THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is releasing P3.7 billion to the National Housing Authority (NHA) for the relocation of informal settlers in danger zones in Metro Manila due to rising hazards of typhoons and calamities in the country.
Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said the funds will be sourced from the 2014 national budget to assist thousands of families living in the hazardous areas in Metro Manila, particularly those along the creeks, rivers and esteros.
“This move is part of the Aquino administration’s continuing efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of these families, given the constant problem of flooding in Metro Manila,” said Abad in a statement over the weekend.
He said the funds aim to enable the NHA to provide assistance to poor families to build stronger homes in safer areas—whether within the city or outside—as well as ensure the protection of these families during calamities or emergencies, like typhoons and heavy rains.
The funds will assist the NHA’s land development and construction of low-rise buildings (LRBs) on government-owned lands within the city, as well as housing settlements outside the city.
The NHA said LRBs and off-city housing settlements currently being constructed can accommodate 1,234 units and 10,546 units, respectively.
The budget chief said a total of P5.49 billion from the 2014 national budget had been allocated for the relocation and resettlement of informal settlers living in danger zones in Metro Manila.
The DBM, he said, has earlier released P600 million to the NHA for the initial implementation of the program.
“The NHA’s relocation and resettlement program serves multiple purposes. It supports our local governments in providing housing and assistance and ensures the families’ safety in danger zones. Beyond that, relocating these families will help improve the sanitation and disaster preparedness in problem areas in Metro Manila,” Abad said.
The administration’s relocation program for informal settlers is based on a Supreme Court ruling to clean up the 3.0-meter easement of the Pasig River and its tributaries by 2015.