SQUATTERS in METRO MANILA......WHY CANT WE SOLVE IT?
By ardiebagz
@ardiebagz (83)
October 6, 2010 12:22am CST
our family ones reside at holy spirit Quezon city during late 80's to early 90s then we moved to Bohol.I Remember that during my childhood it was still a bit remote..after almost 15 years i went back to see how the place was ruin by a lot of squatter houses(i assume those were).it felt a lot more smaller than i remember,with all the garbage and that smell...i guess its not just with that place,,its almost everywhere..illegal settlers even under the bridge at the side of the creek all around the metropolitan?
am i the only one?or the government is just blind?is it too difficult to handle?..I've got a million question here and i don't have a clue why cant these be answered...i know its not easy but 15 YEARS PLUS had past instead of improving,it deteriorated...it's one of the million problems we have i know,,but its not an excuse.
there must be away...i just cant believe why it takes that long..?
2 people like this
7 responses
@misalax (307)
• Ireland
6 Oct 10
To add up with the first response. The government is trying to help and accomodate everyone on that area. The bad case is, whenever they give them free housing or try to relocate them, sometimes they would accept the offer. But then in order to maintain that they have to start finding decent jobs for themselves and their families. In few months time they would leave those areas, get back to their Manila squatter spot again, selling all those houses and items provided to them by the government, for quick income. It's sad when they themselves won't try to make an easier life, away from the mess and dirts of Metro Manila.
@ardiebagz (83)
•
6 Oct 10
that's depressing right?! then again i am left to wonder who's controlling them?It's a case of help and abandon.that do happen because maybe there's a problem with that solution,and the government cant be that stupid to look that over,they just make temporary solutions to permanent problems,it would not work!in fact it never did!although i also believe that the people has a lot to do with this problem its the government who has the power to make guidelines and implement it strictly.Politicians just make them self and their so called image look good with those housing and relocation stuff but all in all its nothing but a waste!!!
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
7 Oct 10
Squatters can't be solved because the local officials are tolerating it. Why? because they are getting many votes from this people. The former mayor J. Binay who is now the vice-president tolerated the squatters along the railways during his long reign in Makati simply because those squatters are supporting him every election. I am just glad that Fernando Bayani was able to remove all those squatters now. For as long as the local officials are selfish and unmindful of implementing the law for their own favor, the problem in the Philippines will not never be solved.
@ardiebagz (83)
•
7 Oct 10
do you believe that it is the system?its prone to having "otang na loob"!!you can see the logic a lot of politicians are doing that.now binay is the vp.....see?this will be a cycle if nothing is changed?you could just have a lot of laws that may stop it but these criminals are so clever in evading liabilities,,i call them criminals for it is what it is...
@ardiebagz (83)
•
6 Oct 10
i do agree..if they cant fix it right away i guess the next best thing to do is to stop the growth of illegal settlers,,,but as we can see its not happening.and no one is making some bold move about it....if our capital is already disappointing,then you would know the rest part..with some exception ,i know...
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@ddaguno (3107)
• Philippines
6 Oct 10
The government has offered a lot of squatters the option to go home to their provinces with free fare and a some money for them to start over. They did not accept the offer.
I know some places where the government has offered squatters relocation sites, but they dont want to move. they want to stay right where they are.
I can't understand how some people think. They would rather stay in the dump than having the option of owning their own house for just a few pesos that they have to pay every month.
They want to get everything for free.
True, the government has a big role, but sometimes the people are also to blame. 
@ardiebagz (83)
•
6 Oct 10
i do agree.but if you think about there should be a clear guideline..when i say government it includes barangay level who doesn't even control people from building houses from vacant lots. at the first place there is no need to relocate them when they are not there...so control is thing..it should be long before...no should ever say its difficult for the government for it has been done by other country,,why cant we?....
@kristeena (358)
• Philippines
7 Oct 10
We all know that the government has the big responsibility to give answers for all of these questions. They should give more focus on this matter but also take into consideration the feelings and welfare of our fellowmen. At some point, there are lands which these men occupied owned by private personnel that's why the government can't make a move unless they have an agreement with these owners. As a personal experience, the city mayor in our place bought the land where I used to live for 19 years and the people in our area need not to go on a relocation site. They live temporarily inside the gym and waited the high rise condominium to finish. Each family will be given a chance to live in a more decent shelter for a minimum of P500 a month. Now, it is not that scary to walk on that street even late at night.
@ardiebagz (83)
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7 Oct 10
wow..that's nice to hear what your mayor did..it just show how simple the solution could be..we know poverty is the main reason but its not an excuse..what your mayor did was just one of the possibility there could be millions of solution if they just open their eyes..or may be they are not blind they are just numb....
@rheihollies (69)
• Philippines
6 Oct 10
The government build houses to rellocate these people out of the squatters. The problem is...these people do not want to be rellocated.
There are some reasons:
They don't want to leave their job (ex. near the lake if their main job is fishing)
They don't want to leave their belongings and their house they built (Filipinos are known for being sentimental, you know)
Well, that's my opinion.
@ardiebagz (83)
•
6 Oct 10
i respect your opinion,,, there is a lot of excuse for it ,,sorry if i refer being sentimental as an excuse but what i mean is that it doesn't outweigh the effect..if being sentimental is the issue, i guess at least make it organize,,as you see how bad the situations at those places..there is always a better way...
@kathyglim (183)
• Philippines
7 Oct 10
Hi friend. The problem of squatters or illegal settlers is not only in Metro Manila. I think that problem is all over the country. We used to live in a barangay nearer the city. I could remember there is a clear pathway from the main street to our place. I would remember there is a river that passes through the barangay where we would play piko near its bank. When I visited some friends about 4 years ago, there was no pathway anymore. There are houses even in the middle of the path we use to take. The river is full of houses. They were not shanties, some of the houses were made of cement. Where is the bank where we used to play piko? It's gone, now replaced is a wooden house.
The problem I believe is political will. Even when the government would offer several relocation sites, the professional illegal settlers will still come back. Why? It must be because they would allow it to happen. They are potential voters. These problem could be addressed by the barangay officials, but what have they done? To me, a lot of them has done nothing. Some has even made it a business, collecting rental from the place they don't own. Maybe it is time we reassess the people we put into power. Let us start from the barangays, the basic government structure in our country.
Do you think it's too late?
