Resettlement project for Iloilo River residents takes off

By Elsa S. Subong

Thursday 14th of June 2012

LOILO CITY, June 14 (PIA) -– Informal settlers along Iloilo River, affected by the developments being undertaken to clean the river, are now assured of a decent house and lot.

President Benigno S. Aquino III personally distributed the certificates of Lot Award for 10 of the 1,000 owners of housing units from 20 barangays affected, during his visit here in June 1.

The ten spouses are residents of Bgy. North San Jose, Molo, Iloilo City, namely Enrile and Nemia Sierra, Romel and Jojie Depita, Eddie and Marlin G. Barros, Emilio and Mary Jane Desmoparan, Jr., Francisco and Rowena Gefes, Elias and Janet Bartocillo, Nestor and Aurelio Desmoparan, Julius and Cathy Galapin, Grochen and Mary Grace Tayde, and June Cyrelle and Harriet Paguntalan.

The housing units, according to National Housing Authority Manager Engr. Isagani Jalbuena, are located in Bgys. Lanit and Camalig, Jaro, about five to six kilometers from the city proper to be laid out in 5.6 hectares of land.

Jalbuena said the project was created to develop a lot with row houses for the families affected, measuring about 40 square meters with 20 square meter floor area.

The site’s development features include alleys, roads, drainage system, water and individual service connection for electricity.

The city government bared that the project cost is P169 million (P100 million from Sen. Franklin Drilon, P60 million from the National Housing Authority), for the duration of 330 calendar days, starting this May 2012.

NHA said the informal settlers along the river are not disregarded by the local government in its bid to maintain its scenic beauty for tourism and investment purposes.

The agency added that these relocation houses and lots are not for free. Informal setters are required to pay an amortization to be determined yet by the LGU, as a means of further improving the site through the years.

For couple Francisco and Rowena Gefes, leaving the river banks and getting settled in an area with a lot and house of your own, no matter how small, is choosing a more stable state of living.

The Tayde couple thought having been driven out of the river meant losing a home and a livelihood.

“It meant instead, a hope for a better life, with this certificate given us,” Mary Grace Tayde said in dialect.

The initial activities now, the city planning office said, include the conduct of boundary relocation and survey to establish benchmark as to how the development project could impact on the socio-economic status of residents. (JCM/ESS/PIA-Iloilo)