Informal settlers refuse to leave homes
UNCERTAINTY IN RELOCATION SITES
SAN FABIAN– The beach shoreline along Barangay Nibaliw Narvarte here has been declared by the Provincial Urban Housing and Development Council (PUHDC) as one of the danger zones in the province but the 600 informal settlers in the area have refused to leave and vacate their homes.
Engr. Alvin Bigay, PUHDC chief said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) had ruled that in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda that killed thousands of lives and destroyed properties, that informal settlers should not be allowed to live within 40 meters of a coastline.
Bigay added that even before NDRRMC issued that policy, Governor Amado Espino Jr. had already directed barangay and local government officials to prevent and remove informal settlers along shorelines and riverbanks.
The adamant refusal of the fisher folks in Nibaliw Narvarte to vacate their homes was made known during a consultative dialogue last October 15 by Recto Orjeda, barangay captain of Nibaliw Narvarte.
He said the fisher folks are invoking their rights as provided in R.A 8550 otherwise known as the Fisheries Code of the Philippines that states about ownership of land in coastal areas.
“They (informal settlers) say the area belongs to them as stipulated in the law and those who are trying to make them leave the place are not abiding in the law”, said Orjeda.
While, fisher folks are also considering moving to a resettlement area, they insist that the area should be livable and will not compromise their livelihood.
“Palilipatin nga kami dun naman sa hindi kami makakapagtrabaho at yong kunting kalamidad lang sira na, baka matuto pa ang iba sa amin na gumawa ng maling mga trabaho kung hindi kami kikita para sa kabuhayan ng pamilya, eh pangingisda lang alam namin,” said one of the fisher folks.
“We are also considering the plight of the fisher folks in this issue as we are for minimum dislocation and maximum retention so that the studies of the children will not be affected and the livelihood of the family,” Bigay clarified.
The residents in Nibaliw Narvarte are among the 31, 000 informal settlers in the province whose plight are being addressed by nine-year plan of the provincial shelter program (PSP).
Bigay said the PUHDC has encouraged local government units (LGUs) to develop their own local shelter program (LSP) and establish a local housing board that will be responsible for the housing and urban development in their localities.
LSP should identify the number of informal settlers living in in danger zones such as shorelines and riverbanks and identify a resettlement area for them as well.
LSP data reveals that the number of informal settlers has risen from 19, 000 in 2009 to 31, 000 last year and PUHDC attributes the increase to poverty which eventually results in urban migration.
Bigay admitted that out of the 44 towns and 4 cities, only nine have not formulated a LSP. He, however, said the rate of compliance achieved is substantial enough for the provincial program to formulate plans and resettlement areas for the period of 2013 to 2021.
He clarified, too, that only the lowest 30% of the total number of informal settlers will be given resettlement or at least 9, 000 to 10, 000 families out of the 31, 000. (Hilda M. Austria)
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