Headline
Gov’t-owned lands to be used for socialized housing
MANILA—The Office of the President has released Memorandum Circular No. 87 that mandates government agencies to submit an inventory of idle lands the government aims to use for socialized housing.
“Republic Act (RA) No. 7279 or the “Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992,” directs the local government units to conduct an inventory of lands and the concerned government agencies to identify sites for socialized housing,” the memorandum read.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and local government units (LGUs) will conduct an inventory in urban centers, stated the memorandum.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Land Registration were mandated to provide the DILG and LGUs its land records, including subdivision plans and surveys, cadastral maps, title information and abstracts of registry.
The memorandum defined idle lands as any government-owned lands that has not been used for 10 years; inhabited by informal settlers; and any government owned lands that can be set aside for socialized housing.
The government has also created an Inter-Agency Task Force composed of DILG Secretary Mar Roxas as Chairman, DENR Secretary Ramon Paje, and offficials from the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, National Housing Authority, National Mapping Resource Information Agency, Land Registration Authority and Land Management Bureau.
The inventory of government-owned idle lands is expected to be submitted before the end of December 2015. The final list of the idle lands that will be used for socialized housing shall be submitted on February 29, 2016.
Aurora Abude-Schaefer
December 6, 2015 at 2:37 AM
At last this is being acted upon. The illegal Settlers of Urban areas will have peace of mind that they can move forward in improving their ways of life. HOWEVER, measures should immediately be done in order to avoid the vacated areas of the illegal Settlers be vacated again. I hope that some will be used for Manufacturing Phil. products, Food Processing and other govt. Projects/Programs such as TESDA training Centers, Health Clinics/Hospitals, Agri. Harvests Terminal, Public Transportation Terminal, etc. I hope that this will be the counterpart of privately owned MALLS and Transportation Companies. I hope too that implementation be made immediately because this will partly solve the current problems of traffic and poverty related Crimes in the Urban areas. Good luck and GOD bless!!