[asia-apec 18] Manila Evictions due to APEC

[Kenneth Fernandes]

Dear friends,

     In  a  meeting  last  week   with  urban poor leaders,  Mr.
Trinidad    of the  government's  Housing  and   Urban  Development
Coordinating Council  said  the  government's permanent  relocation
site outside  Metro  Manila  will  be  ready only  in  two  years
time.   However,  government  will push  through with  its  scheduled
demolitions and  will provide  three  temporary relocation  sites,
all outside  Metro  Manila.

    This  runs  counter  to the  position  of the  Anti-Demolition
Working  Group which is composed  of big  urban poor  federations
and coalitions and their partner  NGOs.  The position of the  group
is  development should  be on-site  and where  relocation cannot be
avoided,  the relocation site should be  in-city  whether  temporary
or permanent.

     We  will know by  July 31  if  they will go  ahead  with  the
demolitions, even if  the temporary relocation sites  are not yet
ready  for occupation.

     In the meantime, the 350  families  who were demolished  last
June 26  are now  suffering  from  hunger  and disease.   It is
only NGOs and church grops who are helping the people.  The
food,medicines,  tents  and portable  toilets  that  Dionisio de la
Serna, head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating
Committee promised to the people last  June 29, have not materialized.
Scores of children, including  adults, are  down  because of diarrhea,
colds, typhoid, cholera, and  dengue.  Two infants  have died already.
Last week a typhoon just hit the country, with Manila experiencing
strong winds and generous rainfall which prompted authorities to
declare classes suspended for two days. As it moved out of the
Philippines another storm has replaced it.

     We will e-mail you again on developments here and thank you for
your support.


Urban Poor Associates

18 July 1996
Dear Friends,
Here is some action taken by friends from the network. please send appeals
urgently. 


17 July 1996

Dear Friends,

At a meeting with urban poor people July 11 President Ramos gave a two week
moratorium on all imminent evictions, but said the demolitions would continue
then, especially along R-10, a road that leads to Smokey Mountain.  The
president it is thought will bring the APEC delegates there to see how he has
turned the pre-existing garbage dump into an urban renewal project.  He also
said there would be evictions on land near the main meeting center in
downtown Manila.  He denies
these are connected with APEC, but there is no other rationale for rushing
the evictions as the government is doing.  A judge handling the case of the
first squatters evicted in the present campaign (the people of Del Pan at the
month of the Pasig River) said at one hearing the eviction were justified by
the need to impress APEC visitors. Everyone believes the reason is APEC.

The government talks of evicting 10,000-16,000 families in the near future,
or 60,000-96,000 people.  Some of them in Metro Manila are along roads or
near places where APEC delegates will travel or hold meetings.  There are
also evictions near Subic Bay, Olongapo where the actual heads of state
meeting will be held.
 
There is no relocation ready.  The Del Pan people, some 300 families,
will get temporary relocation 40 km. out of Manila, but the other thousands
of families will get nothing.  It will take, by government's own admission, 4
months - 2 years to prepare new adequate relocation sites.  The present sites
are full.
  
Government thinks only in terms of distant out of city relocation.         
Please urge President Ramos to consider in-city relocation and slum
upgrading as more workable solutions.

Attached is a sheet with excerpts from a Press Statement issued by
Dionisio de la Serna, head of the Housing and Urban Development
Coordinating Council. 

"...It gives me great pleasure to be here today and share with you
what transpired during the recently concluded second International
Conference on Shelter and Human Settlements held in Istanbul, Turkey
last June 3-14, 1996.

"The Philippine delegation actively participated inthe conference
through the various working committees and the plenary sessions.  Two
main documents were discussed, negotiated and adopted - the Habitat
agenda and the Istanbul Declaration.  The Habitat Agenda is a Global
Call to Action.  It offers within a framework of goals and principles
and commitments, a positive vision of sustainable human settlements -
where allhave adequate shelter, healthy and safe environments, basic
services and productive and freely chosen employment.  An integral
component of the agenda is the global plan of action which lays
downthe strategies for implementation and measures to achieve the two
principal goals of the conference, which are 'adequate shelter for
all' and 'sustainable human settlements development in an urbanizing
world.'

