JLAGMAN17 NEWS DIGEST

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Hard quest for a living space

Urban Poor Associates
25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, Q.C.
Telefax: 4264118 Tel.: 4264119 / 4267615

Ref: John Francis M. Lagman
http://flickr.com/photos/jlagman17
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** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE ***
October 14, 2006

Hard quest for a living space

It is not the house that counts, nor the comfort of it that is more important but survival.

Alberta Abenaza, now a widow and mother of 7, had been living for 26 years under the San Andres Bridge 1, along Estero Tripa de Gallina, a jurisdiction of Brgy. 734 and 735 in Manila.

“Kaya tumagal dito, ang hanapbuhay nasa bubong lang,” said Abenaza who is now 46 and supports her family through rug making.

Abenaza left her distant village in Leyte at the age of 11 to find a better life in Manila. Soon after graduating in High School, she was married to Everjisto, a jeepney driver. With meager income, her growing family found it hard to rent a place so they decided to build a shanty under the bridge.

“Nung una ayaw ko kasi madilim, mabaho, maingay, malalim ang ilog at walang maapakang lupa. Humanap kami ng mauupahan pero isang taon lang nasunugan kami kaya ito na ang naging bahay namin,” Abenaza said.

Some 54 families are now living under the bridge. Most of the residents are vendors along Osmeña Highway. Being in constant threat of demolitions, the community organized the Samahan ng mga Taga Ilalim ng Tulay Neighborhood Association (SAINT).

“Karamihan dito katulad din ng kwento ng buhay ko. Nangangarap din kaming mabigyan ng pabahay. Maiahon sa ilalim ng tulay, subukan ang buhay sa taas. Dito para kaming dagang nagtatago sa lungga,” said Abenaza, president of SAINT.

Since 2001, Abenaza have written various letters asking for relocation assistance from the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), Presidential Action Center, National Housing Authority, Department of Social Welfare, Department of Public Works and Highway, Urban Settlement Office, and Manila City officials.

“Kung meron pa silang konting awa, umaasa pa rin kami hanggang ngayon na mabigyan ng pag-asa upang mabago at maitaguyod ang aming pamilya sa maayos na pamumuhay,” said Abenaza.

The residents along Estero Tripa de Gallina have been given until October 20, 2006 to evict their shanties, according to a Notice of Eviction issued by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) September 19.

SAINT sought the help of Urban Poor Associates (UPA) to save their dwellings from demolition in the absence of relocation program as stipulated in the Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA).

“Cities do not comply fully with the content of section 28 of the law that says there should be no demolition without adequate relocation,” according to a research conducted by the UPA, a non-government organization working with urban poor issues. “Hence, the endless cycle of homelessness.”

In the aftermath of typhoon Milenyo, after dismantling the “killer” billboards, the government wants to immediately remove informal settlers near esteros, creeks and rivers to prevent flooding during the rainy season.

The Esteros Program of the HUDCC shows that 21,047 families will have to be relocated but it has a funding requirement of 2,253 Million Pesos. -30-

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Group comes to the aid of families in toxic relocation site

Thursday, October 05, 2006

A mother’s tale of love, sacrifice and survival

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Global Coalition Announces Campaign to Stop Forced Evictions and Privatization of Housing and Land.

News Advisory
Mon, October 2 2006

Global Coalition Announces Campaign to Stop Forced Evictions and Privatization of Housing and Land.

Decrying a sharp increase in massive forced evictions caused by mega-development schemes and property speculation across the planet, the Habitat International Coalition (HIC) will announce a global campaign to "Stop Forced Evictions and Privatization of Housing and Land” in Montevideo and in London on October 2, with worldwide actions scheduled throughout October.
"Despite global standards affirming a Right to Housing, governments, multinational corporations and investors have too often ignored them,” stated Enrique Ortiz, HIC President. “Homelessness, speculation and massive forced evictions for 'slum clearance' are on the rise, from Harare (Zimbabwe) to New Orleans, from Mombai and Manila to Lima and Vancouver"s Downtown Eastside. Massive dam projects are displacing hundred of thousand in rural areas of Turkey, China, India and Mexico. As a result, far from meeting the UN's Millenium Development Goal of reducing slum dwellings by 100 million by 2020, the number of slum dwellers is expected to double to more than two billion families by 2030. We call on government and UN bodies to implement a rights-based, people-centered housing agenda as an alternative to the market-driven models promoted by the US government, global business interests and financial institutions.”

The London press conference will focus attention on the privatization of social housing and utilities, highlighting efforts by tenant organizations to halt the introduction of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS) in Germany and the United Kingdom. “In Europe, America, and Asia, private equity funds and investment trusts are accelerating the massive conversion of rental housing to speculative ownership beyond the reach of poor and working people, contributing to displacement, rent increases and the destruction of social investment in habitat,” stated Ana Sugranyes, HIC General Secretary, who will participate in the London event. “Unregulated market-oriented policies are the principal cause, not the solution, of global poverty and the destruction of habitat.”

In Montevideo HIC will focus on people centered alternatives to be discussed with the Latin American housing and urban development national authorities, looking for increasing public funds, reviewing mortgage conditions and defending collective land ownership.

Throughout October, numerous local, national and regional organizations, social movements, NGO"s and academic groups in more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America will carry out public actions and events within the framework of the HIC campaign. Highlights will be posted later in this week at www.hic-net.org/ . The Coalition will also release a Global Eviction Watch Map to visually document the forced eviction crisis. HIC will release the list and Map to coincide with World Habitat Day on October 2, designated by the United Nations General Assembly for the first Monday of October each year.

Ortiz also released a statement in commenting on the official UN Habitat Day theme of “Cities, Magnets of Hope.” Ortiz notes that the displacement of the rural poor to urban areas forced by market forces and institutions is not a “massive flow moved by hope, but rather a desperate struggle to stay alive.”

HIC is the principal worldwide network of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) engaged with the United Nations’ Conference on Human Settlements, known as Habitat I and II. Founded by housing rights activists in 1976, HIC coordinated NGO participation in the Habitat II Conference in Istanbul in 1996, and organized fora and a rally at the World Urban Forum in Vancouver in June 2006. The Coalition today comprises more than 300 national, local and regional housing and land rights organizations in most of the countries of the globe.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

COHRE REPORT ON THE NORTH SOUTH RAIL LINKAGE PROJECT, THE PHILIPPINES

CENTRE ON HOUSING RIGHTS AND EVICTIONS (COHRE)

REPORT ON THE NORTH SOUTH RAIL
LINKAGE PROJECT, THE PHILIPPINES

1. Introduction

The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) is an independent, international human rights organisation seeking to create conditions in which people of all nations can enjoy access to safe, affordable and secure housing. Together with local partners COHRE works closely with the United Nations (UN) and other international and regional bodies, advocating that governments fulfil their international and national legal obligations to ensure adequate and secure housing for all.

