on-going malagamot (tibungco) project.

yung road at mga amenties, kung tama ako na part ito ng Shelter and Urban
Land Reform Program (SULRP) i read na parang sattelite community ito meron ng shopping area , create work for the people , market and even a church , this was planned bec informal settlers tend to go back to the city proper or near their work places bec of lack work and business opportunity.

I see:) Di ba dapat ganun naman talaga lahat ng relocation.

Naalala ko nung time ni Marcos, some informal settlers in Manila was relocated in my hometown. Nung time na yun gubat( woodland area) yung pinaglipatan sa kanila... hoping that they'll learn how to cultivate the site. Yung iba nagsibalikan:lol: natakaot. Baka daw kainin sila ng mga wild animals:lol:

Fortunately, yung mga natira dun sa lugar sila pa yung yumaman:)

Sunday, November 25, 2007
Mayor okays shelter code
By Grace L. Plata

THE Comprehensive Urban Shelter and Services Development Code of Davao City, otherwise known as the Shelter Code, was finally signed into law by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Dolly Pascua, executive director of the Mindanao Land Foundation, the Shelter Code has been signed into law last November 14, 37 days after it was re-passed by the City Council.

The Mindanao Land Foundation is one of the groups rallying behind the passage of the Shelter Code.

The Shelter Code was passed by the City Council on October 9 after four weeks of going through each section carefully. This after the Shelter Code was vetoed by the mayor for legal infirmities during the 14th council.

Provisions of the Shelter Code include establishing a trust fund earmarked for housing projects.

It also provides that the city housing authority will be the implementing arm for the program while the soon-to-be established Local Housing Board will be the policy-making body.

Urban poor groups, who also pushed for the Shelter Code, hailed the latest development.

"Lipay kaayo mi nga wala na siya na-veto. Gi-review gyud sa mga konshehal. Sa nine months nga among hulat-hulat, na approve ra gyud, (We are very happy it was no longer vetoed. The councilors, indeed, reviewed it. After nine months of waiting, it was finally approved)," Virgie Bayo, chair of the Kobbler Federation of Neighborhood Associations, said.

Pascua, on the other hand, said the groups have requested the mayor to hold a ceremonial signing of the Shelter Code on the opening of the Urban Solidarity Week on December 3.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2007/11/25/news/mayor.okays.shelter.code.html

Davao City hiring social worker per barangay
Walter I. Balane/MindaNews
Friday, 23 November 2007 13:49
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/22 November) - The City Government of Davao is hiring a social worker for each of its 182 barangays starting in 2008, an official at the City Social Services Development Office said.



Marilyn Agonia, CSSDO chief told MindaNews the city government is hiring the social workers to "be able to respond properly to the problems of the needy, not only the children at the barangay level."

The hiring of a social worker for each barangay was Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's commitment to child welfare advocacy organizations at the height of the local debate on the juvenile justice system.

Weeks before the Juvenile Justice Summit was convened earlier this year, Duterte met with non-government organizations advocating children’s rights and other stakeholders in the protection of children.

The mayor vowed to support the proposal for the hiring of the social workers to augment the efforts done to protect children at the community level. Earlier this year, he sounded off his opposition to the Juvenile Justice System, which prohibits detention of minors.

He said children have been emboldened to commit crimes because of the law. He has since opposed the law and called for its repeal.

Agonia told reporters they are now laying down the groundwork for the recruitment of social workers. But she said she could not project a time frame pending the finalization of the 2008 budget of the city government.

The move, she said, should boost the CSSDO's present pool of at least 50 social workers.

But she clarified the decision to hire came ahead of the case of Mariannet Amper, 12, who was reported to have committed suicide.

Agonia said autopsy findings which suggested she was raped debunked allegations Amper hanged herself because of poverty.

She said the hiring of social workers would address a wider range of issues and concerns in the community. "But it doesn't really guarantee it would solve or prevent a case just like that of Mariannet's," she stressed.

"Eventually, the work initiated by the local social worker would help," she said.

"Now there could be localized reports of the situation in the barangay. From those reports we could have a view of the situation and what to do about it," she said.

She, however, cited that the social workers will not be doing basic ground work. Already, she said, around 400 day care workers focusing on early childhood care have been assigned in the city's day care centers. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)

http://www.mindanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3351&Itemid=50

Habitat builds homes in Tugbok
Published : 2007-11-22

The Habitat for Humanity Philippines Foundation, Inc., in partnership with Mindanao Land, will build 120 houses for people from the formal and informal sectors in Sitio Mahayahay, Tugbok District, Davao City.

The home construction project, which will start this Saturday, November 24, 2007, aims to build “decent, durable and affordable single and duplex houses” for its 120 homepartners.

The project also seeks to develop and strengthen the value and practice of saving and repayment” through the process of counterparting, wherein the cost of capitalization is divided between the home-partners with 1/3 as their savings counterpart, while 2/3 is advanced by the Habitat for Humanity and its donor partners.

Thus, allowing the homepartners the opportunity to acquire and build their own houses, which are affordable. In addition to this, the 120 homepartners will be providing at least 400 hours in building their own homes and those of their neighbors, as well as to participate in all Habitat and Mindanao Land programs and activities such as values formation, skills and training, site beautification, sanitation, and many others.

Moreover, some 30 sons of the MNLF former combatants whose families are homepartners of Habitat European Commission program in Central Minda-nao, will be rendering an on the job training in Tugbok as skilled construction workers.

For this Tugbok project, Habitat for Humanity is in partnership with Davao Light and Power Corporation, Davao City Water District, Del Monte Fresh Produce (Phils) Inc., and other donors. In relation to this news, Habitat for Humanity will also commence the building of 394 houses in Carmen, Davao del Norte this month.

http://www.mindanaotimes.com.ph/story.php?id=18585

Sunday, November 25, 2007
Mayor okays shelter code
By Grace L. Plata

THE Comprehensive Urban Shelter and Services Development Code of Davao City, otherwise known as the Shelter Code, was finally signed into law by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Dolly Pascua, executive director of the Mindanao Land Foundation, the Shelter Code has been signed into law last November 14, 37 days after it was re-passed by the City Council.

The Mindanao Land Foundation is one of the groups rallying behind the passage of the Shelter Code.

The Shelter Code was passed by the City Council on October 9 after four weeks of going through each section carefully. This after the Shelter Code was vetoed by the mayor for legal infirmities during the 14th council.

Provisions of the Shelter Code include establishing a trust fund earmarked for housing projects.

It also provides that the city housing authority will be the implementing arm for the program while the soon-to-be established Local Housing Board will be the policy-making body.

Urban poor groups, who also pushed for the Shelter Code, hailed the latest development.

"Lipay kaayo mi nga wala na siya na-veto. Gi-review gyud sa mga konshehal. Sa nine months nga among hulat-hulat, na approve ra gyud, (We are very happy it was no longer vetoed. The councilors, indeed, reviewed it. After nine months of waiting, it was finally approved)," Virgie Bayo, chair of the Kobbler Federation of Neighborhood Associations, said.

Pascua, on the other hand, said the groups have requested the mayor to hold a ceremonial signing of the Shelter Code on the opening of the Urban Solidarity Week on December 3.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2007/11/25/news/mayor.okays.shelter.code.html


this is great...:cheers:

low class condo para sa mga mahihirap xempre libre dapat,...dapat magpatayo ang gobyerno ng ganito para maganda...haha!

.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/Airportapproach.jpg

kayong mga mapang-api sa mga mahihirap baka pati itong shanties ng mga
mahihirap na employees sa Airport ay ipaalis nyo pa. :)


bakit hindi nyo pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga magnanakaw ng pera ng bayan
na mga burgis at mga naghaharing uri (ruling class). :)

.

How sad. I can picture first-time travelers to the Philippines getting their views of shanties right before they land.

Not very good for a welcoming sight into our nation......

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Philippines! Please cover your eyes after the beep – coz we’re going to land any moment now.

parang tunay si @avenger hah .hehehee magpaka totoo ka tol !bawal ang pikon...

hay naku, tanggalin na nga yang mga yan. hindi porke't mahirap sila eh kailangan nating pagbigyan yang mga yan kahit na illegal naman yan. At hello, runway kaya yan, kung may mangyari pa sa mga yan sino ba sisisihin nila? And another point, hindi porke nasa shanties eh mahihirap na. Malay ko ba kung gusto lang ilang makalibre sa renta or sa tax? And not to mention kuryente at tubig na rin.

How sad. I can picture first-time travelers to the Philippines getting their views of shanties right before they land.

Not very good for a welcoming sight into our nation......

Actually, that's what I saw the first time I came back to the Philippines. There were shanties near SLEX and in the highway divider itself. Not a pretty sight for tourists and foreigners.

sabi nila mas marami palang namamatay sa maraming pagkain kaysa gutom...from hi-blood, heart attacks etc. :lol:

^^ mas maganda mamatay ng busog kaysa gutom.. ok lang magka-diabetes or Myocardial infarction.. at least sosyal ang pinangalingan ng cholesterol.. hehe...

teka... grabe naman ung iba na anti-poor.. give them a chance.. para mawala ang mga poor mag-donate din kayo sa gawad-kalinga...

these people chose to live here with a promise of a better life in the metro, but little did they know, that life in the provinces is way better. no/little problems.. mamitas ka lang ng prutas at mangisda may pagkain or pera ka na... god, what i would pay for to be a local in boracay or bohol or palawan.. hay naku.. ang sarap ng buhay nila dun...

Good news from Davao

December 16, 2007 03:35:00
Junefe Gilig Payot
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines--THE PAST months have seen nothing but horrible
news for the country--most of which can be traced back to the Palace by
the Pasig River. Indeed, the stink of the latter is matched only by the
stink of corruption and human rights violations wafting from the former.

But while people are still hoping to revive the river, they see
Malacañang, with its present occupant, as a place beyond redemption. So much
so that many of them waited in "hopeful' anticipation of the outcome of
Sen. Antionio Trillanes IV's latest caper. (I was in class when it
happened and so I conducted an instant poll among my students. Only two
were against what Trillanes was doing.)

Somehow, this made me think that if one is looking for good news--or
for even the faintest sign that this country is not entirely hopeless--he
or she should look outside Metro Manila. For many of us, this means
checking out the Across the Nation section of the Philippine Daily
Inquirer.

Last Dec. 4, the section carried a report about what seems to be a
first-ever-in-the-Philippines which, to me, was one of the best news events
to recently happen in the country: the approval of the Comprehensive
Urban Shelter and Services Development Code of Davao City.

Although many civil society groups in the city are ambivalent about
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's unorthodox style, they are one in praising his
signing of this new shelter code for the city. I think he will be
remembered positively for this very progressive piece of legislation.

One of the most significant provisions in the new code is the
requirement that housing developers in the city set aside for the urban poor 20 percent of their project costs which may be in the form of land.
Already, several housing developers have complied with this requirement.
Alsons Development and Investment Corp. has set aside 20 hectares while
Robinsons Development Corp., which is developing a high-end subdivision
has also donated 15 hectares.

Dam Vertido, one of the long-time social development practitioners in
the city, was quoted in the Inquirer article as saying that the new
housing policy would help address the growing problem of urban poor housing
in the city. One of the people's organizations (PO) leaders in the
city was also quoted in Sun Star Davao as saying, "Lipay kaayo mi nga wala
na siya na-veto. Gi-review gyud sa mga konsehal. Sa nine months nga
among hulat-hulat, na-approve ra gyud (We are very happy it was not
vetoed again. The councilors reviewed it carefully. After nine months of
waiting, it was finally approved).'

I was also very happy to hear this piece of good news because I have
done two housing and urban development-related researches in the city and
I have become friends not only with the NGO and PO leaders who have
been pushing for such a progressive shelter code, but also with mothers
whose families stand to benefit tremendously from it.

The first research was on the successful initiatives of POs and NGOs in
providing shelter for the city's urban poor. One of the successful
projects I documented is in Barangay Ma-a where informal settlers live in
the shadow of posh villages. It became famous recently as the barangay
where a 12-year-old girl named Mariannet Amper committed suicide
because of her family's extreme poverty.

(The city authorities are now investigating if foul play attended her
death. But whatever the cause of her death, let it be said that I have
seen with my own eyes the poverty in Ma-a. It is no exaggeration to say
that people there are dying, maybe not as dramatically as Mariannet
died but just as tragically. And this tragedy is being played out daily in
many slum areas throughout the country.)

