Relocation site, a priority project of Bing
Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that the improvement of the existing relocation site in Vista Alegre-Granada and the development of the existing site at the adjacent property bought by the city government from the Arao family is a priority project that the present administration aims to accomplish soon.
Leonardia said that as early as 2007, the city government has already seen the growing problem of informal settling brought about by the business and construction boom in the city. The mayor said that it is a reality that when any community progresses, its population of informal settlers also proportionately grows as jobless people from out of town are attracted by the livelihood opportunities in the more progressive area.
He stressed that as of December last year, the Bacolod Housing Authority reported that there were at least 14,879 structure owners who need relocation assistance. These structure owners are those who are facing eviction and demolition notices and those who are living in danger zones and priority areas for flood mitigation. Leonardia said that this figure is expected to increase annually at a population growth rate of 2.12%.
Aside from providing relocation site to informal settlers, Leonardia explained that the city government’s relocation program also included a scheme where the city government can provide technical and financial assistance through soft loans to help the informal settlers put up the needed equity or down payment for illegally occupied lands whose owners are willing to sell their lots to the occupants.
These on-site projects, however, can be done on a case to case basis only as these will still depend on the landowners themselves, the mayor said. He explained that if selling prices are high, the on-site option may not work as the beneficiaries may not be able to afford it.
Leonardia reiterated that the city government has no real properties big enough to serve as suitable relocation site and this is the main reason why city officials decided to acquire a new relocation site through negotiated sale.
