Ka Leody eyes urban land reform, housing for poor

Labor leader and presidential candidate Leody de Guzman on Monday called for reforms on urban land to realize the Constitutional rights of housing for the people.

In a statement, he noted common issues faced by the Malabon residents with other communities at Sitio Malipay in Bacoor and Sitio Banaba in Antipolo, after his campaign sortie at an urban poor community in Tonsuya, Malabon on Sunday.

De Guzman and his team were barred from campaigning inside a private subdivision in Antipolo City on Saturday, where he said he was invited by the organization Samakaba to discuss his platforms.

He then said that the residents of the subdivision have lived there for more than 30 years.  However, for the past three years, Winning Homes Realty and Development Corporation has claimed ownership of the land on which their houses are located.

“May komon na isyu na kinahaharap ang mga residente ng Tonsuya, Sitio Malipay, at Sitio Banaba. Ito ay ang banta ng demolisyon sa kanila mula sa mga pribadong kompanyang nakakuha ng titulo sa lupang deka-dekada nang tinitirhan ng kanilang mga pamilya,” he said.

(Residents of Tonsuya, Sitio Malipay, and Sitio Banaba have a common issue–they all have threats of demolition from private companies that had acquired title to the land their families had been living in for decades.)

De Guzman claimed that wealthy clans who have political connections and influence are behind the said issue.

“Kailangan ng urban land reform. Nagsimula ang mga komunidad na ito sa mga dating idle o nakatiwangwang na lupa sa mga dating liblib na mga sub-urban area. Sa paglipas ng panahon, dahil sa pagdami ng tao sa lugar, lumaki na ang merkado at umandar ang komersyo. Tumaas din ang halaga ng lupa, na siya namang nagtulak sa mga real estate developers na ipatitulo ang lupa at walisin ang mga komunidad mula sa kanilang pribadong pag-aari,” he said.

(Urban land reform is needed. These communities grew in then idle or vacant lands in remote sub-urban areas. Due to the increase in population in the area, the market grew and commerce flourished. Land values have also risen, prompting real estate developers to put titles on the land and sweep communities from their private properties.)

De Guzman called the act inhumane, stressing access to houses is a right and should be an essential service of the government to the people.

He then said the government should fix its housing policies and programs as some developers and financial institutions have made housing programs a big business.

“Paano aandar at magiging sustenable ang mga lungsod kung ang mga manggagawa’t mamamayan na nagpapaandar ng komersyo nito ay patuloy na itinatapon para manirahan sa malalayong mga lugar?” he asked.

(How can cities function and be sustainable if the workers and citizens who run its commerce are being thrown out to live in remote areas?)

De Guzman earlier vowed to address the housing problem of some 6.7 million Filipinos, saying that houses should be given to them at affordable prices if they could not be given for free.

Part of de Guzman’s electoral platform for the 2022 elections is putting essential services such as housing, healthcare and education as the key priorities of the government.

De Guzman who is known for his pro-poor and pro-workers stance, said that such basic needs should not be surrendered to private corporations that would provide them only to those who could afford to pay.—LDF, GMA News