Press Release
March 16, 2011
The leaders of hundreds of Dasmarinas low-cost homeowners and poor residents who picketed the city hall yesterday held a dialogue today with City Mayor Jennifer Barzaga. At 1:00 p.m. the leaders of the residents of City Homes and Sibol in Barangay Sta. Fe together with representatives from the Cavite chapters of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) and Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) trooped to the meeting with Mayor Barzaga.
“We thank Mayor Barzaga for listening to the demands of her constituents but we hope that the local government sincerely finds a way to meet their housing needs. Affordable and decent housing is a right that the government should promote,” explained Ramil Cangayao, chairperson of PM-Cavite.
At yesterday’s rally, representatives of Mayor Bargaza agreed to set the dialogue today. The 500-strong protesters however were stopped from entering the city hall compound by guards and told to leave since the mayor was not in the premises. But the protesters stood their ground until the city administrator met them.
They will ask Mayor Barzaga for (1) an investigation on the deal between the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. (NHMFC), the developer of the City Homes subdivision and the private financing firm BFS, (2) condonation of the penalties imposed on the homeowners, and (3) restructuring of the housing loans.
The residents of City Homes are facing foreclosure due to the heavy debts incurred when their housing loans were transferred from government-owned NHMFC to BFS. “Residents of City Homes are now saddled with debts that are more than the market value of their houses due to usurious interest and penalties. The transfer happened without the knowledge of the residents. It is like they were ambushed and now they risk losing their homes which they have partially paid for with hard-earned savings,” Cangayao explained.
Meanwhile the informal settlers of the depressed area of Sibol are asking the local government to expropriate the private land on which their houses are built. Cangayao said that “The city of Dasmarinas has the power to expropriate for the purpose of socialized housing through an ordinance. We are calling on Mayor Barzaga and the city council for the ordinance and budget appropriation in the interest of hundreds of families who have lived in Sibol for years already.”
PM together with AMP and Samahang Nagkakaisa ng Cavite have been campaigning for a moratorium on demolitions and foreclosures. The groups are involved in the consultations being held by the cabinet level task force headed by Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo with the mandate to formulate and recommend policy resolutions on the housing issues confronting the urban poor.
Showing posts with label SANAGCA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SANAGCA. Show all posts
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Hundreds march for housing rights in Dasmarinas, Cavite
Press Release
March 15, 2011
Some 500 residents of Dasmarinas, Cavite marched to call the attention of the local government for their demand of housing security. The marchers assembled at 7:00 a.m. in Sibol in Brgy. Sta Fe then arrived at the Dasmarinas city hall by 8:00 a.m.
“We ask Mayor Jennifer Barzaga to heed the demands of her constituents. Affordable and decent housing is a right that the government should guarantee. We hope that the call of these hundreds of residents of Dasmarinas does not fall on deaf ears,” stated Ramil Cangayao, chairperson of the Cavite chapter of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).
The marchers had filed a request for an appointment today with Mayor Barzaga but did not receive a confirmation. The marchers came from residents of City Homes and also the community of Sibol.
The residents of City Homes are facing foreclosure due to the heavy debts incurred when their housing loans were transferred from government-owned National Home Mortgage Financing Corp. to a private financing firm. “Residents of City Homes are now saddled with debts that are more than the market value of their houses due to usurious interest and penalties. The transfer happened without the knowledge of the residents. It is like they were ambushed and now they risk losing their homes which they have partially paid for with hard-earned savings,” Cangayao explained.
Meanwhile the informal settlers of the depressed area of Sibol are asking the local government to expropriate the private land on which their houses are built. Cangayao said that “The city of Dasmarinas has the power to expropriate for the purpose of socialized housing through an ordinance. We are calling on Mayor Barzaga and the city council for the ordinance and budget appropriation in the interest of hundreds of families who have lived in Sibol for years already.”
The march comes on the heels of a protest last March 7 by old tenants in the nearby town of GMA, Cavite due to the threat of a demolition by the local government. The picket at the weekly flag ceremony in the GMA municipal hall caught the attention of some councilors who promised to look in the demand for decent relocation.
PM together with Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino and Samahang Nagkakaisa ng Cavite have been campaigning for a moratorium on demolitions and foreclosures. The groups are involved in the consultations being held by the cabinet level task force headed by Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo with the mandate to formulate and recommend policy resolutions on the housing issues confronting the urban poor.
March 15, 2011
Some 500 residents of Dasmarinas, Cavite marched to call the attention of the local government for their demand of housing security. The marchers assembled at 7:00 a.m. in Sibol in Brgy. Sta Fe then arrived at the Dasmarinas city hall by 8:00 a.m.
“We ask Mayor Jennifer Barzaga to heed the demands of her constituents. Affordable and decent housing is a right that the government should guarantee. We hope that the call of these hundreds of residents of Dasmarinas does not fall on deaf ears,” stated Ramil Cangayao, chairperson of the Cavite chapter of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).