COHRE conducted a fact-finding mission to the Philippines in July 2006, focusing on the evictions and threatened evictions associated with rehabilitation of the Philippines National Railway system. COHRE met with communities affected by relocation as a result of the North South Rail Linkage Project and with local agencies advocating for the rights of those affected. COHRE held discussions with numerous non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government officials and media representatives, to strategise on possible solutions and determine further collaborative actions.

2. COHRE’s involvement in advocacy on the Project

In March 2005 COHRE held a housing rights workshop in Manila with partners from the NGO sector. This led to the formation of the Housing Rights Along the Railway Taskforce. In May 2006 COHRE facilitated an advocacy visit to Geneva by a leading housing rights attorney from Urban Poor Associates (UPA) and the Taskforce. The attorney met with various UN human rights bodies and representatives including the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the assistants to the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health.

COHRE’s recent visit to the Philippines was hosted by the Grassroots Women’s Empowerment Center (GWEC). COHRE worked closely with GWEC and UPA and also met with other members of the taskforce, including the Homeless Peoples Federation of the Philippines (HPFP), Damayan ng Maralitang Pilipinong Api (DAMPA), Institute on Church and Social Issues (ICSI) and Alternative Legal Assistance Center (SALIGAN).

3. Background: rehabilitation of the Philippines National Railway (PNR)

Over the last few decades the Philippines’ national rail system has fallen into a state of disrepair. Today there are only limited operations south of Manila, and operations have completely ceased in provinces north of Manila. The modernisation plan now in place will involve new diesel-fueled trains, the rehabilitation of stations, and the strengthening of tracks and bridges. The aim is to alleviate existing traffic congestion in Metro Manila, to improve transport between the airports and seaports of the Manila-Clark-Subic economic triangle, and to provide easy access to Central and Northern Luzon’s new economic growth areas.

The section of the railway from Bicol to Caloocan is known as the South Manila Commuter Rail (or Southrail) Project. This stretch is funded by a US$50 million loan from the Korean Export and Import Bank. The Caloocan to La Union section is known as the Northrail Project, and is financed by a USD$421 million loan from the Export and Import Bank of China. The Government of the Philippines has pledged USD$82 million to cover the relocation costs of settlers living along the railway.[1]

Large numbers of informal settlers have been living along the railways, some for decades. It is difficult to obtain an exact figure for the total number of families living along the railways who face eviction. According to the UPA, approximately 70,000 families will be affected, of which 27,000 have already been relocated, 20,000 from the Northrail Project and 7,000 from the Southrail Project.

Research has shown that up to 30% of affected families were not present during a recent Government census and therefore have not been included in the relocation programme.[2] The Taskforce together with Church leaders are currently calling for the census to be redone.

There are many problems associated with the relocation process, which NGOs and people’s organisations (POs) are attempting to address. These include lack of information and consultation with affected families, eviction and relocation before the sites are habitable, Government loans that are insufficient for the construction of houses, lack of livelihood opportunities in distant sites, and situating a relocation site adjacent to a garbage site.

Government agencies and NGOs are working together at the municipal level through a coordinating structure called Local Inter Agency Committees (LIAC), chaired by the Mayor of each municipality. The LIAC model is new to this project and still under development. During some discussions, concerns were expressed over a lack of transparency in LIAC formation, representation, and decision-making processes.

4. COHRE’s observations of the relocation process to date

According to the National Housing Authority (NHA), 90% of the 27,000 relocated families moved voluntarily. However, as noted by the Archbishop of Manila in a letter to the Vice President, many evictees claim to have been told by government officials that they would not be allocated a plot at the designated relocation site if they did not volunteer to demolish their house and move immediately.[3] Furthermore, some evictees were asked to sign waivers that relinquish their legal right to a 30 day eviction notice period, and override a court order against demolition. COHRE was provided with a copy of the waiver by both Government officials and NGO staff.

The waiver sets out in point form the legal protections that a person agrees to relinquish upon signing. Having signed the waiver, a resident can be relocated even if:

relocation occurs within the 30-day notice period;
there is bad weather at the time of relocation;
relocation occurs outside permitted hours (8:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m during weekdays);
there is a restraining order from the court against demolition.

These protections are detailed in General Comment No 7 of the UN Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, on what defines a forced eviction. The waiver therefore is in clear violation of international law, as the protections of international law cannot be signed away.

The proposed Relocation Scheme is fraught with inconsistencies. The Government provides each family with a loan (payable in 25-30 years with interest between 6-9% per annum) with varying repayment schemes. It has been documented that loan amounts range from between P25,000 – P200,000 per family.[4] In many cases the loan is not sufficient to construct a house. Large numbers of houses visited by COHRE in Southville, Cabuyao are incomplete with no roofs and dirt floors. UPA research shows that of the approximately 20,000 families already relocated for the Northrail, 70% have finished building their houses and only 50% of these families are actually living in them.[5]

John is a young father who has a half-built house in Southville Cabuyao relocation site. He is in the process of raising the earthen floor, because when it rains, due to poor drainage and the close proximity of the dumpsite, contaminated water enters the floor of his house where his children sleep.

The relocation sites visited by COHRE, Towerville and Northville 4 for the Northrail Project, and Southville for the Southrail Project are all situated approximately 40km from Metro Manila, far from residents’ sources of livelihood. This causes food shortages and hunger, and creates the necessity for many family members to return to the city during the week to earn an income.[6] UPA research found that more than 70% of families in Southville Cabuyao have a family member who works in Metro Manila. It also found that the incidence of hunger in the relocation sites was double that experienced in communities living adjacent to the railway.[7]

Rosa is a women’s leader and a widow who faces eviction from the railway and relocation in the near future. She views the forced move to the distant relocation site as a ‘slow death’ and would not contemplate doing this, as her work and friends are in Manila.

Transportation costs are high in such sites and consume a high proportion of family income. Part of the original relocation package offered by the Government included a three year free travel pass for one family member. However, community members informed COHRE that this system was not functioning, passes had been confiscated, and families are still bearing the cost of commuting between Manila and the relocation sites. An official from the PNR confirmed confiscation of some passes, but stated that those who had violated the conditions (for example given the pass to another family member) would be reissued with another pass.[8]

A lack of basic services such as potable water, electricity, adequate drainage, and health and school facilities is starkly evident at the relocation sites visited. The relocation site at Southville, Cabuyao is adjacent to a garbage site that at the time of COHRE’s visit was still in operation, despite a government order to close it by February 2006.[9] Situating a relocation settlement adjacent to a dumpsite in fact contravenes Republic Act 9003 that prohibits the construction of any establishment within 200 metres of open dumps, controlled dumps or sanitary landfills. The penalty stipulated for contravening this law includes a substantial fine and a possible jail sentence of up to six years.[10]

During heavy rains, flood waters are contaminated by run off from the dumpsite and flood houses in the relocation site for hours on end. According to Manny Calonzo of the EcoWaste Coalition who visited Southville in August 2006, residents are exposed to ‘high levels of contaminants that are released through dump fires, landfill gas migration, surface and underground leachate migration’.[11] Clearly, the dumpsite poses serious health hazards and six infants have died this year of pneumonia, sepsis and diarrhoea.[12]

The health issues posed by lack of safe drinking water and poor drainage and sanitation remain dire. There is no functioning medical clinic at the site, and the nearest hospital is not obliged to accept people from the relocation site. This problem epitomises the difficult issue of municipalities refusing to provide services to newly relocated residents.

