From 17,000 city's informal settlers down to 12,000
Within five years the number of informal settlers in Iloilo City has reduced from more than 17,000 households in 2002 to 12,157 households at present.
This was learned from the recent structural census conducted by the Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (Icupao).
Icupao chief Roy Firmeza said structural census is an instrument designed by the city government to determine the usage of structures in the entire city.
The structural census is designed to determine the number of informal settlers in the city and the area where these informal settlers are concentrated. Its conceptualization was also made through the help of the Cities Alliance and the Comprehensive Development Strategy (CDS). It is a participatory decision-making for poverty alleviation and sustainable urban development in Iloilo City.
Firmeza attributed the decrease in the number of informal settlers to the city's government relocation sites and the declaration of three Presidential Proclamation Areas in the city. There are also households who were able to attain security of tenure through the community mortgage program (CMP) of the government.
Presently, the city has already provided 19 relocation sites in its socialized housing program. Included in the 19 relocation sites are the Iloilo Flood Control Project relocation sites and Gawad Kalinga housing program for informal settlers, said Firmeza.
Among the relocation sites are those in Sooc, Arevalo; Lanit, Jaro; Buntatala, Jaro; Banuyao, Lapaz; Quintin Salas, Jaro; South Fundidor, Molo; Sto. Nino Sur,Arevalo; East Timawa, Molo; East Baluarte, Molo; San Juan, Molo and Tanza Baybay in the City Proper.
The properties which were awarded to the occupants through the issuances of three Presidential Proclamations are those in General Hughes, Sto. Rosario-Duran, Veteran's Village and Concepcion in the City Proper.
According to Firmeza, the informal settlers are concentrated from the long stretch of Boulevard, Molo until Sto. Nino, Arevalo. They also found informal settlers from Dungon Creek until Mandurriao area and those living near the Jaro River. "Sixty-three percent of the informal settlers are concentrated in the river banks," he said.
Firmeza added that there are also informal settlers living along the old railway routes which starts from Ungka, Jaro until Lapuz area. They compose the remaining number of informal settlers recorded by the Icupao when it conducted the structural census.
The city government is eyeing a squatter-less city in 2012. Firmeza is optimistic that the city government will reach such target but he admitted the problem on the presence of informal settlers never ends.
An area could be declared free of informal settlers but in its inner portion, there could still be presence of informal settlers, said Firmeza.