Ensure violence-free cleanup

WE JOIN the Urban Poor Associates and other housing rights groups in reminding the authorities to be mindful of their constitutional duty to respect the rights of the urban poor as they carry out the Supreme Court ruling on the cleanup of Manila Bay and its tributaries. (“Spare us from cleanup, Manila Bay squatters urge high court,” Inquirer, 4/2/11)

The need to restore Manila Bay should not put law enforcers and informal settlers at loggerheads, as the rehabilitation of the iconic water body is, without doubt, for the common good of the people and the environment. A humane, just and violence-free implementation of the Supreme Court order is possible if the rule of law will prevail.

To prevent inhuman eviction and defuse potentially volatile incidents, we urge the authorities to fully adhere to the mandatory requirements of Republic Act 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act which, among others, requires no less than a 30-day notice prior to eviction or demolition.

We further urge local government units, in coordination with the National Housing Authority, to “provide relocation or resettlement sites with basic services and facilities and access to employment and livelihood opportunities sufficient to meet the basic needs of the affected families,” as also required by RA 7279.

It is hoped that the government will take all the necessary steps to ensure that there would be no forced eviction of waterways dwellers and that there would be assured relocation for them in non-danger areas, where employment and livelihood possibilities are provided and all essential public services are accessible.

As much as possible, the government should prioritize in-city relocation of the affected dwellers in public lands to minimize disruption of work, education and vital social networks. Let public lands be made available to shelter and serve the poor who play indispensable roles in our society, including as recycling workers and entrepreneurs, and as partners in the preservation of Manila Bay and adjacent rivers and waterways.

We urge everyone, particularly those in government, to also consider the cleanup of Manila Bay as an occasion to express our solidarity with the urban poor in their struggle for inclusion, dignity and respect; and to affirm our support for their right to live in a clean, healthy and caring environment.

—ROY ALVAREZ,
president,
EcoWaste Coalition,
Unit 329, Eagle Court,
26 Matalino St., Quezon City