HOW sincere is the government when it said it will address the housing crisis in the country?
Apparently, not really.
About 400 local members of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) held a picket in front of the office of Bacolod Representative Greg Gasataya on Friday, September 7, after the lawmaker and the officials of National Housing Authority (NHA) failed to show up to the dialogue the agency set with the informal settlers.
On August 30, more than 1,000 Kadamay members camped out at the housing site for the police and the army in Barangay Felisa, Bacolod City.
The day after, they vacated the area following the dialogue with the NHA officials and local government leaders.
The NHA has also set another dialogue with the Kadamay members on September 7.
However, the said meeting did not push through. The city and NHA officials accompanied Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Senate housing committee chairman, in Barangay Felisa for an inspection at the government housing site.
The Kadamay leaders assailed the local officials for failing to show up at the dialogue, stressing the NHA is not sincere to give them the answer.
It was also revealed that NHA had already held a meeting with the city officials the day before their Friday dialogue but the informal settlers were oblivious about it.
NHA-Bacolod office project manager Alejandro Ongsuco said there was no more dialogue with the Kadamay because all their demands and concerns were already discussed in the previous week.
Though, this is really hard to comprehend as it was the NHA that set the dialogue, along with the officials from the police and the army, to iron out issues and perhaps find a solution.
Nevertheless, Ejercito announced that the housing units intended for the uniformed personnel may be awarded to other qualified beneficiaries should they waive their units.