By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
BACOLOD City’s Mayor Albee Benitez’s promised-slash-proposed housing project for informal settlers will now have 10,000 units “up for grabs” in its first year of implementation. Such will be tenement in style in an “on-site, in city, near city concept”.
Each unit will have a uniform dimension of 7 x 3.5 x 3 meters in length, width and height, respectively.
So, computation-wise, there should be at least 800+ units to be completed every month to come up with these 10,000 units in just one year.
Isn’t it an ambitious figure-slash-target?
Well, it’s gonna be a construction boom, and so multitude of workers are needed.
Now, there are three target areas for this housing project – barangays Banago, 8 and Abada-Escay. Each tenement in these three areas shall be called “Yuhum” Village.
‘GREY AREAS’
But the city government is silent yet as to the “grey areas” like on budget, specific date of implementation and the current legal status of lots to be utilized.
Newly-installed Public Information Officer Carmela Arcolas-Gamboa , who posted the latest development about this housing project via the Facebook page of the city’s PIO, can’t answer media queries on these grey areas.She said she’ll wait for Councilor Vladimir “Vladi” Gonzalez, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s (SP) Committee on Urban Poor, Housing and Resettlement, to update her office.
‘CATCH -22’
Residents of Purok Mahimulaton in Barangay Banago, however, are now in “catch-22” situation. Purok Mahimulaton will be affected by this Yuhum Village project. They’re praying and crying, especially the mothers, amid uncertainties.
I remember then American historian Howard Zinn’s prized quote: “The cry of the poor is not always just, but if you don’t listen to it, you will never know what justice is.”
“Iplastar bala sang insakto sa tawo kon ano ang proyekto kag ano ang matabo sa ila palangabuhi-an sa baybay,” said Purok Chairman Reynaldo Rebado.
The plan is to build a housing project in their area, and those affected will be given units provided they have to pay for at least P2,500 monthly amortization for 25 years.
“Ti, indi man kami sina kasarang.”
Said Alberto Bocado, “Ang problema gid kay wala man ang ciudad nagpatigayun sang konsultasyon diri. Tani, gintan-aw anay nila ang amon kahimtangan.”
“Ang nag-kadto lang diri sa amon ang taga-Joly Home Foundation, Inc. kag ang pamangkot sa amon kon makasarang bala kami magbayad sang P2,500 kada bulan?”
Thus, Bocado stressed, “Ang amon lang tani pangayu-on kay Mayor Albee, patituluhan na lang diri ang duta nga ginatungtungan sang amon mga balay. Indi na kami pagtandugon. Kay kon tandugon pa kami kag pabayaron sang bulanan para sa bag-o nga housing unit, ‘ti indi gid kami sina maka-sarang.”
HAND-TO-MOUTH EXISTENCE
For 63-year-old Virgilio Zarraga, “Paano kami makasarang magbayad kay hand-to-mouth man lang ang amon ginakita diri.”
“Wala ko tinapusan. Kabataan ko wala man tinapusan. Tanan kami gasalig lang sa panginhas kag pangisda. Kulang pa gani kon kaisa ang amon makuha sa baybay para sa amon matag-adlaw nga kalan-on.”
“Mayor Albee, mangayo lang kami sa imo bulig, indi lang kami pagtanduga diri. Kabay pa nga makabatyag ka,” pitched by Joel Legada.
While Joseph Rebadoma underscored, “Ang gobyerno dapat kami nga mga imol ang suportahan.”
But in case they’ll be egged in any worst case scenario, these fishermen said, “ti, mausoy man kami sang amon deretso kag kinamatarung, eh.”
Purok Mahimulaton is now home to more than 2,000 people.
“Sang una, hunasan na di ang amo lugar, nag-lapad lang ni bangud sang amon pagbinulgay ka tampok sang mga atukiba sang tahong. Wala man sang nagbulig sa amon nga politiko. Karon kay plastado, dis-ugon na kami,” Bocado reiterated.
‘TRUTH TEST’
It’s high time for Mayor Albee to talk directly to the poor people in Banago, among other squatter areas in the city.
It’s really a “truth test” for him to reveal the real score about his proposed housing project.
Because simple truth is, in every move of the government, public funds – the taxpayers’ hard-earned money – are involved.
It’s in truth that trust thrives. And trust is now at the “ethical heart” of the housing issue in the city./PN