There is a small dispensary at the site, run by an NGO, providing basic medicines such as inhalers, antibiotics and vitamins. Several organisations including Justice and Peace of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines have called on the Department of Health to send medical and environmental sanitation teams to Southville.[13] The Archbishop of Manila raised grave concern over these matters in a letter to the Vice President on August 21. COHRE was assured in July by the NHA that the dumpsite would be closed.[14] On September 7, Vice President de Castro personally ordered the closure of the dumpsite. COHRE has yet to confirm that the closure has occurred.

Severe flooding in August 2006 prompted affected families to propose to the NHA that immediate measures be taken to alleviate the deplorable conditions.

Dumpsite behind houses. Inadequate drainage results in severe flooding that lasts up to 6 hours.

COHRE supports this urgent request and urges the NHA to promptly initiate the following measures proposed by the affected families:

Replacement of the existing small drainage pipes with larger ones capable of channelling the flood waters;
Construction of a concrete wall between the dumpsite and the adjacent houses;
Construction of a canal to redirect the water away from houses to a nearby creek;
Deepening the drain canals;
Covering the drain canals with concrete to prevent accidents occurring.

5. The way forward: recommendations

The recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has potentially serious implications for housing rights on a national scale. With a proposed increase in infrastructure developments such as ports and airports, it is imperative that the Philippines Government include the potential impact on the urban poor, in particular informal settlers, in its planning. Loans for the North South Rail Linkage Project did not include the cost of relocation, meaning that until now the urban poor have borne the brunt of this project. COHRE urges the Philippines Government to consider the impact of large infrastructure projects upon the most marginalised in society, and to respect their rights under both national and international law. Housing Rights Along the Railway Task Force members, together with parish priests in the affected areas, have recently agreed upon a common set of recommendations. COHRE supports the following recommendations:

· That all further relocations are suspended until sites meet international and national housing rights standards.

· That the Government give priority to the provision of basic services including potable water, electricity, and adequate drainage in all relocation sites.

That the Government commits itself to finding suitable alternatives, such as in-city relocation.

COHRE welcomes the constructive and consultative approach taken by the Mayor of Taguig, who has agreed, in cooperation with the NHA, to develop in-city relocation sites.

COHRE calls upon the Government to continue its dialogue with civil society groups, to ensure that all affected people’s aspirations are met and their human rights upheld in the eviction and relocation process.

COHRE calls upon the Government to invite the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing to visit the Philippines to assess the situation and provide appropriate advice.

[1] Quijano, S., Lorenzana, A., 2006, Railway Rehabilitation Project in the Eyes of Different Stakeholders, Urban Poor Associates, Task Force Housing Rights Along the Railways, Cordaid, p.2.
[2] UPA Summary of Quijano, S., Lorenzana, A., 2006, Railway Rehabilitation Project in the Eyes of Different Stakeholders, Urban Poor Associates, Task Force Housing Rights Along the Railways, Cordaid, p.2.
[3] Letter to Vice-President Noli de Castro from Cardinal Rosales, May 12, 2006
[4] Quijano, S., Lorenzana, A., 2006, Railway Rehabilitation Project in the Eyes of Different Stakeholders, Urban Poor Associates, Task Force Housing Rights Along the Railways, Cordaid, p.13.
[5] UPA, Evaluating Resettlement Work on the North and Southrail Projects, May 2006
[6] Ibid
[7] UPA, North and South Rail Research Preliminary Findings June 2006
[8] Meeting with PNR official , July 25 2006
[9] ‘Authority to Close’ issued by Department of Environment and Natural Resources, March 9, 2006.
[10] Pabico, A. ‘Not just placing a roof over people’s heads’, September 8, http://www.pcij.org/blog/?p=1171
[11] Ibid
[12] Ibid
[13] Ibid
[14] Meeting with NHA Assistant General Manager, July 27, 2006.

Friday, September 08, 2006

URGENT REQUEST TO DISPATCH MEDICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION TEAMS TO THE SOUTHVILLE HOUSING PROJECT IN CABUYAO, LAGUNA

8 September 2006

Hon. Francisco T. Duque, MD
Secretary
Department of Health
San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue
Sta. Cruz, Manila
Fax: 743-1829

Dear Sec. Duque,

URGENT REQUEST TO DISPATCH MEDICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION TEAMS TO THE SOUTHVILLE HOUSING PROJECT IN CABUYAO, LAGUNA

We are writing with urgency to appeal to the Department of Health (DOH) to immediately deploy medical and environmental sanitation teams to the Southville Housing Project in Cabuyao, Laguna in light of the reported occurrence of skin diseases, diarrhea and other ailments among some of the relocated railway dwellers purportedly due to the poor environmental health conditions in the area.

We make this appeal on behalf of Luisa Yabut, whose photo is attached, and the other afflicted children that we have met during our visits to the relocation site on 9 and 28 August 2006. The heartrending documentaries shown on GMA7’s “Imbestigador ng Bayan” on “24 Oras” (30 August and 1 September 2006) and “Emergency” (1 September 2006) only corroborated what we thought was an emerging health crisis.

Consistent with the Department’s mandate of ensuring accessible and quality health care services to all Filipinos, especially the poor, we urge the DOH, in coordination with the Municipal Government of Cabuyao and other concerned agencies, to speedily and effectively respond to the health needs of the relocatees. Specifically, we ask the DOH to send medical and environmental sanitation teams to the Southville Housing Project on a regular basis or until the local authorities have fully taken on this responsibility.

As a member agency of the National Solid Waste Management Commission, we urge the DOH to take the lead in ensuring the safety of the relocatees from chemical pollution, and implore you to work for the following requirements of R.A. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000:

1) The introduction and implementation of an ecological system for managing household discards within the entire relocation site.

2) The closure, cleanup and rehabilitation of the private dumpsite situated next to several residential blocs.

3) The provision of safer housing units for relocated families, especially those whose houses are located within the 200-meter radius of the dumpsite, which should be a no-construction zone under the law.

We further request you, Mr. Secretary, to seriously look into the water, drainage, electricity and indoor pollution issues, which, if adequately resolved, would tremendously improve the environmental health conditions in the relocation site.

We thank you and look forward to your decisive action to ensure “health for all.”