The first research also showed that if given financial, technical and
moral support, the poor would be willing and able to work hard toward
providing themselves with shelter. Mind you, they do not want doles. In
fact, the research showed that the repayment rates for land acquisition
loans were quite high. Still, such successful housing projects need to
be scaled up to make a significant dent on the growing housing problem
in the city. I believe that the new shelter code will help achieve
this, especially now that land is being set aside for the urban poor as a
matter of course.

The second study was a city process-mapping research which I did with
my mentor at the Institute of Housing and Development Studies or IHS in
the Netherlands. (The research is part of a book which was launched at
the World Urban Forum in Vancouver. You may check it online through the
IHS website: www.ihs.nl.) The study showed that there was little
collaboration between civil society groups in Davao City and the city
government. It therefore recommended that they work more closely together.

Claudio Acioly, my research partner-mentor, personally encouraged urban
development practitioners in the city to work together and engage the
city government productively, instead of working in isolation on their
individual projects. I would like to think that the new shelter code is
one of the fruits of such a productive engagement and I hope that it
will lead to more collaboration among the various stakeholders in the
city, especially because one of the provisions in the code is the
creation of a Local Housing Board, a "multi-stakeholder' body that will
formulate urban development and housing policies for the city.

As I have said, this is good news not only for Davao City but also for
the whole country. The latest count shows that there are 136 cities in
the country which are also struggling with housing shortage and other
problems that come with urban development. As one of the biggest cities
in the country, Davao City is looked up to by other cities as a model
of development. Thus, it is hoped that other cities will follow Davao
City's example.

Malacañang may be hopeless, but the country is not. Davao City has
given us reason to somehow feel that this is truly a season of hope.

source :JA


:cheers::cheers::cheers:

^^ how about this instead of "hating" the informal settlers ,why not we HELP .



Good news from Davao

December 16, 2007 03:35:00
Junefe Gilig Payot
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines--THE PAST months have seen nothing but horrible
news for the country--most of which can be traced back to the Palace by
the Pasig River. Indeed, the stink of the latter is matched only by the
stink of corruption and human rights violations wafting from the former.

But while people are still hoping to revive the river, they see
Malacañang, with its present occupant, as a place beyond redemption. So much
so that many of them waited in "hopeful' anticipation of the outcome of
Sen. Antionio Trillanes IV's latest caper. (I was in class when it
happened and so I conducted an instant poll among my students. Only two
were against what Trillanes was doing.)

Somehow, this made me think that if one is looking for good news--or
for even the faintest sign that this country is not entirely hopeless--he
or she should look outside Metro Manila. For many of us, this means
checking out the Across the Nation section of the Philippine Daily
Inquirer.

Last Dec. 4, the section carried a report about what seems to be a
first-ever-in-the-Philippines which, to me, was one of the best news events
to recently happen in the country: the approval of the Comprehensive
Urban Shelter and Services Development Code of Davao City.

Although many civil society groups in the city are ambivalent about
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's unorthodox style, they are one in praising his
signing of this new shelter code for the city. I think he will be
remembered positively for this very progressive piece of legislation.

One of the most significant provisions in the new code is the
requirement that housing developers in the city set aside for the urban poor 20 percent of their project costs which may be in the form of land.
Already, several housing developers have complied with this requirement.
Alsons Development and Investment Corp. has set aside 20 hectares while
Robinsons Development Corp., which is developing a high-end subdivision
has also donated 15 hectares.

Dam Vertido, one of the long-time social development practitioners in
the city, was quoted in the Inquirer article as saying that the new
housing policy would help address the growing problem of urban poor housing
in the city. One of the people's organizations (PO) leaders in the
city was also quoted in Sun Star Davao as saying, "Lipay kaayo mi nga wala
na siya na-veto. Gi-review gyud sa mga konsehal. Sa nine months nga
among hulat-hulat, na-approve ra gyud (We are very happy it was not
vetoed again. The councilors reviewed it carefully. After nine months of
waiting, it was finally approved).'

I was also very happy to hear this piece of good news because I have
done two housing and urban development-related researches in the city and
I have become friends not only with the NGO and PO leaders who have
been pushing for such a progressive shelter code, but also with mothers
whose families stand to benefit tremendously from it.

The first research was on the successful initiatives of POs and NGOs in
providing shelter for the city's urban poor. One of the successful
projects I documented is in Barangay Ma-a where informal settlers live in
the shadow of posh villages. It became famous recently as the barangay
where a 12-year-old girl named Mariannet Amper committed suicide
because of her family's extreme poverty.

(The city authorities are now investigating if foul play attended her
death. But whatever the cause of her death, let it be said that I have
seen with my own eyes the poverty in Ma-a. It is no exaggeration to say
that people there are dying, maybe not as dramatically as Mariannet
died but just as tragically. And this tragedy is being played out daily in
many slum areas throughout the country.)

The first research also showed that if given financial, technical and
moral support, the poor would be willing and able to work hard toward
providing themselves with shelter. Mind you, they do not want doles. In
fact, the research showed that the repayment rates for land acquisition
loans were quite high. Still, such successful housing projects need to
be scaled up to make a significant dent on the growing housing problem
in the city. I believe that the new shelter code will help achieve
this, especially now that land is being set aside for the urban poor as a
matter of course.

The second study was a city process-mapping research which I did with
my mentor at the Institute of Housing and Development Studies or IHS in
the Netherlands. (The research is part of a book which was launched at
the World Urban Forum in Vancouver. You may check it online through the
IHS website: www.ihs.nl.) The study showed that there was little
collaboration between civil society groups in Davao City and the city
government. It therefore recommended that they work more closely together.

Claudio Acioly, my research partner-mentor, personally encouraged urban
development practitioners in the city to work together and engage the
city government productively, instead of working in isolation on their
individual projects. I would like to think that the new shelter code is
one of the fruits of such a productive engagement and I hope that it
will lead to more collaboration among the various stakeholders in the
city, especially because one of the provisions in the code is the
creation of a Local Housing Board, a "multi-stakeholder' body that will
formulate urban development and housing policies for the city.

As I have said, this is good news not only for Davao City but also for
the whole country. The latest count shows that there are 136 cities in
the country which are also struggling with housing shortage and other
problems that come with urban development. As one of the biggest cities
in the country, Davao City is looked up to by other cities as a model
of development. Thus, it is hoped that other cities will follow Davao
City's example.

Malacañang may be hopeless, but the country is not. Davao City has
given us reason to somehow feel that this is truly a season of hope.

source :JA

^^

Good post dinabaw.

Her first two paragraphs reflect how filthy the minds of inquirer journalists have become. I'm surprised a filthy mouth like her works as a teacher. No wonder journalism in the Philippines has lost any amount of ethics. First and foremost, they are spreading nothing but allegations to ruin the government.
Payot your mouth is as FILTHY as your ugly surname, and probably your face. I bet you will fail the two that disagree with Trillanes. You should be fired as a journalist and a teacher. I feel sorry for the school in which you teach.

Good news from Davao

December 16, 2007 03:35:00
Junefe Gilig Payot
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines--THE PAST months have seen nothing but horrible
news for the country--most of which can be traced back to the Palace by
the Pasig River. Indeed, the stink of the latter is matched only by the
stink of corruption and human rights violations wafting from the former.

But while people are still hoping to revive the river, they see
Malacañang, with its present occupant, as a place beyond redemption. So much
so that many of them waited in "hopeful' anticipation of the outcome of
Sen. Antionio Trillanes IV's latest caper. (I was in class when it
happened and so I conducted an instant poll among my students. Only two
were against what Trillanes was doing.)

Somehow, this made me think that if one is looking for good news--or
for even the faintest sign that this country is not entirely hopeless--he
or she should look outside Metro Manila. For many of us, this means
checking out the Across the Nation section of the Philippine Daily
Inquirer.

Last Dec. 4, the section carried a report about what seems to be a
first-ever-in-the-Philippines which, to me, was one of the best news events
to recently happen in the country: the approval of the Comprehensive
Urban Shelter and Services Development Code of Davao City.

Although many civil society groups in the city are ambivalent about
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's unorthodox style, they are one in praising his
signing of this new shelter code for the city. I think he will be
remembered positively for this very progressive piece of legislation.

One of the most significant provisions in the new code is the
requirement that housing developers in the city set aside for the urban poor 20 percent of their project costs which may be in the form of land.
Already, several housing developers have complied with this requirement.
Alsons Development and Investment Corp. has set aside 20 hectares while
Robinsons Development Corp., which is developing a high-end subdivision
has also donated 15 hectares.

Dam Vertido, one of the long-time social development practitioners in
the city, was quoted in the Inquirer article as saying that the new
housing policy would help address the growing problem of urban poor housing
in the city. One of the people's organizations (PO) leaders in the
city was also quoted in Sun Star Davao as saying, "Lipay kaayo mi nga wala
na siya na-veto. Gi-review gyud sa mga konsehal. Sa nine months nga
among hulat-hulat, na-approve ra gyud (We are very happy it was not
vetoed again. The councilors reviewed it carefully. After nine months of
waiting, it was finally approved).'

I was also very happy to hear this piece of good news because I have
done two housing and urban development-related researches in the city and
I have become friends not only with the NGO and PO leaders who have
been pushing for such a progressive shelter code, but also with mothers
whose families stand to benefit tremendously from it.

The first research was on the successful initiatives of POs and NGOs in
providing shelter for the city's urban poor. One of the successful
projects I documented is in Barangay Ma-a where informal settlers live in
the shadow of posh villages. It became famous recently as the barangay
where a 12-year-old girl named Mariannet Amper committed suicide
because of her family's extreme poverty.

(The city authorities are now investigating if foul play attended her
death. But whatever the cause of her death, let it be said that I have
seen with my own eyes the poverty in Ma-a. It is no exaggeration to say
that people there are dying, maybe not as dramatically as Mariannet
died but just as tragically. And this tragedy is being played out daily in
many slum areas throughout the country.)

The first research also showed that if given financial, technical and
moral support, the poor would be willing and able to work hard toward
providing themselves with shelter. Mind you, they do not want doles. In
fact, the research showed that the repayment rates for land acquisition
loans were quite high. Still, such successful housing projects need to
be scaled up to make a significant dent on the growing housing problem
in the city. I believe that the new shelter code will help achieve
this, especially now that land is being set aside for the urban poor as a
matter of course.

The second study was a city process-mapping research which I did with
my mentor at the Institute of Housing and Development Studies or IHS in
the Netherlands. (The research is part of a book which was launched at
the World Urban Forum in Vancouver. You may check it online through the
IHS website: www.ihs.nl.) The study showed that there was little
collaboration between civil society groups in Davao City and the city
government. It therefore recommended that they work more closely together.

Claudio Acioly, my research partner-mentor, personally encouraged urban
development practitioners in the city to work together and engage the
city government productively, instead of working in isolation on their
individual projects. I would like to think that the new shelter code is
one of the fruits of such a productive engagement and I hope that it
will lead to more collaboration among the various stakeholders in the
city, especially because one of the provisions in the code is the
creation of a Local Housing Board, a "multi-stakeholder' body that will
formulate urban development and housing policies for the city.

As I have said, this is good news not only for Davao City but also for
the whole country. The latest count shows that there are 136 cities in
the country which are also struggling with housing shortage and other
problems that come with urban development. As one of the biggest cities
in the country, Davao City is looked up to by other cities as a model
of development. Thus, it is hoped that other cities will follow Davao
City's example.

Malacañang may be hopeless, but the country is not. Davao City has
given us reason to somehow feel that this is truly a season of hope.

source :JA


:cheers::cheers::cheers:

:okay:

shelter code is one of the best city ordinance. i'm sure other cities will replicate this one.

But while people are still hoping to revive the river, they see Malacañang, with its present occupant, as a place beyond redemption. So much so that many of them waited in "hopeful' anticipation of the outcome of Sen. Antionio Trillanes IV's latest caper. (I was in class when it happened and so I conducted an instant poll among my students. Only two
were against what Trillanes was doing.)
Why am I not surprised Trillanes won. And I'm not also surprised why our country is like this. This all sums up our future. My goodness, spare our country.

^^

Good post dinabaw.

I'm just thinking out loud here sharing an observation. When I first read dinabaw's post, the first two paragraphs by Payot did not make much of an impact on me. Comments about the Malacanang Palace, its occupants and cheering students for Trillanes and his stupid caper, came across as opposing view with little value in comparison to the positive achievements being made by Duterte to help the poor. That's where my "good post" comment came from.

