Several organizations under the Urban Poor Action Committee (UPAC) rallied in front of the National Housing Authority’s (NHA) office in Quezon City on Tuesday, Aug. 8, to call on the national government to abolish the housing agency and to assist the people in getting better and safer homes.
Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety head, retired Gen. Elmo San Diego, said that there were around 200 individuals who joined the rally which started at 9 a.m.
The Quezon City Police District said the groups marched from Mayaman Street to Elliptical Road in front of the NHA building.
In UPAC’s Facebook live stream, the groups from different cities and provinces called on the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives not to extend the housing agency’s existing Charter.
They said NHA’s housing program, which required the relocation of residents from danger zones to different in-city, near-city, and off-city resettlement projects, only brought difficulty to the affected families instead of helping them have decent homes.
They brought placards and photos of the NHA’s relocation sites in Bulacan and in Rizal and other provinces which were submerged in flood during typhoons, as well as a replica of a gate with chains and padlock that symbolizes the closure of the NHA.
The groups said the national government should launch better programs such as in-city relocation instead of placing the families in relocation sites that do not have proper water and electric services, clogged drainages, far from schools, churches and health centers, and are affected by heavy flooding during inclement weather.
They added that they were also unable to properly coordinate with the agency with regard to the payment of their rent but they still received notices of cancellation/eviction, leaving them uncertain of staying in their homes or where to relocate.
The NHA, created through Presidential Decree No. 757. dated July 31, 1975, aims to provide better homes for the marginalized and low-income families in the country. Its existing Charter or term will expire in 2025.
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte First Congressional District Representative Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos filed House Bill No. 8156 which seeks the extension of NHA’s charter, expand and strenghten it function, and reorganize its structure, at the House of Representatives on May 16, 2023.
According to a press release from the House of Representatives in May, the house bill would allow NHA to implement innovative and alternative solutions in addressing the housing needs of informal settler families.
It will also allow NHA to develop, sustain, and reinforce partnerships with local government units and the private sectors, utilize existing and future assets to generate income, and promote participation of citizens in the planning of ressetlement projects.
San Diego said the rally ended peacefully at around 11 a.m.