Urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) deplored Congress’ move to finalize House Bill 6775 creating the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
The bill, titled AN ACT CREATING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, DEFINING ITS MANDATE, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR”, is sponsored by Negros Occidental Rep. and House Committee on Housing and Urban Development chair Alfredo “Albee” Benitez. Two other representatives who sponsor the bill are Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo and Davao City 1st District Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles.
The ‘best version’ of the bill, according to Benitez in his sponsorship speech, follows several attempts by Congress to push for the creation of a housing department since the 8th Congress.
“Binuhay na naman ang dating panukala para sa bagong ahensya sa ilalim ni Duterte. Halos pareho pa rin ang laman. May mga surface-level na pagbabago, pero nariyan pa ang esensya. Kagaya ni Duterte, nais ng DHSUD na maging ‘diktador’ sa usaping pabahay,” said Gloria “Ka Bea” Arellano, Kadamay national chairperson in a statement.
[A proposal to create a new agency under Duterte has sprung up again. The contents of the bill are almost the same as the previous ones. Changes have been introduced on the surface level, but essentially it is the same. Like Duterte, the DHSUD aims to become a ‘dictator’ when it comes to housing issues.]
Kadamay finds fault in the bill’s abolition and absorption of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), considering the move as giving “unparalleled power to one agency to rule over the housing sector”.
‘Neo-liberal, anti poor agenda’
The group warns that despite the bill’s intention to provide affordable and decent housing, the rest of its provisions run the opposite. Citing the bill, the department’s functions will entail them to “enter into contracts, joint venture agreements, public-private partnerships and memoranda of agreement or understanding, either domestic or foreign, under such terms and conditions that the department may deem proper and reasonable and subject to existing laws”.
The group says that opening up to foreign superpowers and violating Philippine sovereignty is in line with Duterte’s charter change proposal. The new department will also preside over all if not most housing and land-related disputes in the country.
“Daig pa ang mga korte pagdating sa bahay at lupa.” said Arellano.
[The courts will have no match (against the new department) when it comes to issues on housing and land.]
More urban poor demolitions
Kadamay also deplores the bill’s powers to streamline demolitions of homes and entire urban poor communities by giving the DHSUD the capacity to oversee and align LGUs. According to the bill, the new department will be “involved in the housing and urban development and ensure continuing improvements in sector policy and strategy formation”.
“Walang anumang probisyon sa batas para pigilan ang mga demolisyon. Katunayan, ang DHSUD ang magiging tanging tagapagdesisyon kaugnay ng pagwawasak ng komunidad. Pasok sa timing ng Build Build Build ni Duterte,” added Arellano.
[There is no provision in the bill to prevent demolition. Actually, the DHSUD will be the sole decision-maker involving the demolitions of communities. This runs in perfect timing with Duterte’s Build Build Build.]
Kadamay also raised concern over the absence of caps on amortization rates and other payments related to socialized housing. The DHSUD and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) will be able to raise these payments every two years as they deem fit.
“Mandato nilang gawing mas-affordable ang pabahay pero palalakihin lamang ang kita ng mga nagkokoleksyon, mga pribadong debeloper, at kontraktor. Walang anumang konsultasyon ang dadaanan nito. Tiyak na dadami ang aalis at magiging tiwangwang muli ang mga pabahay ng gobyerno,” Arellano said.
[(The department’s) mandate is to make housing more affordable, but it will only generate more profit for the collectors, private developers, and contractors. No consultation was made regarding this. Surely, more people will abandon their homes and houses will become unoccupied once more.]
Government employees to lose jobs
Kadamay foresees that government employees of the HUDCC and HLURB and other related agencies will be considered irrelevant or overlapping with the DHSUD’s employees, leaving them “out in the cold”.
“Kahit ang mga empleyado damay. Tiyak na hindi lahat ng staff ng HUDCC at HLURB ang kukunin, marami ang mawawalan ng trabaho,” forewarned Arellano.
[Even the employees will be affected. Surely, not all HUDCC and HLURB staff will be absorbed by the new department, and many will be left jobless.]
Kadamay plans to conduct protest mobilizations at the gates of Congress this week.