After seeing the negative responses from odyssey and marieantoinette, I realized how important it is to structure the article to get the most bang for the pen. Is Payot trying to promote the positive achievements of Duterte or is she promoting the oppositions view against the administration by putting down the government through the Mayor's accomplishments? If she is trying to do the former, she certainly failed both Odyssey and marieantoinette. Can journalists produce news worth reading without the negative spin, or do thy really need murder and mayhem to sell newspapers?

^^what I could not understand is that she kept on injecting her opinions in the first part of the article to the point of making it absurd. Clearly, she is talking about the programs of Duterte in Davao and it has nothing to do with what happened in Makati. Certainly, this is not a news article. Perhaps it is placed in the opinion page. And dear, the first sentence is clearly an exaggeration. :ohno:

the preponderance of the pronoun "I" will clue you in that this is either an opinion or a feature article and not a news report.

^^ah yeah, that didn't catch my attention. Anyway, I would still hang on to what I said.

... Somehow, this made me think that if one is looking for good news--or for even the faintest sign that this country is not entirely hopeless--he or she should look outside Metro Manila. For many of us, this means checking out the Across the Nation section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer...


She must have been reading a lot of de Quiros and Esposo, and had too much of ABS-CBN propaganda... :D

I hope she realized that Manila is not the Philippines. :ohno:

Her first two paragraphs reflect how filthy the minds of inquirer journalists have become. I'm surprised a filthy mouth like her works as a teacher. No wonder journalism in the Philippines has lost any amount of ethics. First and foremost, they are spreading nothing but allegations to ruin the government.

It seems journalists have this thinking they can always use figures of speech so eloquently even if they cannot. Do they really have to put the blame to the government as always so that the people will buy their article? It seems they don't have any decent write ups these days but pure negative assault to the government.

I doubt if they can do any positive change if ever they will be given the chance to take the seat. They could always resort to saying press freedom, anyway. But then again, they might be losing more than they could imagine with such write ups.

I was not aware of professional squatters, then. At first, I pity them. But when pro-poor projects are implemented yet they don’t want to adhere with such, it seems the fault cannot be regard with the government anymore.

well i think most writers/columnists of PDI are anti-government whether it's Gloria or not, just like Rene Ybardolaza's observation the first 2 columns never had an impact to me . I was searching for an aritcle on the recent approval of CUSSDC but i came across w/ this Inquirer article . This Shelter Code was conceived in 1990's , this is not only the sole effort of the mayor but the people of Davao. This is a comprehensive law to tackle problems of the worsening plight of urban housing and the code came up w/ a win-win solution. It's just sad that Ms. Payot muddled it w/ politics.

another first from DAVAO...:cheers::cheers::cheers:

can't wait to see the squatter's area to be cleaned up into a nature park!!....

wishful thinking....

Davao developers now required to allocate for urban poor

By Judy Quiros
Inquirer
First Posted 03:47pm (Mla time) 12/04/2007

DAVAO CITY, Philippines -- Housing developers in this city are now required to set aside 20 percent of their project costs for the urban poor.

Based on the recently approved Comprehensive Urban Shelter and Services Development Code of Davao City, or the New Shelter Code, developers will not be given permits for new projects unless they comply with the new requirement.

Councilor Arnulfo Cabling, chairman of the committee on urban housing and rural development, said the 20 percent required of developers could be in the form of cash, infrastructure, or land.

He said even if the new shelter code, which was approved on November 12, has yet to take effect, several developers have already decided to set aside the required 20 percent.

He said Alsons Development and Investment Corp., one of the 20 applicants for new projects in the city, had donated 20 hectares in Lanang area in Buhangin district.

Cabling said another developer, Robinsons Development Corp. -- which is developing the posh Montclair Highlands subdivision, also in Buhangin district -- donated 15 hectares.

"The donations represented the companies' 20-percent share for urban housing," Cabling said.

Cabling said the city government will shoulder the development of the donated areas into urban poor housing projects.

Mindanao Land Foundation head Dam Vertido said the new housing policy will help address the growing problem of urban poor housing in the city.

He said 10 years ago, the backlog was already estimated at 40,000 units.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=104807

Davao developers now required to allocate for urban poor

By Judy Quiros
Inquirer
First Posted 03:47pm (Mla time) 12/04/2007

DAVAO CITY, Philippines -- Housing developers in this city are now required to set aside 20 percent of their project costs for the urban poor.

Based on the recently approved Comprehensive Urban Shelter and Services Development Code of Davao City, or the New Shelter Code, developers will not be given permits for new projects unless they comply with the new requirement.

Councilor Arnulfo Cabling, chairman of the committee on urban housing and rural development, said the 20 percent required of developers could be in the form of cash, infrastructure, or land.

He said even if the new shelter code, which was approved on November 12, has yet to take effect, several developers have already decided to set aside the required 20 percent.

He said Alsons Development and Investment Corp., one of the 20 applicants for new projects in the city, had donated 20 hectares in Lanang area in Buhangin district.

Cabling said another developer, Robinsons Development Corp. -- which is developing the posh Montclair Highlands subdivision, also in Buhangin district -- donated 15 hectares.

"The donations represented the companies' 20-percent share for urban housing," Cabling said.

Cabling said the city government will shoulder the development of the donated areas into urban poor housing projects.

Mindanao Land Foundation head Dam Vertido said the new housing policy will help address the growing problem of urban poor housing in the city.

He said 10 years ago, the backlog was already estimated at 40,000 units.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=104807

good work davao.. i hope they do something like this in manila.. developers in the northern and southern suburbs of metro manila can donate land to serve this purpose.. we need to also help our urban poor..

what we can do is this...

situate the urban poor shelter near industrial zones, so they will also have jobs.. they have only 5-10 years to lease the property for a low price.. after that they will need to pay the property in full if they do not want to move out for other families to take-over. a social worker, must also be hired to audit the neighborhood. the social worker must also make sure that his/her client is employed. the government should construct "bliss"-like structures again for this housing project. the maintainance of the community is shouldered by the new settlers. they are task to maintain the place in top-shape, if they violate, then they will be evicted and relocated far from the city or back to their provinces of origin.

.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/Airportapproach.jpg

kayong mga mapang-api sa mga mahihirap baka pati itong shanties ng mga
mahihirap na employees sa Airport ay ipaalis nyo pa. :)


bakit hindi nyo pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga magnanakaw ng pera ng bayan
na mga burgis at mga naghaharing uri (ruling class). :)

.

burgis? naghaharing uri?

Buhay pa pala and ganitong salita? I thought they were already buried with the collapse of the soviet union, the maoist china and the whole bankrupt communist ideology. Sino na lang ang idolo ngayon? Fidel castro? kim jong il? the socialist military junta of myanmar? hugo chavez? o baka naman si robert mugabe?

Actually, that's what I saw the first time I came back to the Philippines. There were shanties near SLEX and in the highway divider itself. Not a pretty sight for tourists and foreigners.

Here is a picture I took portside inside a PAL 747 approximately 5 minutes prior to landing at MNL back in September 23, 2005. This wasn't a pretty site either...

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/5268/dscn1273tf7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

In this next picture, notice how housing is clumped along the embankments of the river. Even natives back in the 1500s (and prior) have probably utilized this river as their source of livelihood for fishing food, washing, and drinking. But now, it only shows the lack of an integrated and modern sewage system for the people. It also exemplifies the poverty and squatters as one flies into the Philippines' largest international city airport. Notice the agricultural farms and underdeveloped infrastructure around the homes. Lack of industrial and commericial resources inhibits growth and jobs, making these neighborhoods an enclave of crime and misery that only exacerbates fatalism sentimentality.

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2952/dscn1269ks2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/5268/dscn1273tf7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


Sorry for poking in but looking at this picture makes me wonder.
This slum looks terrible of course but it's something like "well-planned slum" with those drivable roads!

It's so different from the typical slum I see in Bangkok. When looking from above, there's no visible road, just rooves. There're only small walkways connecting each houses to the outside.

I wonder how a slum like this taking shape in the first place?
:?

^^ that's not a slum area. it an area with low income to lower middle class families.

oops sorry
I thought it was.

So those are formal settlers?

^^ that's not a slum area. it an area with low income to lower middle class families.

So what is your definition of a slum area??? You are way too politically correct... :ohno:

Definitions of slum on the Web:

A household that lacks any one of the following five elements: access to sufficient amounts of water for family use at an affordable price ...
www.pbs.org/wgbh/rxforsurvival/glossary.html

a district of a city marked by poverty and inferior living conditions

Do I need to quote more definitions? Do you really believe there are absolutely NO squatters in these areas??? :ohno:

Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slum

Now tell me that the picture I took doesn't share in those characteristics mentioned (perhaps not all, but most of them). I've walked through those areas, and I'll tell you, many parts are SLUMS!!!! Sure there are pocket areas of peace, but most of them have inadequate living conditions.

But that doesn't mean they are helpless. And when I say they are slums, I'm not saying it in a derogatory way personally to the filipinos living there. Some of my dad's relatives live in these types of areas. They even apologized for their living conditions when I visited them, but I still care for them, nonetheless. I call them slums because that's what they are and filipinos (especially corrupt politicians) need to acknowledge that. That's the only way to deal with these problems. Facing the facts and acknowledging what you see in front of your face.

Lower income to lower middle-class families? Where do you think they live? Non-slum areas? Give me a break!!! :ohno:

Sorry for poking in but looking at this picture makes me wonder.
This slum looks terrible of course but it's something like "well-planned slum" with those drivable roads!

It's so different from the typical slum I see in Bangkok. When looking from above, there's no visible road, just rooves. There're only small walkways connecting each houses to the outside.

I wonder how a slum like this taking shape in the first place?
:?

Trust me, this pic is only a small sample of many other undeveloped neighborhoods....some worse.

I only showed these pics in reference to what one sees as they are landing in to the Philippines. It's still not a good sight for anyone to see, regardless if they're a foreigner, filipino citizen, or balikbayan.....

^^Thank God, there is now Gawad Kalinga.. I think within a decade there will be no more squatters in the metro if building houses for them continues...

^^ Yes, I hope so too. The squatting problem is not an easy fix though, and it will be many more years (in my opinion) before we can really start making progress. A decade sounds possible. But it's up to the politicians and social support for them. We still need more INTERNAL growth instead of only foreign inflows supporting the Philippines. Only then can we generate more job growth and hopefully raise the income levels (across the board) for all filipinos, not just for the rich. This won't solve the squatting problem, but it's a small step in the right direction towards a solution.

good news!

^^Thank God, there is now Gawad Kalinga.. I think within a decade there will be no more squatters in the metro if building houses for them continues...


mabuti pa nga ang ganitong projects (Gawad Kalinga) kaysa sa mga multi- million projects ng gobyerno na hindi naman napapakinabangan,,,at kalimitan ay sa kurapsyon lang napupunta :ohno: :bash:

So what is your definition of a slum area??? You are way too politically correct... :ohno:

Lower income to lower middle-class families? Where do you think they live? Non-slum areas? Give me a break!!! :ohno:

my definition of a slum/squatter area is an area where the homeowners do not own the property or rents from a person who does not own the property.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slum
The United Nations agency UN-HABITAT defines a slum as a heavily populated urban area characterised by substandard housing and squalor...and lacking in tenure security

informal setllers or illegals baga :)

in real terms, I would not call the Sampaloc area of manila as a squatter colony, just a poor neighborhood.

Isla puting bato in tondo however is an example of a bonafide squatter community.

^^ Yes, I've been in the Sampaloc area. Dropped off some friends there after hanging out for a while in Manila Bay. My mom sometimes frequented those areas back in the 60s with her friends when she went to FEU (Far Eastern University). It was a dangerous place sometimes when she once recalled seeing a man stabbed when she was a student.

The pics I took from the plane where a bit further south in the Pasay area, if I'm not mistaken. Those nieghborhoods carry many characteristics of a slum, in my honest opinion.

If that's what your definition of a slum is, then that is your opinion which you have pointed out.....

@jgacis.. dear wikipedia is not always accurate.. :)

anyhow... i agree.. i love gawad-kalinga, must donate to them somehow... imho, i think the reason why we have poor internal growth is due to the continuous patronizing attitude of Filipinos to non-filipino goods and services.. if we could all just buy happee toothpaste instead of colgate.. something like that..

also, the slums/illegal settlers must be relocated near industrial zones so they would have easy-access to jobs. the riverbanks area must be rezoned into proper commercial and residential facilities so that the pasig river would be soon rehabilitated.. but all of these are far from the near future developments..

