President Rodrigo Duterte acted on what Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo reported to him regarding the assistance sought by families living only under the bridge in Barangay Holy Spirit in Quezon City.
Panelo said at the time that he had talked to some families in the barangay during his visit to the local governments.
“Nag-promise ako na dahil sa intervention mo, eh nagpadala kaagad ako ng urgent message sa (National Housing Authority) to build the necessary houses,” said Duterte.
“Iyong narratives natin ‘yong araw na ‘yon, para sa akin unahin natin ‘yong nakatira sa ilalim ng tulay at kung ano saan man kayo naroroon, paalamin lang ninyo at gagawa tayo ng mga bahay.”
Duterte, on the other hand, assured that he is already mobilizing the NHA, as he allegedly put pressure on the agency’s leaders to speed up housing for the victims of typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
He even threatened the NHA leaders that they would be fired if the job was not done immediately.
However, Duterte admitted that not everyone could afford housing because the government also lacks money, materials, and workers.
Duterte orders immediate housing for settlers under bridges in QC
He also said that the construction of houses took a long time.
“Yan ho kahirap mag-solve ng housing problem dito sa Pilipinas. Hindi mo madala sa isang salita na gusto mo overnight,” said Duterte.
“You need 20 years para maitayo mo ‘yong mga bahay . . . Hindi lang basta-basta lupa nandiyan.
” ‘Yong may mga lupa na karamihan dito sa Pilipinas may-ari na. Ngayon, kung ilagay mo sa bundok, sa tuktok ng Taal, ay ibang istorya ‘yan, mayroong lupa.
“Pero sabihin mo na isang salita na bigyan mo lahat at matapos mo ganitong panahon, you must be crazy, or you are lying through your teeth because realistically, hindi mo talaga kayang magawa ‘yan.”
Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded.
According to UN officials, about 11 million people were affected, and many were left homeless. People are still missing because of this powerful storm.
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