Informal settlers will soon be relocated away from the city’s danger zones, public places and government projects as Mayor Hernani A. Braganza signed into law Ordinance No. 2009-01.

The said ordinance, Creating a Local Housing Board (LHB) of the City of Alaminos, Pangasinan, its Composition, Power and Functions, made it mandatory for the city to conduct evictions and demolitions-whether voluntary, extra-judicial, summary, or court-ordered.

The passage of said measure is pursuant to Memorandum Circular No. 2008-143 and Section 3 and Executive Order No. 708 S. 2008, with mandates the LGU to enact ordinance creating Local Housing Board.

Under the ordinance, the city mayor will head the Local Housing Board.

Among the members of the Board are Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee Chair on Housing and Urban Development or its equivalent, City Planning and Development Coordinator, City Engineer and Representatives from Zoning Office, Health Office, DSWD Office, Assessor’s Office, Cooperative Office, PNP/POSO, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, SEC registered and duly accredited Non-Governmental Organization operating in the city and a certified and accredited Developer.

As the sole clearing house for eviction and demolition activities concerning informal settlers, LHB shall exercise several powers and functions.

This includes monitoring all evictions and demolitions and requiring the proponent of an eviction and demolition, i.e., national government department, agency, institution or local government, or its duly authorized representative, to first secure from the Board the Checklist, Guidelines and Eviction and Demolition Compliance Certificate prior to the actual implementation thereof and, thereafter, to submit to the Board the completed

Checklist, attested to under oath by the proponent, shall indicate the following:

(a) Adequate consultations with the affected families were undertaken;
(b) Adequate resettlement site and relocation facilities are made available; and
(c) The provisions of Section 3, Paragraph 1 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Section 28 of this Ordinance (Pre-relocation) have been complied with.

Based on the completed Checklist, and subject to further verification, LHB will also issue an Eviction and Demolition Compliance Certificate on a proposed eviction and demolition.

Concerned parties will also receive several prior notices for them to leave the place and transfer to other areas allotted by the city for them.

It was learned that every proponent of an extrajudicial eviction and demolition, whether administrative or summary, shall, prior to actual eviction and demolition, secure a Compliance Certificate from the Board.

A penalty of not more than one (1) year of imprisonment or a fine of not less than Five Thousand Pesos (P 5,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court shall be imposed to any person who violates any provisions of said ordinance.

City councilor Orlando R. Go, author of the ordinance, said there will be no illegal or chaotic evictions and demolitions in the future.

He added that the squatters will be relocated to resettlement sites or away from government reservations as mandated by Republic Act 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.

LHB will soon have the list of informal settlers in the city which will be used to address squatting in Alaminos, now one of the fast growing areas in North Central Luzon, noted city councilor Earl James Aquino, co-sponsor of the ordinance.

“And once the data base of actual informal settlers is established, the city can best protect the land areas designated as forests parks, development sites and other purposes identified for city and barangay needs,” he further stressed.

Owing to its strategic location and stature as center of western Pangasinan and one of the fastest growing areas in North Central Luzon, Alaminos continue to attract tourists, investors and even informal settlers here nowadays.

Certainly, the demand for urban poor housing in the city increases as years go by and the creation of the Local Housing Board is indeed a bold step towards the realization of vision of a squatter-free city and preserving areas for future development.  (CIO)