^^ Yes, wikipedia isn't always accurate.

That's why it's up to the person to verify the information.

I've read the information, and it is deemed plausible by my interpretations of the information respresented.

Perhaps you see it otherwise...

may bagong mga pabahay ba pinapalukala
i saw taht theyre moving some to bulacan, so what else?

:lol: sa wikipedia lang pala kinuha ang info...

why do squatters live in dangerous places like near the railways, "reclaiming the sea", near the runways of airports, and under flyovers???

^^There's no other better place.

why do squatters live in dangerous places like near the railways, "reclaiming the sea", near the runways of airports, and under flyovers???

kasi pag-dangerous.. exciting.. laging may action.. buhay na buhay dugo mo... oops.. iba na ata yun.. :lol:

why do squatters live in dangerous places like near the railways, "reclaiming the sea", near the runways of airports, and under flyovers???

Most likely because those places you mention are in government owned land and/or non-developed areas. They are usually not inhabited and away from the eyes of authority in developed places. It gives them a sense of autonomy from their own makeshift enclave.

Although there is usually nothing available there, their community bonds them together to survive by extracting any nearby resources. That's why they like areas near water (like the river pic I showed or irrigated agricultural areas) or main transportation thoroughfares ("a public road from one place to another "); examples are railways, runways, and freeways that allow convenient access from main public infrastructures to the populace.....

why do squatters live in dangerous places like near the railways, "reclaiming the sea", near the runways of airports, and under flyovers???

malapit kasi sa kanilang ikinabubuhay. bakit sa sidewalk? kasi malapit sya sa lugar kung saan may dumadaan na mga tao at dun sila namamalimos. bakit sa malapit sa dagat at ilog? syempre upang may instant toilet sila. dun din sila naghuhugas ng plato at naliligo kung mukhang malinis pa.

I remember the term : Professional Squatters - uso nuon yan during Marcos' terms.

^^ Uso pa rin hanggang ngayon! Trabaho pa din daw yon...


Bakit maraming Squatters? Dami-dami na kasi natin nagsisiksikan sa Metro eh and will get even worse!

Population to reach 90.4M
By CHRISTINA I. HERMOSO
Business World
http://www.mb.com.ph/MTNN20080105113506.html

The National Statistics Office (NSO) said yesterday the Philippine population is projected to reach 90.4 million this year based on the 2000 census-based projections.

NSO Administrator Carmelita N. Ericta said the population is expected to reach 90,457,200 this year with the male population group estimated at 45,483,100 which is slightly higher than the female population which is expected to reach 44,974,100 based on the medium series of the census-based population projections conducted by the NSO in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Working Group on Population Projections in May 2000.

Last year, the NSO recorded the country’s population at 88.7 million with the male population estimated at 44,608,300 while the female population was estimated at 44,098,000.

Ericta said that by 2040, the country’s population is expected to reach about 141.7 million, or an addition of 65 million people between the years 2000 and 2040 "even if the average annual growth rate is projected to drastically decline from 2.34 percent during the 1999 to 2000 period to around 1.0 percent during the 2030 to 2040 period."

"The population is projected to grow by 1.95 percent in the 2005 to 2010 period, from 85.3 million in 2005 to 94 million in 2010," Ericta said.

When the census-based population projections was conducted in 2000, the Philippine population was recorded at 76.5 million.

go philippines! :bash:

isa pang sagot sa tanong ng thread..
pinapayagan kasi at kinukunsinti ng simbahan ang mga tao na magkaroon ng maraming anak...

hindi kinukunsinti ng simbahan ang pagkakaroon ng maraming anak.

back in the late '80s my then GF was offered by sister pilar of the RGS to head an NGO promoting natural birth control. If the church wasn't for family planning then they wouldn't have bothered setting up that NGO.

(my ex GF did not accept the position because we as a couple was pro condom. don't ask why :lol:)

^^ tanung lang, ano ba ang pinagkaiba ng artificial birth control sa natural? hindi bat iisa lang ang layunin nito - ang maiwasan ang pagbubuntis? eh bakit ang simbahan umaangal sa artificial at hindi sa natural? :nuts:

^^may something sa paggamit ng condom na ayaw ng chruch. I think kinoconsider na nilang buhay kahit sperm cell? or baka ayaw nila na pinipigilan ang pagbuo ng buhay? things like that. ewan hindi ko rin magets.

^^ correct.. kasi sa natural method.. which is the rhythm method, may possibility pa rin mabuntis ung babae in case nag-iba ang rhythm nya.. so call it a miracle = church...

but gosh.. 90M na tau.. i bet half that is in metro manila.. hehe.. or one third..

^^may something sa paggamit ng condom na ayaw ng chruch. I think kinoconsider na nilang buhay kahit sperm cell? or baka ayaw nila na pinipigilan ang pagbuo ng buhay? things like that. ewan hindi ko rin magets.

It just shows how stupid it really is. About 6 million sperm cells are released but only one will actually make it to the egg cell. The rest will die. Thats the reason why sperm count is the basis if the guy is fertile or not. They put artificial birth controls such as use of condom along with crime of murder without even understanding how life really forms inside.

Pag ako mainis, baka maisipan kong mga condom ang ihulog ko doon sa basket na pinapasa pasa nila sa simbahan imbis na mga barya barya. :lol:

^^loko loko itong si kuya louie ahahaha... :lol: ma-try nga once. :D:naughty:

dapat kasi may batas na ang number of children dapat proportional sa income ng mag-asawa...

^^naku, for sure maraming magrereklamo niyan kasi karapatan din ng mga mamamayan ang... :lol:

It just shows how stupid it really is. About 6 million sperm cells are released but only one will actually make it to the egg cell. The rest will die. Thats the reason why sperm count is the basis if the guy is fertile or not. They put artificial birth controls such as use of condom along with crime of murder without even understanding how life really forms inside.

Pag ako mainis, baka maisipan kong mga condom ang ihulog ko doon sa basket na pinapasa pasa nila sa simbahan imbis na mga barya barya. :lol:

pards, wag ka namang ganyan.

walang bastusan ng relihiyon.

^^ Get real. :lol: :lol:

^^ bastos ka talaga, asal aso.

pasabi ka kung uuwi ka sa manila, para mabigyan ka ng espesyal na salubong.

woof, woof.

^^ Sorry, but I am speaking for the voice of reason particularly the religion's interference to educate the people about birth control alternatives and not blind faith alone so if you can't deal with that then too bad.

^^ advocacy for putting a semen filled condom as an offering to one's God is not from a voice of reason. It is also an insult that I will not take sitting down.

the image you conjure is intense, as are the emotions it will invoke.

^^ Whoa! Hold your horses because you're jumping to conclusions. I didn't say the condom filled with semen. I'm referring to fresh, unused condoms in packs as my sign of protest. What made you think I'm referring to used condoms with semen in it? That is so sick! :lol: :lol: Please treat my two statements as separate.

I'm sorry but I'm :rofl: :rofl:

enough said.

you will feel my protest when you least expect it.

woof.

News


VP Noli submits AO on One-Stop Shop for Housing Permits
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=17

Vice President Noli 'Kabayan' De Castro, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), has submitted to President Gloria...


Accomplishments in the Housing Sector for CY 2007
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=16

The year 2007 marked the year of reforms in the housing sector aimed at making its programs more affordable and accessible to the poor and to the low-income segment of...


VP and HUDCC Chair Noli De Castro Lays Down Policy Directions for the Community Mortgage Program (CMP)
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=15

During the 16 November 2007 meeting of the Board of Directors of the Social Housing Finance corporation (SHFC), Vice President de Castro, who also serves as SHFC Board...


VP Noli orders lesser red tape in processing housing permits
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=14

Vice President Noli 'Kabayan' De Castro, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) has ordered the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board...


VP Noli challenges LGUs, civil societies, business sector to deliver liveable cities vision
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=13

Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) concurrent chairman Noli 'Kabayan' De Castro challenged the local governments, civil...


Thousands Join Housing Fair
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=12

More than a thousand people joined the housing fair hosted by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) at the Megamall in Mandaluyong City...



VP Noli Proposes Deregulation of Business Environment
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=11

Vice President and concurrent Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman Noli 'Kabayan' De Castro is proposing to deregulate the business...


VP Noli: 'red tape in processing permits main snag in housing'
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=10

At the meeting today with private developers and concerned agencies, Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council Chairman Noli 'Kabayan' De Castro...


Accomplishments in the Housing Sector (2004-3rd Quarter 2007)
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=9

Since 2004, the President has issued 60 Proclamations/Executive Orders, which declared idle government lands as housing sites for qualified beneficiaries, covering 4,024 hectares...


Pag-IBIG loans up 15.6% in July
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=8

The Pag-IBIG Fund released P24.9 billion in total loans to its members from January to July this year, surpassing by 15.6% its loan performance for the same period last year...


RP gears up for Cities Alliance forum
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=7

Representatives from various local government units, non-government organizations, people's organizations, private sector groups, the academe and the national government...


VP Noli cuts housing loan rates anew
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=6

In an effort to make housing 'truly affordable and accessible', Vice President and concurrent Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and the...


Chinese Government Funds Study
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=5

The Philippine and Chinese Governments signed an agreement on the conduct of a feasibility study for mass housing, which shall be funded by the Government of the People’s Republic...


Housing Project for Cops Soon to Rise in Bulacan
http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=88&type=2&sec=29&aid=4

Vice President Noli 'Kabayan' De Castro, Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), led the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)...

http://www.hudcc.gov.ph/index.php?p=5 :banana:
------------------------------------------------------

While most of us here are excited about these various infrastructure projects goin on, our poor former squatters who had been relocated recently are facing yet another hardship.

I heard some bad news goin on to some of these projects, such as the lack of water and electricity supplies, unfinished houses, screwed up drainage sysem, and no amenities nearby for the residents.

Like this one:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XicRsf24Y3o

Anong klaseng relocation ito??? :bash:

^^ Ignorance Journalism ^^

^^ Paano ka maniniwala sila mismo nagaaway-away, GMA vs. ABS-CBN. tsskkk... :ohno:

Kaya matigas ang ulo ng mga squatter kasi nakikiride-on ang media.. tsskkkk!!!!:ohno:

my inquiry hasn't been cleared yet...i felt that it doesn't matter anyway - natural or artificial, just have fun at your own risk. as for me, i'll pick something where my conscience is at ease with, anyway Father wont be there to watch me do it. :cheers:

my inquiry hasn't been cleared yet...i felt that it doesn't matter anyway - natural or artificial, just have fun at your own risk. as for me, i'll pick something where my conscience is at ease with, anyway Father wont be there to watch me do it. :cheers:

father who? :D

si father, yung sa coat saver?

bakit meh squatters? kahirapan. yung mga taga probinsya pumupmunta sa mga siyudad para maghanap ng trabaho. ala naman titirahan.

overpopulation. ang dami na kz naten eh. dapat talaga magkaron na ng birth control sa pilipinas. GMA says "maganda economy nten blah blah" kaso hindi maramdaman ng mga tao lalo na mahihirap. walang abortion masama yun. responsible parenthood lang. magaanak ka nang sampu dmo mapagaral mapakain. db mas masama yun?

at lastly: lack of political will sa mga local officials. pano gusto nila yung mga boto ng mga squatter and they tend to look the other way agad.

PIA Press Release
2008/01/09

CSSDO calls for drive on pro-child laws

By Rose B. Palacio

Davao City (9 January) -- While the city government has embarked on long-range information effort on the children's rights, City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) chief Marilyn Agonia urged barangay leaders to likewise hold massive education and information drive in their respective barangays on laws and ordinances on the rights of the children to curb child abuses and violence in their respective communities.

She called on the Barangay Councils for the Protection of Children to coordinate with Barangay leaders in mounting the information drive.

She said this would be part of the government's effort to protect the children and prevent human trafficking, she said.

We now have implementing rules and guidelines under Republic Act 9262 that protects women and children, Ms. Agonia said adding that it should be discussed among parents for them to know children's rightss.

While it is the policy of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte to ensure the implementation of programs aimed at achieving the survival and protection of children, officials at the barangay levels must also play vital roles in the implementation of programs and policies of the city government in their respective communities.

Agonia said many parents and minors, who are apprehended by the police authorities due to certain violations, are not aware of laws and ordinances about their own rights. (PIA) [top]

http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p080109.htm&no=02&r=R11&y=07&mo=12

sino bang dapat isihin dyan, si noli, the estate developer/builder, the mayor of their respective provinces, or someone else (pls be specific)?