Sincerely yours,

Elsie Brandes De Veyra, Concerned Citizens Against Pollution
Joey Papa, Bangon Kalikasan Movement
Noli Abinales, Buklod Tao Foundation
Ochie Tolentino, Cavite Green Coalition
Manny C. Calonzo, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
Von Hernandez, Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Merci Ferrer, Health Care Without Harm
Yolly Esguerra, Kaalagad Katipunang Kristiyano
Dr. Angelina Galang, Miriam PEACE
Dr. Pastor Cruz, Montalban Environmental Protection and Development Council
Sonia Mendoza, Mother Earth Foundation
Joyce Palacol, National Secretariat on Social Action/CBCP
Romy Hidalgo, November 17 Movement
Marie Marciano, Sanib Lakas ng Inang Kalikasan
Bang Palacio, Sining Yapak
John Francis M. Lagman, Urban Poor Associates
Ofelia Panganiban, Zero Waste Philippines

DOH Asked to Dispatch Medical Teams to Relocation Site

Urban Poor Associates
25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, Q.C.
Telefax: 4264118 Tel.: 4264119 / 4267615

Ref: John Francis M. Lagman
http://flickr.com/photos/jlagman17
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DOH Asked to Dispatch Medical Teams to Relocation Site

8 September 2006, Quezon City. Church, environmental and social justice groups asked Health Secretary Francisco Duque to immediately deploy medical and environmental sanitation teams to the Southville Housing Project in Cabuyao, Laguna to prevent an emerging health crisis.

Led by the Ecowaste Coalition, National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (NASSA) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), and the Urban Poor Associates (UPA), the 17 groups sought Sec. Duque’s intervention in view of the reported occurrence of skin diseases, diarrhea and other ailments among relocated railway dwellers purportedly due to the poor environmental health conditions in the area.

In a letter delivered today at the DOH headquarters in Sta. Cruz, Manila, the groups asked the Health Department to attend to the health needs of Maria Luisa Yabut and other children in the relocation site who are afflicted with serious skin diseases. Yabut, a three-month infant, has been diagnosed by Dr. Lilia Acebron, pediatrician at St. James Hospital in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, as suffering from scabies and multiple infection.

“The heartrending documentaries shown on GMA7’s “24 Oras” (30 August and 1 September 2006) and “Emergency” (1 September 2006) only corroborated what we thought was an emerging health crisis in the relocation site,” the groups said.

“Even teachers are falling ill due to the unbearable heat, particularly at the provisional classrooms in a huge tent,” observed the Ecowaste Coalition, citing a report obtained from Ms. Elvira Catangay, principal of the Southville 1 Elementary School, which shows that between 10 July 2006 to 25 August 2006, 15 out of the 18 teachers have taken sick leave due to acute bronchitis, acute respiratory upper tract infection, flu and other ailments.

In line with the Department’s mandate of ensuring accessible and quality health care services to all Filipinos, especially the poor, the groups urged the DOH and other concerned government departments to speedily and effectively respond to the health needs of the relocatees.

Specifically, they asked the DOH to send medical and environmental sanitation teams to the Southville Housing Project on a regular basis or until the municipal government of Cabuyao has fully assumed the responsibility.

As a member agency of the National Solid Waste Management Commission, the groups urged the DOH to take the lead in ensuring the safety of the relocatees from chemical pollution. Towards improved community health, they asked Sec. Duque to work for the implementation of an ecological system for managing household discards within the entire relocation site, and to work for the closure, cleanup and rehabilitation of the private dumpsite situated next to some of the residential blocs.

As a precautionary step, they asked Sec. Duque to seek the transfer to a safer location of relocated families living next to a dump. The 200-meter radius of the dumpsite is a no-construction zone under the R.A. 9003.

They also appealed to Sec. Duque to seriously look into the water, drainage, electricity and indoor pollution issues, which, if adequately resolved, would tremendously improve the environmental health conditions in the relocation site. -30-

For further information, please contact the Urban Poor Associates (4264118) or the Ecowaste Coalition (9290376).

Friday, August 25, 2006

COHRE urged Philippine government to do better in relocation of railway families

21 August 2006

Froilan R. Kampitan
Assistant General Manager
National Housing Authority
Elliptical Road, Diliman,
Quezon City, Philippines

re: Flooding at the Southville Cabuyao Relocation Site

Dear Mr Kampitan

The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) is an independent international human rights organisation mandated to protect and promote housing rights throughout the world.

Following our meeting on 27 July 2006, at which we discussed the situation at the Southville Cabuyao relocation site, I am writing to express COHRE's concern at the current situation there. Firstly, the dumpsite remains in operation and continues to present a serious health hazard particularly with the contamination of flood waters. COHRE has seen photographs taken by partner organisations on 5 August 2006, showing serious flooding. The water enters the houses and after heavy downpours can take up to six hours to subside. The photographs show large piles of garbage in the relocation site, which also present a health hazard.

As discussed, under international law, namely the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to which the Philippines is a signatory, everyone has the right to “an adequate standard of living for himself and for his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions” (Article 11(1)).

Furthermore, Article XIII, Section 10 of the Philippines Constitution explicitly provides that “Urban or rural poor dwellers shall not be evicted nor their dwellings demolished, except in accordance with law and in a just and humane manner.”

The legal process intimated by Article XIII, Section 10 was in turn adopted through statute under Republic Act No. 7279, otherwise known as the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 (UDHA). Section 28 of the provision states that “Eviction or demolition as a practice shall be discouraged.” Under certain circumstances evictions may be allowed, but must comply with eight mandatory requirements, including: “(2) Adequate consultations on the matter of settlement with the duly designated representatives of the families to be resettled and the affected communities in the areas where they are to be relocated;” and “(8) Adequate relocation”.

Moreover, Section 21 of the provision states: “Socialized housing or resettlement areas shall be provided by the local government unit or the National Housing Authority in cooperation with the private developers and concerned agencies with the following basic services and facilities:
a) Potable water;
b) Power and electricity and an adequate power distribution system;
c) Sewerage facilities and an efficient and adequate solid waste disposal system; and
d) Access to primary roads and transportation facilities.”

COHRE’s fact-finding mission to the Southville Cabuyao relocation site and recent photographs clearly demonstrate that the Philippines is in breach of its international and national legal obligations, due to the grossly inadequate conditions persisting in the relocation site.

COHRE urgently calls on the Philippines Government, and the National Housing Authority (NHA) in particular, to:
a) close the dumpsite immediately;
b) cease the dumping of garbage;
c) replace the existing small drainage pipes with larger ones, capable of channelling the flood waters;
d) construct a concrete wall between the dumpsite and the adjacent houses;
e) construct a canal to redirect the water from houses to a nearby creek;
f) deepen the drain canals; and
g) cover the drain canals with concrete to prevent accidents from occurring.

COHRE appreciates that the NHA is one of many agencies involved in the relocation process of the North South Rail Linkage Project. However as the key implementer of the housing and resettlement component of the project, the NHA bears primary responsibility for ensuring that the above-mentioned obligations are met. COHRE calls on the Philippines Government to urgently remedy the appalling living conditions at the Southville Cabuyao relocation site as a matter of priority.

