THE Intramuros Administration (IA) has inked a joint memorandum circular with government housing agencies to implement a program that will address the informal-settlers issue in the walled city.
In an interview with the BusinessMirror, IA Administrator Guiller Asido said the circular involves the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, the Presidential Commission on Urban Poor, the National Housing Mortgage Financing Corp. and the Social Housing Finance Corp.
“With the circular, we have created a joint task force to settle, develop and implement the housing program for the informal settlers of Intramuros,” he said. The circular provides that if any resettlement is required, the location has to be “onsite or within the city,” he stressed.
Asido said the IA has a working budget of P410 million to accomplish said program. “[The task force] had two meetings already, and the agreement was to develop programs for each and every community,” he added.
He pointed out that the circular also provides that any relocation if informal settlers “should not be a displacement—not a total dislocation of the community. We’re avoiding a situation that they will have to return to their old sites. So the program has to be more inclusive.”
According to a recent mapping survey undertaken by IA, there are nine communities of informal settlers in the walled city. These total to 892 households or some 4,000 individuals, all of who live on privately owned properties. These properties amount to 14,260 square meters, just about 3 percent of Intramuros, which occupies a total of 64 hectares.
IA is currently speaking with the lot owners to find out what they want to do with their properties. “The plan is either to have a joint venture or a usufruct agreement for the property. We’re in discussions now with the private property owners—there are five—but offhand, the two property owners I spoke with are already willing to go through the program,” Asido said.
Meanwhile, in a news conference on Tuesday, the IA administrator said there would be an “open house” in Intramuros this weekend, in celebration of World Tourism Week.
Entrance will be free for Fort Santiago, Baluarte de San Diego and Casa Manila. Activities lined up include a free botanical walk at Baluarte de San Diego at 9 a.m., a free bicycle tour at Plaza Roma at 3 p.m., with stalls for food, art and a market at the Baluarte de San Diego from 2:30 to 9 p.m. The grounds are open for picnics and performances.