The marchers had filed a request for an appointment today with Mayor Barzaga but did not receive a confirmation. The marchers came from residents of City Homes and also the community of Sibol.
The residents of City Homes are facing foreclosure due to the heavy debts incurred when their housing loans were transferred from government-owned National Home Mortgage Financing Corp. to a private financing firm. “Residents of City Homes are now saddled with debts that are more than the market value of their houses due to usurious interest and penalties. The transfer happened without the knowledge of the residents. It is like they were ambushed and now they risk losing their homes which they have partially paid for with hard-earned savings,” Cangayao explained.
Meanwhile the informal settlers of the depressed area of Sibol are asking the local government to expropriate the private land on which their houses are built. Cangayao said that “The city of Dasmarinas has the power to expropriate for the purpose of socialized housing through an ordinance. We are calling on Mayor Barzaga and the city council for the ordinance and budget appropriation in the interest of hundreds of families who have lived in Sibol for years already.”
The march comes on the heels of a protest last March 7 by old tenants in the nearby town of GMA, Cavite due to the threat of a demolition by the local government. The picket at the weekly flag ceremony in the GMA municipal hall caught the attention of some councilors who promised to look in the demand for decent relocation.
PM together with Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino and Samahang Nagkakaisa ng Cavite have been campaigning for a moratorium on demolitions and foreclosures. The groups are involved in the consultations being held by the cabinet level task force headed by Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo with the mandate to formulate and recommend policy resolutions on the housing issues confronting the urban poor.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Old tenants in GMA, Cavite protest planned demolition
Press Release
March 7, 2011
Old tenants living in Poblacion 1 in the town of GMA, Cavite protested the planned demolition of their homes during the weekly flag ceremony at the municipal hall. They are asking GMA Mayor Leonisa Joana "Ona" Virata for a dialogue concerning their demands.
Some 80 families who are members of the Poblacion Neighborhood Family Association (Pobnefa) are claiming their right to security of housing since they have been living in the area since the 1990’s. Pobnefa together with Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) and the Samahang Nagkakaisa ng Cavite (Sanagca) are also asserting the moratorium on demolitions ordered by the DILG in view of ongoing consultations on a solution to the housing problem.
“While the old tenants do not have a piece of paper that serves as title to the land, they have been living in the area for almost two decades now. The land is owned by the National Housing Authority and the agency has allowed the municipal government to utilize the land. Since this is public land, we are asking Mayor Virata to dialogue with the residents and heed their demands,” explained Ramil Cangayao, PM-Cavite chairperson.
He added that “We hope that Mayor Virata will not forcibly demolish the home of the old tenants. In the first place, there is a de facto moratorium on demolitions as per instructions of the Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo.”
Cangayao was referring to the cabinet level task force headed by Robredo with the mandate to formulate and recommend policy resolutions on the housing issues confronting the urban poor. During the pendency of the consultations with the urban poor on the policy recommendations, a moratorium will take effect. It was on this basis that the demolition in San Juan, Metro Manila ordered by the city government was stopped a month ago by Robredo himself.
PM, AMP and Sanagca also announced that on March 15 some 500 urban poor residents in Dasmarinas, Cavite will march for the same demand of right to security of housing. The marchers will be composed of residents who are pushing for awarding by the NHA of land titles to long-time residents and also low-cost housing homeowners who face foreclosures.
PM has been campaigning for a moratorium on demolitions and foreclosures in the context of the economic crisis besetting the workers and the poor.
March 7, 2011
Old tenants living in Poblacion 1 in the town of GMA, Cavite protested the planned demolition of their homes during the weekly flag ceremony at the municipal hall. They are asking GMA Mayor Leonisa Joana "Ona" Virata for a dialogue concerning their demands.
Some 80 families who are members of the Poblacion Neighborhood Family Association (Pobnefa) are claiming their right to security of housing since they have been living in the area since the 1990’s. Pobnefa together with Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) and the Samahang Nagkakaisa ng Cavite (Sanagca) are also asserting the moratorium on demolitions ordered by the DILG in view of ongoing consultations on a solution to the housing problem.
“While the old tenants do not have a piece of paper that serves as title to the land, they have been living in the area for almost two decades now. The land is owned by the National Housing Authority and the agency has allowed the municipal government to utilize the land. Since this is public land, we are asking Mayor Virata to dialogue with the residents and heed their demands,” explained Ramil Cangayao, PM-Cavite chairperson.
He added that “We hope that Mayor Virata will not forcibly demolish the home of the old tenants. In the first place, there is a de facto moratorium on demolitions as per instructions of the Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo.”