We look forward to discussing these matters with you further and continuing to assist the Government in complying in full with international human rights law. Our Geneva staff will be contacting the Philippines Mission in Geneva and our Litigation and Media Programmes will explore other forms of human rights advocacy as necessary. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Jean du Plessis
Executive Director (a.i.)
Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions
83 Rue de Montbrillant
1202 Geneva
Switzerland
tel: 41.22.734.1028
fax: 41.22.733.8336
jean@cohre.orgAnnie Feith
Women’s Housing Rights Officer
Asia-Pacific Programme
Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions
PO Box 1160
Collingwood 3066
Victoria, Australia

Thursday, August 24, 2006

URBAN POOR ASSOCIATES NEWS DIGEST

Cardinal Rosales Urges Vice President de Castro to Help Railway Families Living on Toxic Relocation Site

Urban Poor Associates
25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, Q.C.
Tel.: 4264118 / 4264119 / 4267615 Fax: 4264118
Ref: John Francis M. Lagman

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlagman17
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** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE **

Cardinal Rosales Urged Vice President de Castro to Help Railway Families Living on Toxic Relocation Site

Alarmed by news of chemical risks among relocatees at the Southville Housing Project, the revered Archbishop of Manila has added his voice to the brewing anxiety over the relocation of railway families near a dumpsite in Cabuyao, Laguna.

In a letter sent to Vice President Noli de Castro, His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales drew the attention on the health hazards of relocating people displaced by the Northrail Southrail Linkage Project (NSLP) next to a six-hectare dump, which tends to exacerbate the poor living conditions in the resettlement site. (The Cardinal’s letter is attached for your reference.)

Cardinal Rosales, who is highly regarded for his defense of the poor and the environment, is worried about the health risks posed by the dump to residents, especially the children, women and the elderly. Dumps, cautioned Rosales, are known sources of harmful toxins that are capable of damaging human bodies, contaminating the food supply and polluting the surroundings, including the air, soil and surface and groundwater.

“It appears to me that the current relocation program in Cabuyao, Laguna fails to take into consideration the health and environmental hazards that living next to a mixed waste dump might cause to the relocatees,” Cardinal Rosales said. Affirming that “I am one with the relocatees in seeking for the immediate resolution of their grievances and needs.”

Cardinal Rosales pleaded for Vice President de Castro’s sympathetic action, offering four action steps that will help in restoring the relocatees’ hope for a humane and secured future:

· Hasten the closure, clean up and rehabilitation of the dumpsite.
· Ensure immediate access to essential services such as electricity, safe drinking water, proper drainage and sanitation, and ecological system for managing discards.
· Complete what is required to obtain quality education at both Southville Elementary School and Cabuyao National High School Annex in Southville.
· Provide sustainable jobs and livelihood opportunities within the site and nearby places.

“The Southville residents have long suffered from health problems that they believe are caused by the leachate and the toxins in their drinking water coming from the shallow wells built next to a dumpsite. Without access to basic services, it was clear that surviving with dignity in a place like Southville is very difficult,” said the Urban Poor Associates (UPA).

“We hope that the Vice President will heed the plea of our beloved Cardinal and act with urgency to protect the health of the relocatees from toxic pollution,” added the Ecowaste Coalition’s Task Force Dumps/Landfills.

This is the second time that Cardinal Rosales wrote to Vice President de Castro on the railway eviction issue. It will be recalled that on 12 May 2006, Cardinal Rosales asked Vice President de Castro, concurrent Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, to find alternate in-city relocation for displaced families and to work towards improving the living conditions in the Cabuyao relocation site. -30-

For further information, please contact the Office of Cardinal Rosales (5274153), Urban Poor Associates (4264118) or the Ecowaste Coalition (9290376).

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

URBAN POOR ASSOCIATES NEWS DIGEST: Groups Raise Alarm over Toxic Resettlement Area in Cabuyao, Laguna

Groups Raise Alarm over Toxic Resettlement Area in Cabuyao, Laguna

Eco Waste Coalition
Unit 320, Eagle Court, 26 Matalino St., Quezon City, Philippines
Phone: 9290376 Fax: 4364733
PRESS RELEASE

Groups Raise Alarm over Toxic Resettlement Area in Cabuyao, Laguna

15 August 2006, Quezon City. Environmental health groups have joined advocates for housing rights in questioning the relocation of Metro Manila railroad communities next to a six-hectare dumpsite in Cabuyao, Laguna, and urged the authorities to take action now to prevent a health disaster waiting to happen.

In a meeting yesterday with the representatives of the Urban Poor Southville Association, Inc. (UPSAI) and the Urban Poor Associates (UPA), public interest groups belonging to the Ecological Waste Coalition of the Philippines, Inc. (Ecowaste Coalition) expressed shock and dismay over what they described as "toxic relocation" under the controversial Northrail Southrail Linkage Project (NSLP).

"Being relocated in a place that is totally lacking in livelihood opportunities and basic services and which is adjacent to a waste dump is just inhumane. Vice-President Noli de Castro and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council could be at fault for exposing marginalized families to such deplorable conditions, not to mention, the contaminants from the nearby dump. Children and developing fetuses are most vulnerable to these toxic substances,” said the Ecowaste Coalition.

Adding that “the government needs to take action now to stop the source of chemical risks in Southville and to find safe alternative sites that can provide relocatees with healthy living conditions and jobs."

The concerns of the relocatees about the dump pollution are not without basis. From dawn to dusk, residents have to bear the nauseating foul smell coming from the 8-year old dump. They complain of respiratory ailments, which might be traced to the airborne pollution emanating from the dumpsite. They also fear that harmful bacteria and chemicals from the leachate and surface runoff are being dispersed throughout the neighborhood via floodwaters due to poor drainage.

Records from the Philippine Export Processing Zone (PEZA) show that 33 registered residual waste haulers, mostly from Batangas and Laguna, bring their collected wastes to the Hain’s Controlled Dump Facility in Barangay Niugan, Cabuyao. This dump should have ceased operations on 16 February 2006 under R.A. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. However, it was only on 9 March 2006 that the Severino B. Hain Enterprises, dump owner and operator, obtained the “authority to close” from the DENR Environmental Management Bureau (Calabarzon Region).

Studies in Canada and USA have shown that living near municipal dumps or landfills involved an increased incidence of cancer, including lung, bladder, liver, stomach, breast, cervix and prostate cancers. One study by the New York State Department of Health showed that women living near solid waste facilities where gas is escaping have a four-fold increased chance of leukemia or bladder cancer.

A literature review in 1998 of various studies in the USA indicated that women living near municipal waste disposal sites showed increased risk of infants with birth defects such as eye/ear anomalies, chromosome abnormalities, and heart and neural tube defects.

In the Philippines, Catholic nuns running a health clinic at the Payatas dump reported that in 1995-96 three infants were born with imperforate anuses and about 10 cases of children with cerebral palsy out of 600 families living within the 0.5 km of the infamous dump.

Among the known toxic substances emitted from dumps or landfills are benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, methylene chloride, dichloro methane, carbon tetrachloride, and carbon monoxide. Open burning also released volatized heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins and furans. Exposure to these toxic chemicals is a known factor in the development of cancer, chronic diseases and birth defects.