^ye it is sad, keysa ilagay ang kita ng bayan sa pagbibigay ng magandang program. binubulsa ng mga ungas

my grandfather lived a squatter life once.....he told me that before the japanese invaded the philippines, every filipino family has a piece of land.....when the japanese came, the piece of land that juan worked hard for was ruined by the war......this led the people to move to cities such as Cebu(since they moved there after the war) and Manila and settled in areas that are not theirs......so that's how the squatter problem started......

which province has the most? which has the less squatters?

my grandfather lived a squatter life once.....he told me that before the japanese invaded the philippines, every filipino family has a piece of land.....when the japanese came, the piece of land that juan worked hard for was ruined by the war......this led the people to move to cities such as Cebu(since they moved there after the war) and Manila and settled in areas that are not theirs......so that's how the squatter problem started......

really.. what a sensible story.. it may explain this problem's origin..

NSO survey: Rich-poor gap in RP remains wide
ABS-CBN
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=105341

The gap between rich and poor in the Philippines remains wide, with the richest 10 percent of families raking in more than a third of the country's total income, according to government data released Saturday.

According to the results of the 2006 Family Income and Expenditures Survey (FIES), released by the National Statistics Office (NSO), the richest ten percent of families in the country, representing approximately 1.74 million families, earned 35.9 percent of the total 2006 family income of P3.01 trillion, down slightly from 36.3 percent in 2003.

On the other hand, the share in the total family income of the poorest ten percent of families increased slightly to 1.9 percent in 2006, from 1.8 percent in 2003.

The total annual family expenditure, on the other hand, was approximately P2.56 trillion, or P147,000 per family on the average.

The total family income of the richest ten percent of families in the country was estimated at P1.08 trillion.

However, the 2006 FIES also showed that the gap of the income between the richest ten percent and poorest ten percent of families slightly "narrowed" in 2006, compared to 2003 figures.

In 2003, the income of the richest ten percent of families was 20 times the income of the poorest ten percent, while in the 2006 FIES the figure was 19 times that of the poorest ten percent, the statement said.

The disparity would also be seen in the 2006 figures which said that richest 30% in the country had 91.4% of total income or P2.734 trillion while the bottom 30% only account for 8.6% of total income or P258 billion.

The data placed the average family income at P173,000 a year for the country's estimated 17.4 million families, with few families having any savings.

Among the regions, the National Capital Region had the biggest share of the total annual family income, accounting for approximately one fourth of the country’s entire figure at P734 billion.

The Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao, meanwhile, accounted for the smallest share with 1.6 percent of the pie at P47 billion, the statement read.

The statement also said that all of the country's regions showed increases in average annual income between 2003 and 2006, with NCR, CALABARZON, Central Luzon, and the Cordillera Administrative Region leading the rankings. ARMM, meanwhile, registered the lowest income increase among the regions.

The government says a Filipino family has about four members on average.

The survey indicated "a movement towards a widening income disparity among families" in six regions as suggested by the Gini coefficient, a global standard on measuring income equality within a population, the statement said.

A Gini coefficient ranges from 0 to 1, with 0 indicating perfect income equality among families, and 1 indicating absolute income inequality, the statement explained.

Among the six regions with increasing Gini coefficients, Central Luzon had the largest increase, from 0.3515 in 2003 to 0.3994 in 2006. On the other hand, ARMM had the least income disparity with a Gini coefficient of 0.3113, lower than its 2003 figure of 0.3578.

On the whole, the Gini coefficient of the Philippines was pegged at 0.4564, slightly lower than the 2003 figure of 0.4605.

According to the NSO, the 2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey is a nationwide survey of households undertaken every three years, and is the main source of data on family income and expenditure, such as levels of consumption by item of expenditure as well as sources of income in cash and in kind.

Other important results and findings regarding family income and expenditure will be presented in a data dissemination forum scheduled in January 2008, the statement read.

which province has the most? which has the less squatters?

not province but manila had to be the most and ,less, ill say batanes LOL

^^I heard that Bacolod has the largest squatter colony outside Manila, is this true?

kaya maraming nagpupuntahan sa maynila kasi highly developed ang ciudad eh kaya umaasa silang makakahanap ng masmabuting buhay dyan! kase sa probinsya hindi nadedevelop at napakapagal ang progreso!!! kasalanan din yan ng sistemang presidential na masyadong centralized!!!! ayan cge lang hindi kayo maniwala sa federalism huh tignan natin kung sino din ang maghihirap hehehhehe buti nga sa pinas ang dami kasing bobo dyan eh

^^I heard that Bacolod has the largest squatter colony outside Manila, is this true?

possible. kasi kung san ang may development doon nagsisisuot ang mga probinsyanong ayaw magtsaga sa lugar nila. di rin natin sila masisise dahil sa kahirapan ng probinsya nila eh... ayan kasi palpak ang mga sistema sa bansa ninyo hehehe walang batas na nasusunod! at ang babagal gumawa ng mga bagong batas yang gobyerno ninyo! doon lahat naghuhumpisa kasi ang lahat ng progreso, sa isang epektibong sistema ng gobyerno lang yan!

^^I heard that Bacolod has the largest squatter colony outside Manila, is this true?

yes and it's very dirty too.

medyo gala rin ako sa bacolod but the only informal settlers community I've seen is near bgry airport, right across goldenfield.

wala naman akong nakikitang uncollected garbage sa lansangan ng bacolod, and generally no urban decay.

I like bacolod by the way. the city's residents are very malambing :)

^^ tanung lang, ano ba ang pinagkaiba ng artificial birth control sa natural? hindi bat iisa lang ang layunin nito - ang maiwasan ang pagbubuntis? eh bakit ang simbahan umaangal sa artificial at hindi sa natural? :nuts:

my inquiry hasn't been cleared yet...i felt that it doesn't matter anyway - natural or artificial, just have fun at your own risk. as for me, i'll pick something where my conscience is at ease with, anyway Father wont be there to watch me do it. :cheers:

Okay... medyo mahirap i-explain. We have to explain first from the take-off point of the Catholic church's perspective on the purpose of sex -- not the purpose of birth control.

The Catholic Church believes that its moral teachings is based upon natural law. The natural order of things is that the ultimate purpose of sex is generative or creative. Engaging in it will lead to creation of life. And the Church treats every life as precious.

When the married couple (note: The Church sanctions sex only within a marital relationship) engages in sex when the wife is still in a non-ovulating (non-fertile) period, they are still following the natural rhythm and order of things even if their purpose is not to get pregnant.

Under the Humanae Vitae, it states that "an act which impairs the capacity to transmit life which God the Creator, has built into it, frustrates His design which constitutes the norm of marriage, and contradicts the will of the Author of life. Hence to use this divine gift while depriving it, even if only partially, of its meaning and purpose, is equally repugnant to the nature of man and of woman, and is consequently in opposition to the plan of God and His holy will."

According to the Church, the natural method is different from artificial method in that in the former, the married couple rightly use a faculty provided them by nature. In the latter, they obstruct the natural development of the generative process. Moral law follows natural law.

Huwag ninyo ako i-debate dyan, I'm merely simplifying what I have read in the Catholic tome on that -- the Humanae Vitae. Pero sige, okay lang as long as objective exchange/discussion lang.

and that is the crux of the problem. the females are most receptive to sex during the "ovulating" or fertile period. and the males respond to this stimuli, be it overt or not.

sex is a perfectly natural and human urge. we have been conditioned to this by eons of evolution. why go against it ?

So, the problem of squatters is now correlated to the problem of overpopulation and the contrary views on family planning. Do you think the program of family planning will greatly affect the squatters? I'd say it will only have a little effect or so.

The squatters who seemed to be comfortably living in their shanties will not actually mind if there are family planning methods introduced by the government. In fact, they denied relocation sites even if it means they will have decent houses because they are hard- headed, to say the least. They will do what they want. In the end, they would blame the government for doing its duty to the general public.

burn them all to hell then.^^

@Gen 1, most likely for responsible parenting. due to economic reasons and probably for some other reasons parents can't just cope with tons of kid...at the end of the day, you take charge of your own sex drive.

@lili, ok...from the humanae vitae i can conclude that - because the catholic teachings are based on natural law, taking advantage of its natural rhythm provided by the latter to indirectly interfere in procreation is lawful. it perfectly make sense when we are talking about procreation.

but I'm surprised why doesn't the catholic church apply the same principle to the death and suffering of a human being...why do the catholic church allow doctors of any kind to interfere in the natural order design by God? the use of medicine and other life-support systems per se. if we will allow the nature to take it's own course, then there's no need to use anaesthetics because God created pain so that he's people can appreciate health and therefore life. we have then, for many times, violated the natural order established by God, and therefore his will.

hehe i hope you've seen "Children of Men " , who will invent the virus hehehe

anyway if the Catholic don't give way maybe we can have a win-win solution.

ano ba ang mga Catholic Nation ang di gaanong over-populated ? Italy and Spain i guess is not over-poputated , i guess bec the people have work , pag may work may dignidad, ma papaisip ang iindividual, hindi lang panganganak ang iisipin .


Let's take Japan & South Korea not a catholic nation but over-populated pero asenso .why? kasi hard working.

let's take some African nations who are not catholics , they over populated and famined struck why? corrupt government.

based on this maybe we can extract a solution , and can come up w/ our own style of "birth control"

and that is the crux of the problem. the females are most receptive to sex during the "ovulating" or fertile period. and the males respond to this stimuli, be it overt or not.

sex is a perfectly natural and human urge. we have been conditioned to this by eons of evolution. why go against it ?

The Catholic church is not going against the natural urge to have sex between the married couple-- it is just that there is responsibility concomittant to that. And that, there is a natural result in engaging in sex -- it is birth (of a life or of a thought or a feeling). It always result in something.

@Gen 1, most likely for responsible parenting. due to economic reasons and probably for some other reasons parents can't just cope with tons of kid...at the end of the day, you take charge of your own sex drive.

That is true, the person dictates and takes control of his/her own body and his/her own urges. Why blame the Catholic Church?

@lili, ok...from the humanae vitae i can conclude that - because the catholic teachings are based on natural law, taking advantage of its natural rhythm provided by the latter to indirectly interfere in procreation is lawful. it perfectly make sense when we are talking about procreation.

but I'm surprised why doesn't the catholic church apply the same principle to the death and suffering of a human being...why do the catholic church allow doctors of any kind to interfere in the natural order design by God? the use of medicine and other life-support systems per se. if we will allow the nature to take it's own course, then there's no need to use anaesthetics because God created pain so that he's people can appreciate health and therefore life. we have then, for many times, violated the natural order established by God, and therefore his will.

There is a basic difference between birth and death. The Catholic church's position is that by allowing science and medicine to promote health and prolong life, it is not deviating from the natural law and moral law of upholding life. Upholding life is still the underlying basis of its moral precept.

I expect some people will argue, if the basic belief is to uphold the dignity of human life, how can the Church allow suffering by allowing overpopulation? This is what I read on that:

"Neither is it valid to argue, as a justification for sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive, that a lesser evil is to be preferred to a greater one ... Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good," it is never lawful, ... to intend directly something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order ...even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general... "

Hay! Isn't it hard to become a Catholic?

hehe i hope you've seen "Children of Men " , who will invent the virus hehehe

anyway if the Catholic don't give way maybe we can have a win-win solution.

ano ba ang mga Catholic Nation ang di gaanong over-populated ? Italy and Spain i guess is not over-poputated , i guess bec the people have work , pag may work may dignidad, ma papaisip ang iindividual, hindi lang panganganak ang iisipin .


Let's take Japan & South Korea not a catholic nation but over-populated pero asenso .why? kasi hard working.

let's take some African nations who are not catholics , they over populated and famined struck why? corrupt government.

based on this maybe we can extract a solution , and can come up w/ our own style of "birth control"

I agree. There must be a workable solution to this that promotes the dignity of human life and the well-being of the society in general.

I think the Catholic Church is reviewing once again its stance on artificial contracepcion.

But there is a current news that a lot of couples from affluent Western countries are now paying surrogate mothers from blighted communities in India and some other poor nation to hire their wombs to sire their children.

