ANGELES CITY – “It’s like a deplorable evacuation center for Mt. Pinatubo victims all over again.”
This was how city councilor Jay Sangil reacted to what he saw at Northville 15 village in Barangay Cutud here, a resettlement site for some 3,000 local families whose homes near the old government railway in this city are being demolished to pave the way for the construction of the long-delayed Caloocan-to-Clark railway system.
Sangil showed to Punto “evidences” of anomalies in the project, including severely leaking roofs, collapsed and cracked walls, and defective drainage system, among other shortcomings. The National Housing Authority (NHA) is rushing the housing units in the area to accommodate all the families from Angeles amid deadline this June.
Consortia Dayrit, local vice president of the Kapit Bisig ng Samahan ng Taga Riles Homeowners Association (Kapit Bisig) told Punto that the entire front wall of the housing unit at Lot 1, Block 9 even totally collapsed during heavy rains last week amid reports that the ground on which some of the units were built were eroded by recent floods.
She cited reports that the contractor for the housing project had employed 10 sub-contractors to build the units.
Sangil and another councilor Dr. Ruben Maniago have finalized a resolution asking Pres. Arroyo to stop demolishing the houses of the families along the old railway in eight barangays here until they are first assured of better housing and community facilities at the site in Barangay Cutud . The families are from Barangays Pulung Bulo, Sto. Cristo, Lourdes Sur East, Claro M. Recto, Agapito Del Rosario, Sta. Teresita, Malabanias, and Balibago in this city.
“It’s as if the families were rushed to be evacuated in an area ill-prepared, just like in the days of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption where more people died from ailments at evacuation centers than from the direct effects of the eruption,” Sangil said.
No one from the NHA assigned to the project could immediately be reached for comment.
William David, who was among the initial 200 families to volunteer to move to Northville 15, complained that he and his family were compelled to rent an apartment instead of immediately moving to their resettlement unit which he described as sub-standard.
He jumped on the concrete floor of his unit to indicate hollow space underneath. He also said that the door would not close because it did not fit its jamb.
He and his neighbors complained that during the heavy rains brought by tropical depression Emong last week, the resettlement site sunk under knee deep floods. “The drainages failed to work,” David said.
“Perhaps the government did not really mind what kind of houses we are to live in because we are merely squatters. But we are also humans,” he added.
At the same time, Dayrit said almost all of the roofs of the housing units dripped heavily during the heavy rains last week. “It was as if big faucets were turned on inside the houses,” she said, as she described the roofing materials as “almost like tin foil”.
Sangil asked the President to order the NHA to first make the resettlement site “complete and livable” before moving out some 3,000 families from the old railway to pave the way for the construction of the long delayed Caloocan-to-Clark north railway system.
“I also appeal for a serious study on reports that the relocation site is flood prone. If so, then the government must stop wasting funds for the housing units and elevate the area first,” he said.
Kapit Bisig president Nathaniel Samson said the housing beneficiaries are supposed to amortize the cost of their house-and-lot packages after a grace period of one year. He said the cost of each housing unit was estimated at P65,000 and the 28-square-meter lot at P75,000, payable in 30 years.
“We will pay on the second year at P200 a month for the first five years, and this will increase to P750 a month for the last five years,” he said.
This was how city councilor Jay Sangil reacted to what he saw at Northville 15 village in Barangay Cutud here, a resettlement site for some 3,000 local families whose homes near the old government railway in this city are being demolished to pave the way for the construction of the long-delayed Caloocan-to-Clark railway system.
Sangil showed to Punto “evidences” of anomalies in the project, including severely leaking roofs, collapsed and cracked walls, and defective drainage system, among other shortcomings. The National Housing Authority (NHA) is rushing the housing units in the area to accommodate all the families from Angeles amid deadline this June.
Consortia Dayrit, local vice president of the Kapit Bisig ng Samahan ng Taga Riles Homeowners Association (Kapit Bisig) told Punto that the entire front wall of the housing unit at Lot 1, Block 9 even totally collapsed during heavy rains last week amid reports that the ground on which some of the units were built were eroded by recent floods.
She cited reports that the contractor for the housing project had employed 10 sub-contractors to build the units.
Sangil and another councilor Dr. Ruben Maniago have finalized a resolution asking Pres. Arroyo to stop demolishing the houses of the families along the old railway in eight barangays here until they are first assured of better housing and community facilities at the site in Barangay Cutud . The families are from Barangays Pulung Bulo, Sto. Cristo, Lourdes Sur East, Claro M. Recto, Agapito Del Rosario, Sta. Teresita, Malabanias, and Balibago in this city.
“It’s as if the families were rushed to be evacuated in an area ill-prepared, just like in the days of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption where more people died from ailments at evacuation centers than from the direct effects of the eruption,” Sangil said.
No one from the NHA assigned to the project could immediately be reached for comment.
William David, who was among the initial 200 families to volunteer to move to Northville 15, complained that he and his family were compelled to rent an apartment instead of immediately moving to their resettlement unit which he described as sub-standard.
He jumped on the concrete floor of his unit to indicate hollow space underneath. He also said that the door would not close because it did not fit its jamb.
He and his neighbors complained that during the heavy rains brought by tropical depression Emong last week, the resettlement site sunk under knee deep floods. “The drainages failed to work,” David said.
“Perhaps the government did not really mind what kind of houses we are to live in because we are merely squatters. But we are also humans,” he added.
At the same time, Dayrit said almost all of the roofs of the housing units dripped heavily during the heavy rains last week. “It was as if big faucets were turned on inside the houses,” she said, as she described the roofing materials as “almost like tin foil”.
Sangil asked the President to order the NHA to first make the resettlement site “complete and livable” before moving out some 3,000 families from the old railway to pave the way for the construction of the long delayed Caloocan-to-Clark north railway system.
“I also appeal for a serious study on reports that the relocation site is flood prone. If so, then the government must stop wasting funds for the housing units and elevate the area first,” he said.
Kapit Bisig president Nathaniel Samson said the housing beneficiaries are supposed to amortize the cost of their house-and-lot packages after a grace period of one year. He said the cost of each housing unit was estimated at P65,000 and the 28-square-meter lot at P75,000, payable in 30 years.
“We will pay on the second year at P200 a month for the first five years, and this will increase to P750 a month for the last five years,” he said.