Housing rights advocates decried the failure of both Northrail and Southrail projects to provide relocatees with access to essential services as required by R.A. 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act, notably the lack of access to potable water, electricity, sewerage facility, waste disposal, and transportation.

Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales has appealed to Vice-President Noli de Castro to delay the relocation until the unfinished work in the Cabuyao relocation site is completed, and proposed finding in-city relocation places for the railroad evictees.

For more information, please contact the Ecowaste Coalition at 9290376 or the Urban Poor Associates at 4264118.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

International NGOs calls North and Southrail relocation inadequate and violative of international human rights standards

Urban Poor Associates
25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, Q.C.
Tel.: 4264118 / 4264119 / 4267615
Fax: 4264118

Ref: John Francis M. Lagman
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlagman17

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International NGOs calls North and Southrail relocation inadequate and violative of international human rights standards

Officers from the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), namely Annie Feith and Lisa Giufre, came to the Philippines a 9-day visit (July 18 to 27) to find out the housing rights situation of those affected by the Northrail and Southrail Project.

They visited families facing eviction and those already evicted in three relocation sites (Towerville, Northville IV in Bulacan and Southville in Cabuyao, Laguna) as well as Philippine National Railways and National Housing Authority officials. They discovered the following:

People do not have access to electricity and potable water. This means that drinking water must be bought.

It is extremely difficult for families to earn a livelihood being located so far from Metro Manila. Up to 70% of relocatees go back to the city to live and work during the week, returning to their families only on weekends. A significant proportion of income is spent on transport.

In Southville, the adjacent dumpsite produces a foul smell and many health hazards. Some houses are within a few meters of the dump. The poor drainage and close proximity to the dump means that when flooding occurs, polluted water floods the houses. At least 6 children have died of diarrhea this year.

Schools and health services are inadequate in each location visited. For example in Southville, part of the school is housed in a tent, there is no water for the two small toilets, children must pay for drinking water, and the teachers work 3 four hour shifts because both human and physical resources are not sufficient to serve the 3000+ children attending.

While conditions in slums along the railway are far from adequate, the people said that it was much easier for them to make a living in the city. “It was clear that surviving with dignity in a place like Southville is very difficult”.

The Philippines got the attention of the participants at the World Urban Forum III in Vancouver, Canada when it opened on June 19. Habitat International Coalition, an international NGO with consultative status at the United Nations, cited the Philippines as one of the governments who conducted massive forced evictions and committed human rights violations in the name of development, such as Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and India. Mr. Miloon Kothari, UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, emceed the activity. “The Northrail and Southrail project in the Philippines will, when completed, have evicted and displaced an estimated 150,000 families, with inadequate relocation alternatives,” Kothari said. A Philippine delegation of housing officials led by Vice President Noli de Castro attended the WUF. In one of the WUF forums, a HIC delegation told VP de Castro that his so-called “incremental development” of relocation sites which means transferring people to sites that are not prepared and inadequate violated international housing standards as well as the Philippine government practice of making affected families sign “waivers” to their rights.COHRE is an international human rights organization working in the field of housing rights. Together with its Philippine partners, Urban Poor Associates (UPA) and Grasroots Women Empowerment Center (GWEC),

COHRE works closely with the United Nations, advocating that governments fulfill their international and national legal obligations to ensure adequate housing for all. -30-

Thursday, July 27, 2006

URBAN POOR ASSOCIATES NEWS DIGEST: COHRE STATEMENT ON HOUSING RIGHTS ON THE NORTH SOUTH RAIL LINKAGE PROJECT

COHRE STATEMENT ON HOUSING RIGHTS ON THE NORTH SOUTH RAIL LINKAGE PROJECT

CENTRE ON HOUSING RIGHTS AND EVICTIONS (COHRE)

STATEMENT ON HOUSING RIGHTS ON THE
NORTH SOUTH RAIL LINKAGE PROJECT

PHILIPPINES, JULY 2006

COHRE is an independent, international human rights organisation that works to create conditions in which people of all nations can enjoy access to safe, affordable and secure housing. Together with local partners COHRE works closely with the United Nations, advocating that governments fulfill their international and national legal obligations to ensure adequate housing for all.

The right to adequate housing is enshrined in an extensive body of international law, including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

The Government of the Philippines has ratified the ICESCR. In addition, the right to adequate housing is protected both in the National Constitution and the Urban Development and Housing Act 1992.

COHRE has strong partnerships with civil society groups in the Philippines who are working at the grassroots level to advocate for the urban poor’s right to adequate housing.

Adequate housing entails seven core components: Security of Tenure, Availability of Services, Materials, Facilities and Infrastructure, Affordability, Habitability, Accessibility, Location and Cultural Adequacy.

COHRE is currently supporting advocacy work to uphold the housing rights of communities affected by the North South Rail Linkage Project. On a recent visit to partner agencies, communities facing eviction and three relocation sites (Towerville and Northville IV in Bulacan and Southville in Cabuyao, Laguna), the following has been observed:

People do not have access to electricity and potable water. This means that drinking water must be bought.

It is extremely difficult for families to earn a livelihood being located so far from Metro Manila. We were informed by one agency that up to 70% of relocatees go back to the city to live and work during the week, returning to their families only on weekends. A significant proportion of income is spent on transport.

In Southville, the adjacent dumpsite produces a foul smell and many health hazards. Some houses are within a few metres of the dump. The poor drainage and close proximity to the dump means that when flooding occurs, polluted water floods the houses. We were informed that 6 children have died of diarrhea this year.

Schools and health services are inadequate in each location visited. For example in Southville, part of the school is housed in a tent, there is no water for the two small toilets, children must pay for drinking water, and the teachers work 3 four hour shifts because both human and physical resources are not sufficient to serve the 2000+ children attending.

While conditions in slums along the railway are far from adequate, the people informed us that it was much easier for them to make a living in the city. It was clear to us that surviving with dignity in a place like Southville is very difficult.

COHRE therefore strongly urges that:

The Government gives priority to the provision of basic services including potable water and electricity in all relocation sites, and immediately closes the dumpsite in Southville, Cabuyao.

The Government continues to engage in dialogue with civil society groups to ensure that people’s aspirations are met, and human rights are upheld in the eviction and relocation process.

The Government commits to finding suitable alternatives, such as in-city relocation. COHRE welcomes the constructive and consultative approach taken by the Mayor of Taguig, for example, who has agreed, in cooperation with the National Housing Authority (NHA), to develop in-city relocation sites.

All further relocations be suspended until sites meet international and national housing rights standards.

The Government invites the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing to visit the Philippines to assess the situation and provide appropriate advice.