Here: World Outsources Pregnancies to India (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=564224)

Adoption of "third world babies" which used to be purely altruistic has now become fashionable. Look at Madonna adopting a baby in Africa that turns out to be not an orphan and whose birth mother and father claim that the baby was taken against their will. Science has also tinkered with "designer babies".

sex for pleasure is a great thing for any healthy marriage. The middle and the upper crust indulge in this and they typically use contraceptive measures recommended by their health professionals. Even the most pious of the middle class catholics, excepting members of the opus dei, use artificial contraception.

the poor have the same urges as us. i would harken to add that they are more obedient catholics than us, more apt to follow the moral dictums emanating from their revered kura parokos and bishops.

unlike the middle class many of them, specially the womenfolk, will not use artificial contraception and disobey their religious sheperds.

the church also teaches to embrace poverty for the poor will inherit the earth.
i always felt guilty trying to find ways to get rich. Funny it never bothered the rich devout Catholics.

there is no shame in enjoying the just fruits of ones' labour.

the highest accolades though is reserved to those who dedicate their lives for the upliftment of those who have less - thus my deep admiration for priests, pastors, members of legitimate ngos' like GK, and those who live an alternative lifestyle.

may their number increase without me :)

sa akin lang bakit mga muslim kahit puede maraming asawa eh hindi naman sila dumadami , i mean percentage wise, para ngang from 20% in the early 1900's and now they are less 10% well karamihan nga lang sa squatters nakatira which i think is not bec mga tamad sila but kulang lang sila ng oppurtunity. and same w/ the lumads.

bihira rin akong makakita ng muslim na 10 to 12 children, yung halos every year isang anak .I think they are practicing some kind of reproductive health or reponsible parenting , nasa Koran ba yan?

So, the problem of squatters is now correlated to the problem of overpopulation and the contrary views on family planning. Do you think the program of family planning will greatly affect the squatters? I'd say it will only have a little effect or so.

The squatters who seemed to be comfortably living in their shanties will not actually mind if there are family planning methods introduced by the government. In fact, they denied relocation sites even if it means they will have decent houses because they are hard- headed, to say the least. They will do what they want. In the end, they would blame the government for doing its duty to the general public.

The over population problem is not the real main reason why we have squatters. Although it does make the situation worst and thats the reason why we have thousands of street children because of this filipino screwed familiy planning w/ no effective birth control system/programs!

These are some of the important reasons why we have squatters:
1. Anti-Squatting Laws were not being followed and supervised by the law enforcers (police).
2. Slow development of the rural areas causes this mass immigration to manila and other more developed cities in the philippines.
3. Our ineffective educational system is not working for our newly graduates that causes the unemployment rate goes up, and many ended up homeless and beggars.
4. Prices of commodities are going up, and mortgages are almost unreachable by average filipino citizens. That's why many do not own a house because they simply cannot afford it.

So i hope our next administration should tackle this issue and do a better job to fix it.

:ohno:

^dapat yan ang wish list ni arroyo na bawasan ang barong barong, kahit lang sa manila
kailangan nyang gawing president project to para atleast masolbahan kahit papano

there is no shame in enjoying the just fruits of ones' labour.

the highest accolades though is reserved to those who dedicate their lives for the upliftment of those who have less - thus my deep admiration for priests, pastors, members of legitimate ngos' like GK, and those who live an alternative lifestyle.

may their number increase without me :)

yeah if it came from true labor.

the church also teaches to embrace poverty for the poor will inherit the earth.
i always felt guilty trying to find ways to get rich. Funny it never bothered the rich devout Catholics.

or we should say, "the poor will inherit the earth after the rich are through with it."

there is no shame in enjoying the just fruits of ones' labour.

the highest accolades though is reserved to those who dedicate their lives for the upliftment of those who have less - thus my deep admiration for priests, pastors, members of legitimate ngos' like GK, and those who live an alternative lifestyle.

may their number increase without me :)

not necessarily true especially when their livelihood depends on it.

sa akin lang bakit mga muslim kahit puede maraming asawa eh hindi naman sila dumadami , i mean percentage wise, para ngang from 20% in the early 1900's and now they are less 10% well karamihan nga lang sa squatters nakatira which i think is not bec mga tamad sila but kulang lang sila ng oppurtunity. and same w/ the lumads.

bihira rin akong makakita ng muslim na 10 to 12 children, yung halos every year isang anak .I think they are practicing some kind of reproductive health or reponsible parenting , nasa Koran ba yan?

where did you get your facts? 20% in the early 90s? that is a joke...Islam is the world's fastest growing religion...france, per se will become a muslim-dominated country in few decades. and, biological growth is only an alternative to the real evangelisation.


There is a basic difference between birth and death. The Catholic church's position is that by allowing science and medicine to promote health and prolong life, it is not deviating from the natural law and moral law of upholding life. Upholding life is still the underlying basis of its moral precept.

I expect some people will argue, if the basic belief is to uphold the dignity of human life, how can the Church allow suffering by allowing overpopulation? This is what I read on that:

"Neither is it valid to argue, as a justification for sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive, that a lesser evil is to be preferred to a greater one ... Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good," it is never lawful, ... to intend directly something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order ...even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general... "

Hay! Isn't it hard to become a Catholic?

^^ yes, i think this is it...the catholics argue on double standards - intending directly or indirectly to interfere into the natural order when promoting health and prolonging life is lawfull - this principle being mutually exclusive to the use of science to promote life...and the same idea does not apply in the use of contraceptives as a method for family planning - the catholics now argue that life is the foundation of its ethical motive, and here, everything stops - who will argue otherwise?...however, even though i can't rebut that, i can otherwise argue on the basis of what is moral and what is not. because at the end of a long discussion morality is relative. neither of us is right nor wrong.

where did you get your facts? 20% in the early 90s? that is a joke...Islam is the world's fastest growing religion...france, per se will become a muslim-dominated country in few decades. and, biological growth is only an alternative to the real evangelisation.



wohoh i am are just talking of pinas ,i said early 1900's , i read from a writer that filipino muslims are declining . and i am talking of biological growth here.

here maybe this can help

Main article: Religion in the Philippines

According to the 2000 Census, 81.04% of all Filipinos are Roman Catholics, 5.06% are adherents of Islam, and 2.82% are Born-again Christians. The remaining 11.08% include the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ - 2.3%), Philippine Independent Church (2%), Mormon (.5%), as well as those of other religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism (3%).



Largest groups
The following are the twenty largest linguistic groups in the Philippines:[4]

Visayans (34,662,000)
Cebuano (20,160,000)
Hiligaynon (8,068,000)
Waray (3,426,000)
Masbateño (764,000)
Capiznon (724,000)
Aklanon (555,000)
Surigaonon (485,000)
Kinaray-A (485,000)
Tagalog (13,928,000)
Ilocano (9,527,000)
Bicolano (5,659,000)
Central Bicolano (3,504,000)
Albay Bicolano (2,155,000)


Moro (4,475,000)

Malay (1,287,000)
Maranao (1,091,000)
Maguindanao (1,077,000)
Tausug (1,020,000)

Kapampangan (2,667,000)
Pangasinan (1,637,000)
Chinese Filipino (mostly Min Nan) (922,000)
Ibanag (703,000)

[edit]



1903 Data
The ethnic Malay population divided by language:

Christian (Mainly Roman Catholic)
Visayan: 3,219,030
Tagalog: 1,460,695
Ilocano: 803,942
Bicol: 566,635
Pangasinan: 343,686
Pampangan: 280,984
Cagayan: 159,648
Muslim
Moro: 277,547
Igorot
Igorot: 211,520


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_Philippines

any news about the relocation site for the urban poor?

^^ same question here :dunno:


in the meantime, here's one important input
(attention: reader's discretion requested, this is reality and may be disturbing for some ;) )

Poverty traced to low-paying jobs

PEOPLE are puzzled—absent cynicism about government data—why, for all the claims of high growth, the poor in the Philippines keep increasing. Now, the independent think tank Ibon Foundation offers an answer: most the much-hyped 28 quarters of economic growth of the Arroyo administration was marked by the creation of poor quality jobs.

Data from the National Statistics Office Labor Force Survey show the most number of jobs created from 2001 to 2006 were in agriculture, wholesale and retail trade and private households.

“These are among the lowest-paying and most insecure jobs in the country,” said IBON research head Sonny Africa.

For example, the informal sector of wholesale and retail trade created 1.02 million jobs during the period. The average daily wage in the sector in 2006 was P228.72 even as the legislated minimum wage in Metro Manila as of July 2006 was P300.

The agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector created 681,000 jobs but these were mainly unpaid family workers. House help accounted for 409,000 of the new jobs, but they are lucky to earn P2,500 to P3,500 a month.

Africa said growth of the agriculture and manufacturing sectors from 2001 to 2006 was tepid, averaging 3.6 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, thus unable to create regular and productive jobs. The number of new manufacturing jobs from 2001 to 2006 was just 153,000 jobs and the sector even lost 18,000 jobs in 2006.

“This is significant given that these sectors constitute the base of any genuinely developing economy,” said Africa.

The sectors with the biggest annual average growth over the period, and thus the biggest contribution to overall economic growth, were mining and quarrying, transportation, communications, storage and finance. These sectors, however, have low and short-term job generating capacity.

“Economic growth is valued not for its own sake, but for the improvement in people’s livelihoods and welfare,” said Africa. “In this sense, Arroyo’s 28 continuous quarters of growth are worthless as tens of millions of Filipinos are as poor as ever.”

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/03112008/headlines06.html

Wow. She's an economist my ass. I'll believe this article. I've changed my view.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Habitat, UCCP start to build houses in Mintal
Sunstar Davao

THE Habitat for Humanity Philippines Foundation, Inc. started the construction of at least 30 houses in its new site in Matina Biao in Mintal in Davao City.

A total of 150 houses will be set up in the area, with the cooperation of the social arm of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP).

Margie Moran-Floirendo, of the Habitat for Humanity, said a single house constructed for one family may be a drop in the bucket of the numerous woes of the country today, especially in socialized housing, but it is an endeavor that will ripple through society.

The houses, which will be built using the patented interlocking concrete blocks of Habitat for Humanity, will be constructed with the help of the beneficiary families.

The project also seeks to develop and strengthen the value and practice of saving and repayment through the process of counterparting, wherein the cost of capitalization is divided between the home partners with one-third as their savings counterpart, while two-thirds is advanced by the Habitat for Humanity and its donor partners.

The Habitat for Humanity Philippines Foundation, Inc. is a Christian housing ministry established in the country in 1988. (CPM)

Friday, March 28, 2008
Dad seeks relocation of coastline settlers

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2008/03/28/news/dad.seeks.relocation.of.coastline.settlers.html


DAVAO City Councilor Leonardo Avila III is seeking for the immediate relocation of residents living in the coastal areas of Davao City.

He said that with climate change, living near the coastline is getting more dangerous.

"We have to relocate them to a more inland environment and away from the coast," Avila said in an interview Wednesday.

Avila, who is also Davao Gulf Management Council chair, said the increase in sea water level during monsoon rains is just one of the risks that coastline residents must deal with in the near future.

"Climate change will affect all of us, and its effect will be strongly felt along the coasts," Avila said.

Coastal villages are among the perennial problems of the local government unit. Apart from being susceptible to danger, they also add up to the pollution dumped into the water.

Every year, during the monsoon season, houses along the coasts are battered by waves and surges that get stronger every year. Yet, despite suffering the brunt of nature annually, the people still return to the place and rebuild their homes. (CPM)

Davao’s new jailhouse gives hope to women behind bars
GERMELINA A. LACORTE, Davao Today
03/31/2008 | 10:21 PM

http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/6546/03112008bjmp2do9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


DAVAO CITY, Philippines — “The place looks very nice, it doesn’t feel like a jail at all," Colin Davies, deputy representative of the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (Unicef), observed in a brief visit early this month to the Ray of Hope Village, the newest women’s facility of Ma-a city jail.

Landscaped and painted in bright pastels, the duplexes that make up the new women’s facility of the Ma-a city jail resemble a village that reminds inmates of home.

Aptly called the Ray of Hope Village because it seeks to give hope to women behind bars, the new facility features 10 duplexes, five of which are already finished; a multipurpose hall, a nursing room and other amenities for children and mothers sprawled over the 5,400 sq. meter area of what used to be an idle lot inside the jail compound.

Windows are made of steel grills, to keep the ambiance of a home, according to Jail Chief Insp. Ferdinand Pontillo, officer-in-charge of the Davao city jail.

He said building a village inside the jail is a concept of freeing inmates long before they are released.

“By making this a better place, the women may become better people in society. When they meet their children, they’ll be a lot happier and I hope that once they go out, they will not come back anymore," Collins said.

