President’s Executive Order to relocate squatters in rivers

GMA orders relocation of waterway settlers
By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) Updated October 16, 2009 12:00 AM

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Residents of Lupang Arenda are back in their shanties along the shoreline of Laguna de Bay. Authorities blame informal settlers who reclaimed a large part of the lake for the severe flooding in Metro Manila and other communities around the lake. Photo by Rene Dilan

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo will implement the forced relocation of thousands of families living on riverbanks and other high-risk areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces even if it would mean losing the political support of local government officials, presidential spokesman Cerge Remonde said yesterday.

Remonde said the President reiterated her resolve to implement a long-term plan to make the nation’s capital safer from natural calamities during the special meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) at Malacañang yesterday.

Remonde said Mrs. Arroyo was open to the idea of radically rearranging the layout of Metro Manila to make it safer from severe flooding and other natural disasters.

Remonde said the President noted some local officials were opposing the idea of relocating squatters and residents out of harm’s way.

He said Mrs. Arroyo would nevertheless implement the forced relocation of residents even if it would mean losing a substantial constituency and votes of local officials concerned with the onset of elections in 2010.

“Being a politician, she understands these (opposition to relocation) but she is determined to enforce her orders for the long-term good,” Remonde told a news briefing.

With only seven months left in office, Remonde said, “The President will have the political will to achieve her objectives to save lives and property until the end of her term.”

“The President recognizes that the topography and geography of Metro Manila will have to change because of this (flooding),” he said.

The proposal to permanently relocate residents out of harm’s way was brought up during a meeting with disaster officials earlier this month.

Mrs. Arroyo noted that thousands of families have been forced out of their homes because of the flooding brought by tropical storm “Ondoy.”

Disaster officials stressed the need for a plan to move out the families living near riverbanks and waterways to prevent another disaster from occurring when a storm like Ondoy would strike the metropolis.

Ondoy left a trail of destruction, killing almost 300 people, and affected some three million residents in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Among the hardest hit by the flooding are the cities of Marikina and Pasig, as well as the nearby province of Rizal.

Remonde said the President is studying two proposed executive orders, among them the permanent relocation of squatters along the Pasig and Marikina Rivers and other main waterways in Metro Manila.

He said the proposed executive order would include punitive actions against local officials opposing the permanent relocation of their residents who are at risk.

“When you take your oath (of office) you swear to enforce the law, so putting up those structures in riverbanks and other danger-prone areas is a violation of the law. If these (laws) are not enforced by local government officials, they themselves are violating the law,” Remonde said.

He added the President is also studying the proposal to create a council that would supervise river basin and dam operations.

Remonde said Vice President Noli de Castro, the country’s housing czar, was tasked to hammer out the final order on the permanent relocation.

Mrs. Arroyo earlier said the plan to permanently relocate affected families would be sustained by De Castro who will identify available lands and relocation sites in different stages of development in provinces near Metro Manila.

The President said among the relocation sites available are San Mateo and Rodriguez towns in Rizal, Calauan in Laguna, and San Miguel in Bulacan.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, for his part, called on local chief executives to allocate and identify the lands in their cities and towns that are ideal for relocation of their constituents.

Puno reminded local officials to comply with the provisions of Republic Act 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.

“I urge our mayors to act with urgency and fast-track the submission of this inventory so that we may be able to assist the many families rendered homeless by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng,” Puno said.

He said many local officials have failed to comply with the requirement of RA 7279 to conduct an inventory of their lands.