Annie Feith annie@cohre.org
Lisa Giufre lisa@cohre.org

COHRE Asia-Pacific Programme
PO Box 1160, Collingwood 3066
Victoria, Australia
Tel: +61 3 94177505
www.cohre.org

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Railway dwellers to get dream homes in Taguig

Urban Poor Associates
25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, Q.C.
Tel.: 4264118 / 4264119 / 4267615
Fax: 4264118

Ref: John Francis M. Lagman
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlagman17
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For Immediate Release on July 18, 2006

Railway dwellers to get dream homes in Taguig

Thousands of railway dweller families in Taguig City will finally get a chance to own their dream homes as in-city relocation was supported by Taguig City Mayor Sigfrido R. Tiñga for the families who will be displaced due to the Northrail-Southrail Linkage Project.

“Ito ay malaking tuwa at malaking kasayahan sa lahat. Masaya kami dahil natupad ang aming kahilingan na dito ma-relocate sa Taguig. Tatlo yung anak ko, sa Maynila pa sila nag-aaral kaya ayaw ko sa malayong lugar,” said 40-year old Jonalyn Peraen.

Mayor Tiñga announced at the meeting yesterday with the representatives of Koalisyon ng mga Samahan sa Riles Katimugan (KOSARIKA) and Urban Poor Associates (UPA) that a low-cost cluster housing project for railway families had been set for Bagong Tanyag. “We are trying to do our best to give you something na kapag andun na kayo, rerespetuhin kayo, maganda ang tingin sainyo,” Mayor Tiñga said.

Mayor Tiñga also accompanied the railway leaders to a model house located in Diego Silang. “Yung atin lamang mahihirap na kababayan ay bigyan naman natin ng dignidad sa kanilang tirahan. Kaya pinapaliwanag namin, hindi kami anti-poor o anti squatter, ayaw namin ng ganuong kalagayan at kung mabibigyan natin ng pagkakataong pagandahin ang buhay nila e ibigay natin. Kailangan lang talaga magtulungan yung mga tao at pamahalaan. We can make it happen,” Mayor Tiñga said.

The proposal includes the construction of a two- or three-story buildings, to be comprised of 400 units, for the relocation of “qualified” informal settlers. “Sa August 11 ang launching ng housing project. Before the end of the year kailangan naitayo na namin ang pabahay or naumpisahan na,” Mayor Tiñga added.

“There are 4454 railway families in Taguig and most of them are living below the poverty line,” according to UPA, a non-government organization working with the urban poor issues.

Aside from the city of Muntinlupa, railway dwellers from Caloocan City to Laguna are being told by the National Housing Authority to relocate in Cabuyao or else they will be relocated in Calauan also in Laguna.

KOSARIKA brought the letter of Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales on a protest rally at the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) last May 15. In his letter, Cardinal Rosales urged the HUDCC led by Vice President Noli de Castro to relocate affected families in-city or near-city.

“Distant relocation is the prime cause of much of these problems. If people were relocated near their work and schools, for example, family income would not suffer so much. NGOs and people’s groups with whom we work have found close to 200 hectares of idle land in the Taguig and Bicutan area, a portion of which can be used as relocation sites,” the Cardinal’s letter read.

Meanwhile Bishops in Metro Manila are planning to visit the relocation sites and will soon meet President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to raise the railroad tracks issues. -30-

Friday, July 07, 2006

Church leaders, NGOs unite to help railway families

Urban Poor Associates
25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, Q.C.
Tel.: 4264118 / 4264119 / 4267615
Fax: 4264118

Ref: John Francis M. Lagman
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlagman17
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** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE **
For Immediate Release on July 7, 2006

Church leaders, NGOs unite to help railway families

Empowered by His Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales and Metropolitan Bishops, Church priests and members of non-government organizations (NGOs) met yesterday at the Caritas-Manila to consolidate views on railway tracks issues for the sake of 26,000 families who were dislocated and some 100,000 families who will be dislocated due to the Northrail and Southrail Projects.

Fr. Anton C.T. Pascual, Executive Director of Caritas-Manila, opened the discussion saying that the Church will now directly appeal to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo because recent efforts to dialog with housing and government officials have not helped in any important way. “Dahil maraming paikot-ikot didiretsuhin na natin si Gloria! Ang kakausap sa kanya ay mga Obispo para ihain ang isyu ng home along the riles. Si Cardinal Rosales naman ay nagbigay ng matinding pagsuporta sa atin dito,” Fr. Pascual said.

The Metropolitan Bishops who will likely meet PGMA includes Bishops Deogracias Iñiguez, Francisco San Diego, Jessie Mercado and Leo Drona of the dioceses of Caloocan, Pasig, Parañaque and San Pablo, Laguna.

Recently, Cardinal Rosales sent Fr. Pascual on his behalf to visit the relocation sites and meet government officials to personally see the condition of the relocation sites and how the relocated families are doing and coping.

“Despite the efforts of Cardinal Rosales to call the government’s attention to the inadequacies of the relocation program, the officials haven’t responded positively in deeds,” according to the Urban Poor Associates (UPA), a non-government organization conducting research in relocation sites. “We have asked housing officials including Vice President Noli de Castro to defer relocation until the sites are ready, but they have refused,” the UPA added.

Fr. Benito B. Tuazon, parish priest of St. Alphonsus in Magallanes, encouraged the group together with Metropolitan Bishops to visit the relocation site in Cabuyao, Laguna. “Ang nagsasalita para sa mga tao ay NGOs at negative ang tingin sa kanila ng gubyerno. But we can talk about it based on our experience on what we saw and what we have heard if we go to the relocation sites. Let’s take videos and pictures, interview people so that they can see the situation for themselves. Housing officials will give answers as if we do not know what’s really happening,” Fr. Tuazon points out.

Identified problems of the North and South relocation sites are lack of social services in terms of livelihood, sanitation, security, education, health, potable water and electricity. Hence, the following are the positions agreed upon for the relocated families: Remove the health-hazardous dumpsite at the Cabuyao relocation site; Fast track social services in the relocation sites; Have a longer grace period for the amortization of housing loans; Assign police outpost at the relocation sites. And for those who will soon be relocated: Start improving relocation sites with social services; Do not be strict with cut-off dates or census dates; Have a moratorium on demolitions until the relocation sites are ready; Find in-city or near-city relocation; Define the guidelines for ‘voluntary’ relocation.

Other priests who shared their views were Msgr. Cesar Pagulayan, Msgr. Celso Ditan, Fr. Jose Antonio Paras, Fr. Enrico Martin Adoviso, Fr. Allan Lopez of the parishes of Sto Rosario, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. John Bosco, Most Holy Trinity and San Lorenzo.

NGOs who participated at the meeting includes UPA, Partneship of Philippine Support Service Agencies (PHILSSA), Institute on Church and Social Issues (ICSI), Foundation for the Development of the Urban Poor (FDUP), Damayan ng mga Maralitang Pilipinong Api (DAMPA), Grassroots Women Empowerment Center (GWEC), Homeless People’s Federation and Bantay Riles. -30-

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Taguig City railway dwellers fight against eviction

Urban Poor Associates
25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, Q.C.
Tel.: 4264118 / 4264119 / 4267615
Fax: 4264118

Ref: John Francis M. Lagman
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** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE **
For Immediate Release on June 6, 2006

Taguig City railway dwellers fight against eviction

Railway dwellers along Skyway East Service Road, Tenement in Taguig City were threatened to be demolished by the FTI Satellite Office of the Camp Badminton in FTI Complex, Western Bicutan yesterday morning but the affected families refused to be demolish.

