VICE President Leni Robredo expressed Tuesday her full support for President Rodrigo Duterte's policy of "no demolition with no relocation."
Robredo agreed with the President on the importance of relocatable, safe, and sustainable housing for Filipinos living in slum areas.
"We believe in advocating for the dignity of those who are relocated, and that necessitates houses that have connections to electrical lines and have running water," she said.
Moreover, Robredo said that relocation sites should also be areas where residents may have livelihood options and have access to jobs and schools.
"We have long worked with families and communities on this advocacy, as many have previously been relocated to inhabitable and unsustainable areas," she said.
Robredo said as the housing czar chair, she will do her best to achieve the goal of sustainable relocation or on-site near city housing with livelihood, schools and jobs.
"We shall try our best to achieve this goal as HUDCC (Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council) chair," she said.
On previous occasions, Robredo had cited that the proliferation of informal settlements is one of the most visible negative consequences of unmanaged urban development.
Robredo noted that cities must prepare themselves to address and manage the needs of its citizens with the country's urbanization rate as of 2010 standing at 45.3 percent, and seen increase to 56 percent by 2050.
Population in urban areas is projected to reach 83 million by 2030.
"But if urban growth is managed well, it can translate to higher incomes, wider distribution of wealth, more jobs and investment opportunities, lower carbon emissions, and a better quality of life," she said. (Sunnex)