Senate measure on housing for informal settlers pushed

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito has vowed to pursue the approval of a bill that would institutionalize on-site, in-city or near-city housing programs for informal settler families (ISF).

Ejercito, chairperson of the Senate urban planning and housing committee, is referring to Senate Bill No. 1393 under Committee Report No. 55 which is a consolidation of the bills that mandate local government units (LGUs) to provide basic shelter and livelihood components in resettlement sites for ISFs, amending Republic Act No. 7279 or the “Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.”

The senator earlier pitched for the passage of the “On-Site, In-City or Near-City Resettlement Program” following the illegal take over of government housing projects meant for soldiers and police officers in Pandi, Bulacan by members of the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay).

The bill, prepared by the Senate housing and local government panels, is now pending second reading and would be taken up once Senate resumes plenary sessions on May 2, 2017.

Co-authors of the bill are Senators Juan Edgardo Angara, who heads the Senate local government committee, Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros and Grace Poe.

Regardless of the President’s decision to grant the housing projects to Kadamay members, Ejercito said his committee would still push through with its plan to conduct an investigation into the incident on April 18, Tuesday.

“On these particular projects in Bulacan, we want to know those accountable for the neglect of the housing projects and where the funds were funneled,” Ejercito had said in a statement.

“Our inquiry will also tackle issues as to why a number of housing projects by the National Housing Authority (NHA) remain substandard in quality, unoccupied, and fragmented,” he said.