In a recent city peace and order meeting, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he will ensure that the facility will feature a room for nursing mothers and other amenities for children. “The law says, you cannot deprive a child below seven years old of a mother, so, even if the mothers are in prison, children should be provided with facilities when they visit," he said.

Pontillo said the idea for the P6 million facility started way back in 1999 to 2000, when concerns over minors in jail had prompted the Unicef to launch a series of meetings and consultations with jail officials.

For years, Unicef has been pushing for a separate detention cell for minors but it was only after Republic Act 9044 or the Juvenile Justice Act that minors inside the city jail have been finally turned over to the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Now, that tiny seed of awareness for the rights of minors have been extended to include women.

Pontillo said the women’s facility, which is now being ran by a woman warden, houses over a hundred women inmates.

The facility will be completed in the upcoming Kadayawan festivities in August, said Antonio Binatero, project director of Gawad Kalinga, who has been taking care of the project’s building, architecture and design. He said that the women’s facility at the Davao city jail is the first jail facility built by Gawad Kalinga, a civic group known for its innovative housing projects for the poor in different parts of the country.

With the labor counterpart provided by the inmates of the city jail, donations of civic groups and institutions such as the NCCC Cares, the Zonta Club, DCWD and the city government itself make the building of the facility possible.

Ofelia P. Lapas, jail deputy for operations, also said the lack of facilities and existing jail policies do not yet allow nursing mothers to nurse their babies in jail. The babies are sent home after birth.

Lapas said that after a jail riot that occurred in Manila years ago, the Maa city jail has stopped allowing kids to stay with their mothers inside the jail for a long time to prevent accidents.

At least, 95 per cent of women behind bars are mothers, she said.

Among the women inmates, Gina Talingting, 42, smiles as she takes a whiff of fresh air in the veranda of one of the newly built duplexes. It was about 3:30 p.m., and women in pink t-shirts are coming out of the other duplexes to spend an afternoon gardening.

“Unlike before, where we were housed inside congested, windowless rooms, we can now have a chance to look around and move around," she confides.

She said she is happy that they were moved out of the old facility to this new village. The houses serve as their sleeping quarters at night and a workroom in the daytime. “It is where the women pray, talk to each other, work, learn new things, or sing," said Talingting.

The old place– a three-room structure at the back of the men’s quarters–used to be so congested that 37 women had to share one toilet, and one room held as many as 67 inmates, Pontillo said. Talingting, who spent the last three years in the old facility, said a fight among the inmates could erupt at the slightest cause because of the poor living condition there.

“It was so crowded, there was hardly space to move around," she said. They used to live and sleep on rickety wooden bunk beds, two persons in each bed. Some even had to sleep on the floor.

Here, she said, they even have water for washing. Each duplex can house only 10 people. After the wake up call at 5:30 in the morning and the roll call, they go about washing their clothes at the faucet at the back or taking a bath. Each house has a built in toilet and bath and begins to feel like home, she says. - Germelina Lacorte/davaotoday.com


http://www.gmanews.tv/story/87044/Davaos-new-jailhouse-gives-hope-to-women-behind-bars

I don't know if this is allowed here in Skyscrapercity.
For one thing, we always feature the good side of our cities, the tourist spots, the business, modern thoroughfares and more.

Here's a challenge to SSC Pilipinas forumers:

While we discuss this, there is another face in reality that we really cannot avoid when discussing about urbanity and urban planning, and those are the slum communities in our city.

It would be hypocrite and fake of us if we deny that we do not have slums in our areas. These mirrors of poverty faces us with the challenge not just on housing but also for social services and issues about urban planning and sustainable development not only for the few, but for all our kababayans.

Let us discuss and also share some pictures of the slums of our cities here.


Warning: The slums and related talk should never be the basis of any regional pride bashings here. I hope the mods will observe this and hopefully we discuss this maturely.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/playground.jpg
San Nicolas, Manila (near Divisoria area)

:eek: Oh no you didn't! Oh yes you did! :lol:

its a harsh reality all of us must face upfront that anywhere in the philippines you'll find this "ghastly" as claire danes puts it, situation. :ohno:

gusto ko sana picturan yung mga estero sa quaipo, kaso, ayaw, hehehe

dvd, dvd, ?

i post niyo yung name and picture ng mga mayor nung lugar na pinakamaraming shanties at pinakamadumi.

^^ You making a shit list, Marites? :lol:

I hope to see a link in the international thread:D

i post niyo yung name and picture ng mga mayor nung lugar na pinakamaraming shanties at pinakamadumi.

Yung Marikina kaya? hmmm

What's the biggest slum area in Metro Manila? The biggest i've seen so far is that one beside the Trinoma Mall. It's so huge, pag nasa MRT ako, i look on the other side kasi hindi lang masakit tingnan, masakit din sa puso :D

I have heard that Caloocan's Bagong Silang is also quite big. but i bet, there's no slum area here greater than the humungous slum areas of Mumbai.

I think BASECO Compound and Islang Puting Bato.

Hm... Heard that the slum areas of QC along Commonwealth Avenue surpass those of Manila in size. Pero mas sanay ako sa QC.

Here in Dumaguete slum areas are not really prevalent and not much of a problem. Presently there are only 2 main slum areas with the bigger one not more than 4 hectares. I was surprised that even in the bigger slum area I could see houses with thatch or tile roofing. Many of the houses here have rusting GI sheets roofing, and most are made of combustible materials.

The smaller slum area will soon give way to a reclamation project (which will be used either for tourism or as a holding area for sea vans) and the residents here will be transferred to a GK Village.

That leaves only one slum area, but I heard recently that portions of this slum will also be swallowed by the city's business park.

There's actually a possibility that Dumaguete can defeat its slum problem in a few years.

There are still groups of nipa huts and dwellings made of light and combustible materials around the city, but these are clustered in groups numbering not more that 10 houses.

Here in Dumaguete slum areas are not really prevalent and not much of a problem. Presently there are only 2 main slum areas with the bigger one not more than 4 hectares. I was surprised that even in the bigger slum area I could see houses with thatch or tile roofing. Many of the houses here have rusting GI sheets roofing, and most are made of combustible materials.

The smaller slum area will soon give way to a reclamation project (which will be used either for tourism or as a holding area for sea vans) and the residents here will be transferred to a GK Village.

That leaves only one slum area, but I heard recently that portions of this slum will also be swallowed by the city's business park.

There's actually a possibility that Dumaguete can defeat its slum problem in a few years.

There are still groups of nipa huts and dwellings made of light and combustible materials around the city, but these are clustered in groups numbering not more that 10 houses.

I hope, GK will build more villages around Philippines to minimize, if not totally resolve this slum area problems..

The theory is that, the city's slums are believed to be the modern evolution of bahay kubo in which materials creating such homes is available in the environment and put it together.

Slum area of Longos community in Bacoor.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/waldenstrom/072120081195.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/waldenstrom/072120081196.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/waldenstrom/072120081197.jpg

I notice that their houses are getting better. Most house already have 2nd floor.

^^ And has airconditioning too. :D

Slum area of Longos community in Bacoor.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/waldenstrom/072120081195.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/waldenstrom/072120081196.jpg

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm209/waldenstrom/072120081197.jpg

I notice that their houses are getting better. Most house already have 2nd floor.

^^ And has airconditioning too. :D

i pass by this area quite often and this side is somewhat more organized than the one across it. if only these houses are painted with vibrant colors just like what BF did in some metro areas, it would somehow change the aura of the place.

Do you agree that we can actually take advantage of the slums for good means?

I mean they're actually a very, very rich supply of very cheap labor.

The city can mobilize thousands of them to keep a city dust and dirt free.... Or train them to watch our streets from crime... Or perhaps mobilize them to build houses and highrise condo units -- Labor of course should be free and in exchange, they get one unit of a house or condo...



//

Or perhaps mobilize them to build houses and highrise condo units -- Labor of course should be free and in exchange, they get one unit of a house or condo...


pwede ba ako dyan? :lol: kaso gusto ko kabayaran...isang townhouse sa tagaytay:banana:

Do you agree that we can actually take advantage of the slums for good means?

I mean they're actually a very, very rich supply of very cheap labor.

The city can mobilize thousands of them to keep a city dust and dirt free.... Or train them to watch our streets from crime... Or perhaps mobilize them to build houses and highrise condo units -- Labor of course should be free and in exchange, they get one unit of a house or condo...



//

It could be. But it is also the hotbed of crimes and other social problems: the notorious Tondo of Manila, Pasil of Cebu and Agdao of Davao are some of the notorious neighborhood of gangsters, drugs and insurgents.

Well, you get a lot of good things from these neighborhoods, but what is the net effect?

Slum areas of Bacolod City(no pics yet...could somebody provide? he he hehe)

Mambuloc Creek along the Reclamation Area (Jalandon)
Barangay 2, 3 and Barangay 1 at the mouth of Mandalagan River (Sto Niño)
Coastline of Barangay Banago (usually at container yards)
Purok Riverside along Banago Creek
Dawis at San Sebastian St. Extension (Reclamation Area)
Rodriguez Baybay and at the mouth of Lupit River (south Reclamation area)
Lupit Riverbanks from Noahs Ark Sugar, barangay 30, 31(lopez Jaena), 40, 41 (Libertad)
Along Magsungay River at Singcang-Magsungay Area and at the back of Goldenfields
Catmon Creek-Mandalagan Riverbanks (Carvic and Progreso)

:ohno:

It could be. But it is also the hotbed of crimes and other social problems: the notorious Tondo of Manila, Pasil of Cebu and Agdao of Davao are some of the notorious neighborhood of gangsters, drugs and insurgents.

Well, you get a lot of good things from these neighborhoods, but what is the net effect?

dont forget about the boulevard in Davao. a huge dwelling for squatters and slum areas... ghastly talaga ang view kasi the slums stretch on a major road at ang mga nag bibisita sa davao, in plain view ang slums sa boulevard:ohno: and a hotspot for gangwars in davao

Slum areas of Bacolod City(no pics yet...could somebody provide? he he hehe)

Mambuloc Creek along the Reclamation Area (Jalandon)
Barangay 2, 3 and Barangay 1 at the mouth of Mandalagan River (Sto Niño)
Coastline of Barangay Banago (usually at container yards)
Purok Riverside along Banago Creek
Dawis at San Sebastian St. Extension (Reclamation Area)
Rodriguez Baybay and at the mouth of Lupit River (south Reclamation area)
Lupit Riverbanks from Noahs Ark Sugar, barangay 30, 31(lopez Jaena), 40, 41 (Libertad)
Along Magsungay River at Singcang-Magsungay Area and at the back of Goldenfields
Catmon Creek-Mandalagan Riverbanks (Carvic and Progreso)

:ohno:

these areas are the worst....

It could be. But it is also the hotbed of crimes and other social problems: the notorious Tondo of Manila, Pasil of Cebu and Agdao of Davao are some of the notorious neighborhood of gangsters, drugs and insurgents.

Well, you get a lot of good things from these neighborhoods, but what is the net effect?

Kaya nga.. Let's take advantage of them for the development of our city. In a way we can also help them uplift their lives.

Like what I said, the city can require them to build houses (parang forced labor kumbaga), and for a number of houses that each person can build, say 100, then he will get a decent house for his family.

Or mobilize thousands of them to build railways, and other infrastructures.

dapat unang unang tangalin e yung squatter dun katabi ng Naia 1,
dapat yun ang pagtaunan ng pansin. o kya ilipat sila sa cavite or paranaque somewhere around there but not blatantly by the side of the airport.

Hm... Heard that the slum areas of QC along Commonwealth Avenue surpass those of Manila in size. Pero mas sanay ako sa QC.

Yeah. You're right bout that Kuya! :)

Kaya nga.. Let's take advantage of them for the development of our city. In a way we can also help them uplift their lives.

Like what I said, the city can require them to build houses (parang forced labor kumbaga), and for a number of houses that each person can build, say 100, then he will get a decent house for his family.

Or mobilize thousands of them to build railways, and other infrastructures.

A very good example of "helping people help themselves" thing....

Ang gandang proposal na gusto kong ipamukha sa mga mayor na may mga slum areas....

Slum Areas or Shanties - sosyal na term para sa squatters. :lol:

Kaya nga.. Let's take advantage of them for the development of our city. In a way we can also help them uplift their lives.

Like what I said, the city can require them to build houses (parang forced labor kumbaga), and for a number of houses that each person can build, say 100, then he will get a decent house for his family.

Or mobilize thousands of them to build railways, and other infrastructures.