Cangayao was referring to the cabinet level task force headed by Robredo with the mandate to formulate and recommend policy resolutions on the housing issues confronting the urban poor. During the pendency of the consultations with the urban poor on the policy recommendations, a moratorium will take effect. It was on this basis that the demolition in San Juan, Metro Manila ordered by the city government was stopped a month ago by Robredo himself.
PM, AMP and Sanagca also announced that on March 15 some 500 urban poor residents in Dasmarinas, Cavite will march for the same demand of right to security of housing. The marchers will be composed of residents who are pushing for awarding by the NHA of land titles to long-time residents and also low-cost housing homeowners who face foreclosures.
PM has been campaigning for a moratorium on demolitions and foreclosures in the context of the economic crisis besetting the workers and the poor.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Bacoor residents picket city hall to press for relocation and assistance
Press Release
February 16, 2009
Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino
Some 300 residents of Longos in Brgy. Zapote 5 marched at around 9:00 a.m from their staging area along a busy street in the town of Bacoor to the City Hall. The protesters had a dialogue with the City Mayor and pressed the city council meeting later in the day to approve their demand for a relocation site and financial assistance.
Tonette Fajanilan, president of the Samahang Magkakapit-bahay ng Barangay Longos (SMBL), declared that “We are asking Mayor Strike Revilla and the City Council to grant to relocation and assistance to their constituents as per provisions of the Executive Order 708.”
Executive Order 708 stipulates that it is the responsibility of the local government to provide the support to displaced residents that are mandated by the Urban Development and Housing Act. The urban poor residents were victims of a court-ordered demolition last week from a private lot that is more than a hectare in area. The lot is owned by Pobre Aguinaldo, a former mayor of Kawit, Cavite who is related to the Aguinaldos, Abayas and Pobletes of the province.
“The government, both local and national, must assist the poor in this time of crisis similar to Barack Obama’s plan to rescue subprime homeowners who are burdened with mortgages and threatened with foreclosure,” appealed Fajanilan. SMBL is an affiliate of the Samahang Nagkakaisa ng Cavite (SANAGCA) and the Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP). Members of SANAGCA, AMP-Cavite and Partido ng Manggagawa-Cavite supported the mass action.
Renato Magtubo, PM chairperson, explained that “Demolitions such as that experienced by SMBL members must be suspended. A moratorium on demolitions and evictions together with condonation of penalties and interests on low-cost and socialized housing loans must be declared. The least that the government could do in a time of crisis is to refrain from destroying the houses and livelihood of the poor. The only exception to the ban on demolitions is when relocation negotiated with and agreed upon by the affected communities.”
A moratorium on demolitions and evictions is one of the five main demands of PM in its call for a bailout of workers and poor. The other demands are subsidy for displaced workers, tax refund for wage earners, expansion and reform of the state employment program and extension of Philhealth coverage to the recently laid off. ###
February 16, 2009
Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino
Some 300 residents of Longos in Brgy. Zapote 5 marched at around 9:00 a.m from their staging area along a busy street in the town of Bacoor to the City Hall. The protesters had a dialogue with the City Mayor and pressed the city council meeting later in the day to approve their demand for a relocation site and financial assistance.
Tonette Fajanilan, president of the Samahang Magkakapit-bahay ng Barangay Longos (SMBL), declared that “We are asking Mayor Strike Revilla and the City Council to grant to relocation and assistance to their constituents as per provisions of the Executive Order 708.”
Executive Order 708 stipulates that it is the responsibility of the local government to provide the support to displaced residents that are mandated by the Urban Development and Housing Act. The urban poor residents were victims of a court-ordered demolition last week from a private lot that is more than a hectare in area. The lot is owned by Pobre Aguinaldo, a former mayor of Kawit, Cavite who is related to the Aguinaldos, Abayas and Pobletes of the province.
“The government, both local and national, must assist the poor in this time of crisis similar to Barack Obama’s plan to rescue subprime homeowners who are burdened with mortgages and threatened with foreclosure,” appealed Fajanilan. SMBL is an affiliate of the Samahang Nagkakaisa ng Cavite (SANAGCA) and the Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP). Members of SANAGCA, AMP-Cavite and Partido ng Manggagawa-Cavite supported the mass action.
Renato Magtubo, PM chairperson, explained that “Demolitions such as that experienced by SMBL members must be suspended. A moratorium on demolitions and evictions together with condonation of penalties and interests on low-cost and socialized housing loans must be declared. The least that the government could do in a time of crisis is to refrain from destroying the houses and livelihood of the poor. The only exception to the ban on demolitions is when relocation negotiated with and agreed upon by the affected communities.”
A moratorium on demolitions and evictions is one of the five main demands of PM in its call for a bailout of workers and poor. The other demands are subsidy for displaced workers, tax refund for wage earners, expansion and reform of the state employment program and extension of Philhealth coverage to the recently laid off. ###
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