Treñas directs Icupao to assess danger zones
City Mayor Jerry Treñas has directed the Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (Icupao) to assess the danger zones in the city occupied by informal settlers. At present, there are 3,296 informal settlers living in the waterways.
Treñas's directive came as an offshoot of the flash floods that hit the city, particularly the districts of Jaro and Lapaz, last week.
Forty barangays coming from said districts were placed under a state of calamity.
Icupao data show that the 3,296 informal settlers living in the waterways are part of the 9,668 informal settlers colonies in the city.
The chief executive said Icupao should assess the situation and the possible relocation of families especially in Jaro to avoid more problems in the future especially when typhoon strikes. The relocation of affected families should be reviewed and validated by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), he said.
The 2007 Icupao assessment report signed by Roy Firmeza indicates that of the 9,668 informal settlers colonies; 3,296 lives in the waterways, 2,166 in the road easement and abandoned Philippine National Railways properties; 1,984 in the shoreline and public domain; 1,010 in the government properties (titled) and 1,212 in the private lots. "Most barangay officials especially in the coastal barangays continue to tolerate the proliferation of squatters." The report, however, did not contain specific lists of barangays considered as danger zones.
Meanwhile, the same Icupao report said there is a substantial decrease in the number of informal households from 2005 to 2006. This decrease is attributed in the implementation of the Iloilo Flood Control Project, "efficient Iloilo City Resettlement Program, community mortgage program and formalization of donation of relocation sites provided by private property owners."
Icupao lamented the lack of competent personnel to design programs, prepare proposals and documents for external undertaking and land banking initiative that have greatly helped in the efficient program implementation has been stalled.
Icupao likewise said the absence of recoupment scheme since the Sangguniang Panlungsod has not yet acted on the proposed repayment scheme for the first three settlement projects, the call for active participation of private subdivision developers on matters related to socialized housing stalled the city's projects.