“Ito ay taliwas sa mga pahayag ng City government na walang isasagawang demolisyon kung walang sapat at makataong relokasyon,” said Rowena Gepanaga, a resident.

Gepanaga argued that the demolition of their houses will be unlawful since the FTI Satellite Office does not have certificate of compliance (COC) from the Presidential Commission on Urban Poor (PCUP) and that the property is owned by the Philippine National Railway (PNR) and not within the jurisdiction of the Public Order Safety Office.

“Sang-ayon sa huling pagpupulong na ginanap noong ika-11 ng Mayo 2006 at dinaluhan ng iba’t ibang people’s organization, hindi rin ito sang-ayon sa napagkasunduan sa kung saan nabanggit ng Vice Mayor na walang isasagawang paglilikas ang local na pamahalaan,” Gepanaga added.

The informal settlers were informed on April 20 that their houses will be demolished within 30 days for the creation of the FTI Transport Terminal along East Service Road. The demolition notice never mentioned relocation sites and instead threatened that the local government will enlist the help of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to undertake the demolition if the residents did not vacate or self-demolish.

Engineer Jose Varquez of the PNR Real Estate Department, speaking in behalf of PNR General Manager Jose Ma. Sarasola II, told the residents on a meeting May 17 at the HUDCC boardroom that only the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) has been tasked as the over-all agency in charge in the demolition/relocation of settlers being affected by the Southrail project.

The Urban Poor Associates, a non-government organization working on urban poor issues, pressed on the PCUP, PNR, NHA, and HUDCC to look unto the problems of the railway dwellers. “The demolition being initiated by the FTI Satellite office is a gross maneuver to force the railway dwellers to accept instead a distant relocation site in Cabuyao, Laguna which is the focus of complaints for its state of unpreparedness.”

“Is the South Korean government which funds the Northrail-Southrail Linkage Project (NSLP) aware that the local government is intervening with the demolition of houses along the railways without relocation which is also a violation of the international law?” the UPA asked. -30-

Informal settlers file for TRO against U.P. Diliman

Urban Poor Associates
25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: 4264118 / 4264119 / 4267615
Fax: 4264118

Ref: John Francis M. Lagman

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For Immediate Release on June 1, 2006

Informal settlers file for TRO against U.P. Diliman

Informal settlers within the University of the Philippines (U.P.) compound in Diliman, Quezon City have asked the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on May 29 for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against U.P. to forestall any further acts of eviction and demolition in the absence of an adequate relocation.

The case with prayer for TRO and Preliminary Injunction is set for raffle today, June 1, 2:00 PM, before the session hall of honorable Natividad G. Dizon, Executive Judge of QC Hall of Justice’s Branch 106.

Petitioner Fernando V. Bunuan and Rodolfo J. Rojas of Pook Dagohoy in U.P. Campus said respondents U.P., with Ida May J. La’O in her capacity as Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs, have threatened to demolish their homes without offering them relocation sites.

They argued that the demolition is in violation with the constitutional mandate enshrined in the Social Justice provisions of Article XIII, Section 10, 1987 Constitution. They said U.P. must also comply with the section 28 of the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 (UDHA), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

Petitioners, with the help of Nagkakaisang Lakas ng Maralita (NALAMA), a people’s organization from 20 barangays within U. P. Campus, filed for a TRO after they were informed on April 26 by respondents U.P. that their houses will be demolished within 30 days to give way for the University’s campaign against dengue by clearing all legal impediments along canals and its 3-meter easement. According to the demolition notice signed by Ida May J. La’O, U.P. is exempted from the coverage of UDHA, citing the Supreme Court decision on Advincula vs. Court of Appeals, GR# 136378 (December 4, 2000). Hence, evicted families, according to the notice, will not receive financial assistance or relocation.

However, the claim of U.P. that they are not covered by R.A. 7279 is false and incorrect, according to the Urban Poor Associates (UPA), a non-government organization dealing with issues directly affecting the lives of the marginalized and underprivileged. “Hindi totoong naglabas ng desisyon ang Korte Suprema na nagsasabing ang U.P. ay exempted sa batas ng UDHA, sapagkat hindi nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na maisampa ang kaso sa takdang panahon ayon sa batas,” said Atty. Bienvenido A. Salinas 2nd, coordinator of UPA’s legal unit, St. Thomas More Law Center.

The Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor (PCUP) has rendered on November 19, 2003 an opinion to the effect that U.P. is not exempted from the coverage of R.A. 7279 (UDHA).

According to the Urban Poor Affairs Office (UPAO), there are currently about 25,000 informal settler families occupying 11% to 15% of the 493-hectare University. -30-

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PGMA urged to discuss extrajudicial killings with the Pope

Urban Poor Associates
25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, Q.C.
Tel.: 4264118 / 4264119 / 4267615
Fax: 4264118

Ref: John Francis M. Lagman
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlagman17
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** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE *** NEWS RELEASE **

For Immediate Release on June 30, 2006

PGMA urged to discuss extrajudicial killings with the Pope

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has asked President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to inform His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI of the numerous extrajudicial killings taking place in the Philippines and see if he congratulates her with another “well done”.

In a letter to PGMA dated June 29, AHRC stated that the percentage of killings in the Philippines ranks among the highest in Asia and Pope Benedict will naturally have a keen interest in this matter, with the first commandment being 'thou shall not kill'.

“Your government deserves to take credit for the abolition of the death penalty, together with the many persons, in the Philippines and elsewhere, who have fought for many years to abolish the death sentence. It is a mark of respect for life and recognition that the right to take away life does not belong to any individual or institution. The significance attached to this is lost however, when the same government continues to engage in extrajudicial killings,” the AHRC said.

Pope Benedict will also be interested to know, AHRC added, that priests, nuns and activists from Christian organizations have been among the persons killed.

“The AHRC urges you to bring this matter to the attention of Pope Benedict even at this late stage, and to inform him whether you, as the head of state, are determined to end these killings immediately,” the AHRC’s letter read.

The letter, signed by AHRC Executive Director Basil Fernando, was written after he saw a press photograph of PGMA with Pope Benedict. The caption said the President informed the Pope about the abolition of the death penalty. The AHRC is a regional non-governmental human rights organization of lawyers that has been pressing the Philippine government to effectively stopped extrajudicial killings.

Since the beginning of 2004, it is said that approximately 290 people have been killed in the Philippines in extrajudicial processes.

Human rights defenders in the Philippines, including the Saint Thomas More Law Center of the Urban Poor Associates (UPA), have received death threats for filing cases against government officials violating housing rights. -30-