We can expect human rights activist to march on the streets again... :)

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/playground.jpg
San Nicolas, Manila (near Divisoria area)
i think i am lookin at a 4-storey split residential... w/ balcony units. to be able to build that high using nothing but junk... you've got to give them credit. but for the inhabitant's safety, as well as those around them, government should take the initiative in preventing these shanty highrise structures from ever reaching the point of no return... limit those that go beyond two stories high at the very least. question is, who's gonna regulate them and how? parang ang lumalabas kasi ngayon eh bahala na sila sa buhay nila kung tumumba yan. fact is, tutumba talaga yan at some point. but nobody really gives a damn.

maybe somebody should propose some kinda "oplan: bantay taas bahay" of some sort for these shanty communities. or perhaps a self-help program "oplan: tibay bahay" that will teach them how to build more structurally acceptable houses and warn them of the repercussions of not building safe.

^^ OT

uy buhay ka pa pala!?

^ oo naman. ano na balita sayo? bisita ka manila

^^ eto gwaping pa rin hehe

ikaw bumisita dito hehe

^ tara hindi ka naman kasi nangiimbita eh. hahanap lang ako ng mga mahahatak




The theory is that, the city's slums are believed to be the modern evolution of bahay kubo in which materials creating such homes is available in the environment and put it together.
more like pseudo-deconstruction - the modern marvels of the "third world"

this calls for intensive depopulation...a one-child policy for those living below the poverty-line perhaps? (or strip them off of the right to breed and spawn...temporarily, that is, until they can prove to the government that they can fend for their children...then they'd have to apply for a 'pregnancy permit')

It could be. But it is also the hotbed of crimes and other social problems: the notorious Tondo of Manila, Pasil of Cebu and Agdao of Davao are some of the notorious neighborhood of gangsters, drugs and insurgents.

Well, you get a lot of good things from these neighborhoods, but what is the net effect?

Agdao, by the way, is my place... I think Agdao is semi-slum... I do not see it as a slum area though. But then, I just live in the main road.

this calls for intensive depopulation...a one-child policy for those living below the poverty-line perhaps? (or strip them off of the right to breed and spawn...temporarily, that is, until they can prove to the government that they can fend for their children...then they'd have to apply for a 'pregnancy permit')

One thing is very much encouraged...

Please see this link...

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=654173

^^reminds me of the urban legend associated with Imelda and Nutri-bun...

the legend goes that the Nutri-buns were infused with a secret formula that turned males into gays, and caused the females who ate them to give birth to homosexual children...it was said to be a population control program of the Marcos regime under the guise of a nutrition program

^^ wow.. funny story...

if that picture of san nicolas shows informal settlers colonies, then the thing is if we promote some type of oplan: tibay bahay of soem sort, thwn we acknowledge the illegality of their tenure there...

in a more jaded point of view, in this life people win or loose, survival of the fittest.. if they die in an earthquake due to their collapsed housing, then we can say that it's their undoing.. we should not blame our poverty to any third party whatsoever..

people care about these areas though, thus we must support bahay-kalinga..

@fleshisweak - i may not agree with the intensive depopulation move.. we should not be like china.. we must have these people do something, so their proclivity will stray from fornicating due to idle time.. we must make them pre-occupied, have the tesda people or some organization monitor their progress.. deploy them to farms in laguna or bulacan, provide them shuttle for transpo.. what have you..

^^yeah, if only those human rights whatever didnt exist, i'd call for forced labor...

i cant stand the sight of hundreds of pinoys staying idle all day, drinking, gambling, and gossiping, while complaining of the state of things...

they rally and riot in the streets, blaming the government for their condition, without pausing to ask themselves what they have done to help bake the pie and what makes them deserve to get to have a piece of it

^^ I'd agree with you on most parts, except of course for the human rights thing. :)

it's not really about blaming anyone, but more on the urgent and serious need to re-evaluate and further develop and implement government policies towards informal settlers. of course pampering squatters and encouraging squatting is the last thing anyone would want to do, conversely, upgrading living standards should be a priority. especially the ones in government-designated slum areas. gawad kalinga is doin great with building new settlements and revitalizing old ones, but why was it formed in the first place? we can't just rely on them alone to do all the serious work. it's a national ordeal that requires stronger policies and more participation in our part.

^^reminds me of the urban legend associated with Imelda and Nutri-bun...

the legend goes that the Nutri-buns were infused with a secret formula that turned males into gays, and caused the females who ate them to give birth to homosexual children...it was said to be a population control program of the Marcos regime under the guise of a nutrition program

Didn't really work .

...maramin kami neto sa Cebu! hehehe!

Guys, let's not just post photos or mention the negative stuff about slums. It's ok to blame to government, etc but please tell if you know the story behind these (like how it started or was it established by a known politician,etc.). With this, we can trace for the roots of the problem. Also, please tell us if there are improvements like they're being demolished, relocated, their house are improving or are there any livelihood projects for them. Thanks! :)

^^ Housing is just one of the things that we lack. But what is housing without proper jobs or proper education to the people? How can the people of the slums uplift themselves if some politicians (and some national figures too) would create a "culture of beggars" in the country.

As the Bible said before, "Don't give them fish, Teach them How to Fish instead."

But of course we couldn't avoid posting pictures and negative statement about the slums as itself has an established negativity on it. More that we here in SSC tend to deny or mask the realities that slums do exist in our neighborhood. But instead of pessimism that prevails on the context of "iskwater-mentality," what about optimism?

Didn't know that Confucius was one of the apostles . Anyway I totally agree with you the government should not spend public money on relocations . 1) because most of the time the houses given are very ugly . 2) Its unfair , they are law breakers they build in a government property without any permit and now we give them an award ? What next free food and beer ?

I prefer give them free education for their children atleast till they are 16 .

Didn't know that Confucius was one of the apostles.

:lol:

^^ :rofl:

^^ Housing is just one of the things that we lack. But what is housing without proper jobs or proper education to the people? How can the people of the slums uplift themselves if some politicians (and some national figures too) would create a "culture of beggars" in the country.

As the Bible said before, "Don't give them fish, Teach them How to Fish instead."

But of course we couldn't avoid posting pictures and negative statement about the slums as itself has an established negativity on it. More that we here in SSC tend to deny or mask the realities that slums do exist in our neighborhood. But instead of pessimism that prevails on the context of "iskwater-mentality," what about optimism?my thoughts exactly. and its about time we seriously think about reality and upgrading living standards. ika nga, "if not now, then when?".

How much of Manila lives in the slums or shanties

I already mentioned before that the government can give them jobs by letting them build houses, buildings, roads, highways, bridges, churches..

And for every 100 house they build, they will get one for their family.



..

How much of Manila lives in the slums or shanties

surprisingly, it's not much ;) but...many "non-slum" areas of manila are neglected, they look ugly and a bit slum-ish.

we used to have threads like this, we called it CvC back then, and it was mostly foreigners who posted the slum areas...

surprisingly, it's not much ;) but...many "non-slum" areas of manila are neglected, they look ugly and a bit slum-ish.

More like those of San Nicolas. At first glance, it looks like its a big slum, but take a closer look, these are all old houses in neglect. Spanish-colonial houses which is endangered of being wiped-out.

yung banda sa quiapo at divisoria
di kaaya-ayang tignan lalo na yung mga katabi ng estero
parang ang saklap talga ng buhay nila or pinagsukuban sila ng langit at lupa
naks, hehe, balagtasin pala ko ngaun, weeh

I already mentioned before that the government can give them jobs by letting them build houses, buildings, roads, highways, bridges, churches..And for every 100 house they build, they will get one for their family...For more than 40 years I've seen public housing all over the country and for all it's worth, it's as good only when it's new. After a few years, slum na rin ito. Recipients don't have a steady means of support to maintain their abode because they lack the required skills to compete in the job market. This is not unique to Pinoys but all over the world, from NY ghettos to LA projects. (sa Tundo, Sapang Palay, dagat-dagatan, they look good only when new.)Understandably, it takes moolah to maintain a house to a decent standard.Even our schools and public buildings are dilapidated na dahil walang funds for upkeep.* Also very weak or non-existent ang zoning laws sa atin. Siguro hindi alamg local governments ang mag gawa nito. Iyong lapad ng sidewalk, cleanliness and spacing between houses, setbacks, height, color, and hundreds more should be enacted and enforced para maayos at maganda. Dito, if you dont fix your cracked sidewalk, the local governmentcontractor will fix it and bill the homeowner. If they don't pay, they'll put a lien on the property and may end up being seized. There is a short but reasonable timeframe for all this proceedings. Usually, between 6-18 months.Just look at Singapore, (very little natural resources) pero strict ang zoning laws. The difference is very obvious. These no crime in being poor ( I was born in Tondo) but sabi nga noong panahon ng Martial Law, disiplina ang kailangan para umasenso.

give us commie blocks! we demand it! or else there would be a full-scale revolt :lol:

Celebrating the spirit of children despite the adversity of their lives.

ZXM5skOqsn4
LINK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXM5skOqsn4)

ZGpuiyPq8FY
Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGpuiyPq8FY)

xCC2GNtBwzE
Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCC2GNtBwzE)

http://www.theplaceswelive.com/

It's a website with some captivating photos of slums in different places in the world. You can explore their houses and listen to their stories.

If we think slums in Manila are bad, well they are bad, but we are not alone. It's a global phenomenon.

Really interesting pictures.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/1.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/2.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/4.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/6.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/7.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/8.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/10.jpg

^^ The last photo seems to dispel the notion that the slum-dwellers have wretched lives. I had to smile despite the gloomy picture they paint.

The problem of urbanity is the slum areas. it's a phenomenon that continues to grow and continues to be unresolved by the government. The dwellers too have also failed to think that they are not helping themselves, their family and the government. It should be done with all sectors helping one another.

One single cause of this is MONEY because most of these slum dwellers thought that money can be quickly fetched out on large cities. Most of these dwellers live in the provinces who have something to eat but wanted more than just eating. Now, that they are in large urban centers, the problem is even more than they could imagine. If they could eat 3 times a day from what they used to have in the provinces, now they could eat less than 2. tsk! tsk! tsk!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/7.jpg


rugby ba yang hinawakan ng mama at tsaka ng bata?

Gawad Kalinga, you are needed here...

rugby ba yang hinawakan ng mama at tsaka ng bata?

As I see it, cellophanes with solvents nga yan! Just look at it closely by pressing (keyboard) CTRL + scroll (mouse) simultaneously. :ohno:

^^ yan daw ginagawa pampatawid-gutom kasi parang busog daw pakiramdam nila

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/1.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/2.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/4.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/6.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/7.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/8.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/06/world_manila_slum_life/img/10.jpg

Have you seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire? Manila's slums a dwarf compared to Mumbai's slums ^^:nuts:

Have you seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire? Manila's slums a dwarf compared to Mumbai's slums ^^:nuts:

It will be shown in movie theaters on April 11...may pirated copies na sa DVD. :)

this is depressing :(

ZGpuiyPq8FY
Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGpuiyPq8FY)

xCC2GNtBwzE
Link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCC2GNtBwzE)

Have you seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire? Manila's slums a dwarf compared to Mumbai's slums ^^:nuts:

I haven't seen the extent
of the slums in Tondo but
the biggest slum i've been
to in Manila indeed pales
in comparison to Dharavi.
and slums in Manila are
only pockets.

Dharavi alone has more
than 1 million residents -
world's biggest. I've read in
Time Magazine that 10 million
residents in Mumbai are
slum-dwellers :eek: yes folks,
that's TEN.

hc1tUs1A1HA
LINK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc1tUs1A1HA)

^^ Smokey Mountain's video backdrop was in 1990s.

Today, the houses in Smokey Mountain. The transformation was featured in ABC Australia news.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/features/worldwaste/images/philippines/20.jpg

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/features/worldwaste/images/philippines/19.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2137/2315551765_30f27774c7.jpg

Pres. Ramos was credited for the transformation....I think Erap also helped or extended the housing project.

more current pictures:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/3223874597_1dd8bdebb1_b.jpg
flickr Aaron Kyle

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3081/3125193560_8bfc823c78.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/3124366355_f7e1915fa2.jpg
flickr LL's

Just imagine, before you would see endless sight of garbage and now, these low cost housing for the former informal settlers :)

more on Smokey MOuntain, the transformation from sea of garbage to like these:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3194/2890756440_74fa68f5cd_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3276/2889922803_d7c20d136c_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/2889924129_78fc88e570_b.jpg
flickr asianjournalusa

New thread! (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=847466) :colgate:



:lock: