An infrastructure-oriented think tank has called on housing agencies to suspend all socialized housing projects in geo-hazard areas to prevent landslide incidents similar to what had happened in Itogon, Benguet and Naga City, Cebu.
This Social Housing Finance Corp (SHFC) housing project in Valenzuela was recently recently suspended by the new SHFC board due to issues related to flooding and liquefaction.
“We are calling on all housing agencies led by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) to suspend all housing projects situated in geo-hazard areas to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives, limbs and property in the event natural disasters strike in areas deemed as geo-hazards by our disaster mitigating agencies,” said Terry Ridon, Infrawatch PH convenor and former urban poor chief of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Take no chances
Ridon, who participated in meetings of housing agencies as former urban poor chief, said that due to the landslides in Itogon and Naga, housing agencies should ‘absolutely take no chances’ in allowing socialized housing projects to proceed in geo-hazard areas.
“Our housing agencies should find alternative sites for socialized housing, if several projects are found to be located in geo-hazard areas. If costs for land acquisition will rise due to alternative sites, we are certain the President and Congress will heed requests for higher subsidies if only to ensure the safety of our families.”
Ridon said several projects were allowed to proceed pending the implementation of engineering solutions to confront geo-hazard issues such as flooding.
“It should be noted however, that not all geo-hazard issues can be resolved by engineering solutions, particularly areas prone to landslide and liquefaction.”
Ridon said in areas prone to landslide and liquefaction, engineering solutions may be insufficient to address inherent problems existing in such sites.
Previous admin: Landslide-prone housing projects
“One example is the Social Housing Finance Corp (SHFC) housing project in Valenzuela which was recently recently suspended by the new SHFC board due to issues related to flooding and liquefaction.”
Ridon said the previous SHFC board approved the project before 2016 despite adverse geo-hazard findings made by environment agencies.
“Another is a National Housing Authority (NHA) project in Compostela Valley in which the previous NHA board approved a landslide-prone relocation site for survivors of Typhoon Pablo in 2012.”
Ridon said however that NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr. has made a commitment to all affected families that they will be transferred to safer housing resettlement sites.
“Moving forward, our housing agencies should take a second look at all the projects in their pipeline, and immediately suspend, if not cancel all pending projects situated in danger areas. We cannot take chances on the lives of our marginalized families.”