"Central to the Global Action Plan is the strategy of enablement and
participation.  Government efforts in addressing the problems of human
settlements must enable the private sector, non-government
organizations and communities to fully contribute to national and
global development.  In the Philippines, we have adopted this strategy
in our development undertakings, particularly inthe national shelter
program which the Philippine delegation highlighted during the general
exchangeof views on the state of human settlements.

"The Istanbul declaration on the other hand, outlines the commitments
of heads of state, government and official delegations to ensure
adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements.

"...In the discussions on the Habitat Agenda, the Philippine
delegation raised four major concerns:  the protection of the rights
of migrant workers in host countries, the recognition of the right to
adequate housing, international cooperation inthe implementation of
the Habitat Agenda and the strengthening of the role of the United
Nations Center for Human Settlements or UNCHS.

"...The recognition of the right to adequate housing as a fundamental
right within the context of relevant international conventions is one
of the principal achievements of the conference.  In Istanbul,
governments committed themselves to the promotion and protection of
this right and to its progressive realization.  The Philippines
strongly and actively participated inthe negotiationsof the right to
adequate housing within the purview of our constitution.

"...The Istanbul conference is not an end in itself.  The challenge
for all countries is to make the Habitat II agenda work.  For us in
the Philippines, we will have to operationalize our National Action
Plan on Shelter and Human Settlements.  The Housing and Urban
Development Coordinating Council asthe focal point for Habitat II will
spearhead follow-through activities in the following months.  We will
be conducting a national workshop to operationalize the National
Action Plan and firm up commitments on its implementation.  Likewise,
we will institutionalize a monitoring system on the Plan's
implementation in collaboration with the local governments, NGO-PO
community and the private sector.  In addition, we will continue to
strengthen the partnerships and cooperative arrangements we have
forged, consistent with our policyof people empowerment and popular
participation.  Finally, let me state that the Philippines is ready to
take on the challenge of making our cities and towns truly livable
places."

Press clippings on related issue will be faxed to you.

Please use dela Serna remarks and the clippings.

Very sincerely,

DENIS MURPHY


>From Sheela Patel, SPARC, Bombay

Dear President Ramos,
It is extremely shocking to hear that demolitions of poor people's 
dwellings have begun within a day of signing the Istanbul declaration 
for Habitat II. We always quote the Phillipines constitution and 
provisions made within it as also the policies of the post 
dictatorship governments of the Phillipines as examplpes of modern 
governance seeking to accomodate the crisis of poverty cities have to 
address along with the quest for economic growth. 
In a range of meetings conducted within the Asian Region by ESCAP, 
and other UN forums, we have been impressed by the collaborative 
spirit of the NGOs and the City governments of a range of cities in 
Phillipines, and we often quote them as examples to our governments. 
On several occassions we have even advised our officials to meet with 
these collaborative ventures when they are vsisiting your country.
When we hear that the demolitions have occurred to clean the city, we 
cannot believe that it is possible for your government to do this. We 
hope that you will make sure this is reversed, and a more proactive 
solution which works for the poor and for the city is developed 
instead.  I think in that kind of solution lies the direction of 
future growth and properity for all. We are urging our NGO friends in 
the Phillipines to also try this path, and if all of us who are 
members fo networks involved in housing are of any use, we shall be 
happy to help. BUT PLEASE STOP DEMOLITIONS. LOOK FOR A MORE 
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION.
Your truly,

Sheela Patel   

19 July 1996
>From Denis, UPA, Manu
Dear Friends,

Thank you Wardah for your immediate reply and for reminding us about
the President's address and fax number we forgot to include in our
email. Here it is for your reference and so you can send it directly
from where you are.

               President Fidel V. Ramos
               Republic of the Philippines
               Office of the President
               Malacanang Palace, Manila
               Philippines
               Fax No. 7421641

Will keep in touch.
Denis, UPA

Dear Denis 

thanks for the info . 
I managed to get a copy of the Phillipines statement to the High level
segment from the Habitat II web site . In process of using excerpts in my
letter. Have distributed your message to The Australin Council for Oversea
Aid -the peak aid NGO in Australia and quite progressive have asked them to
ciculate your message to their member organisations. 
I may be able to get a number of key church people to send aletters to Ramos
as well.

I'll keep you posted 


John Nicolades 



















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