Atty. Chito M.

Cruz
General Manager
National Housing Authority
Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City

Dear Atty. Cruz,

Greetings! I am writing this letter in relation to the issues of informal settlements and relocation in the
Philippines. As stated in Republic Act 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, the
National Housing Authority (NHA) is the primary government agency in charge of providing housing
for the underprivileged and homeless. This includes facilitating relocation programs for informal
settlements in Metro Manila. In particular, this letter aims to discourage the relocation of informal settlers
away from Metro Manila and instead provide socialized housing and resettlement options for informal
settlers, within the city.

Informal settlements are poor residential environments. Some of them are located in polluted areas or
danger zones along bodies of water which require eviction and relocation. R.A. 7279 was implemented
back in 1992 to facilitate the improvement of our urban areas which includes answering the informal
settlements issue, but statistics show that the population of informal settlers continue to increase. One of
the solutions practiced in our country is relocation, but relocation alone cannot answer the informal
settlements issue because of city centered economic development.

Relocation in the Philippines continues to be characterized by resettlement sites without accessible work
opportunities. For one, some resettlement sites are located outside Metro Manila but the city remains as a
major source of employment for the poor. Many sectors active in Metro Manilas economy employ
minimum wage earners who require low-cost housing, and informal settlements serve as low-cost housing
for the urban poor. Even if livelihood is within resettlement communities, the city still provides better
work opportunities. In fact, studies show that employment is a major reason for rural to urban migration.
Without effective public transportation between the provinces and Metro Manila, it is more convenient to
live in the city where employment is found.

R.A. 7279 provides solutions to informal settlements other than relocation to the provinces, like slum
upgrading and procuring properties for socialized housing. NHA has also stated that its relocation
programs include options for in-city resettlement. However, these options are not yet fully realized.
Government properties in the city are still not utilized for socialized housing. Ironically, this includes
NHA properties in North Triangle, Quezon City which were instead given to private developers.

Informal settlers are willing to endure poor living conditions just to be in the city. Unless work
opportunities in the provinces are on par with those in the city, low-cost housing should be provided
within Metro Manila for low-income earners, including informal settlers. NHA plays a pivotal role in
implementing such programs.

I do hope that these reasons can be considered in NHAs actions on informal settlements, especially to
increase in-city relocation for informal settlers and provide more low-cost housing options in the city for
everyone.

Respectfully yours,
Aileen Fader