[asia-apec 207] acfoa letter to FVR

[Philippine Peasant Institute]

October 21 1996


President Fidel V. Ramos
Malacanang Palace 
Manila
PHILIPPINES


Dear President Ramos,

I write on behalf of the member agencies of the Australian Council for
Overseas Aid, to express our distress at reports that large numbers of
squatter families are being forcefully evicted from Metro Manila in the lead
up to the APEC Ministerial and Leaders' meetings in November.

We have received reports that there are plans to demolish the shanties of
over 400,000 families and that almost three million people will suffer not
only housing dislocation but also from economic and social difficulties.

Are these families to be relocated?  If so, will they be relocated within
commuting distance to their work places?  

We would like to suggest that rather than hiding the poverty in which so
many Filipino families live, the evidence of the extent of poverty in the
Philippines should be used to support the argument that the Development
Cooperation, or Technical and Economic Cooperation, 'leg' of APEC should
receive greater priority.  

If the leaders of APEC economies are serious about their commitments made at
Bogor, that the objectives of measures undertaken under APEC are to improve
the lives of all people in the Asia-Pacific region, then they must begin to
address together the causes and effects of poverty, especially where the
poverty of many people is being exacerbated by trade liberalisation.  Hiding
the poverty is not a solution.

The reported evictions are disturbing, not only because of the impacts they
have on those who are already disadvantaged, but also because they come
shortly after the Philippines' Government signing the Declaration of Habitat
II in Istanbul, declaring that a decent place to live is the right of every
human being and condemning all forms of forced evictions.

To now evict squatters in order to present an "eye-sore-free" Manila to
foreign dignitaries attending the APEC meetings, casts doubt on the
sincerity of the Philippines Government's commitment to international
declarations and agreements.

I urge you to personally address the reported injustice and announce that
housing will be provided for all displaced families and that the Philippines
will promote within APEC discussions on strategies to address the negative
social impacts of integration into the global economy and the growing
disparities in wealth within and between APEC economies.

I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,


JANET HUNT
Executive Director

________________________________________________
Australian Council For Overseas Aid (ACFOA)
Private Bag 3
Deakin  ACT 2600
Australia
ph: +61 6 285 1816
fax: + 61 6 285 1720
acfoa at peg.apc.org
________________________________________________