Former Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon is appointed as the chairperson of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor. (Photo from PCUP Chair Terry Ridon’s Facebook page)
DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte appointed former Kabataan Partylist Representative Terry Ridon as head of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor.
In a statement, Ridon vowed to follow Duterte’s pronouncement that there should be no demolition of urban poor communities without relocation.
“We cannot allow our urban poor to wallow further in poverty by driving them out of their homes without any recourse nor assistance from government,” said Ridon.
He said both national and local governments have a lot of things to do to improve the condition of the urban poor.
Ridon said he would push for the review of previous relocation projects by both the national and local governments “to determine whether relocation sites are built with acceptable standards of socialized housing.”
He said many relocation sites for the urban poor have substandard facilities and infrastructures and have no access to potable water systems.
Many relocation sites are also located in areas far from employment and public services, said Ridon.
“Inadequate infrastructure and services have driven many of our relocated families back into danger areas as well,” he said.
Ridon added that the practice of considering the urban poor as an impediment to development has to stop.
“Many urban poor families comprise the base of employees in government and the private sector. Their welfare in terms of security of employment and living conditions are also main priorities of the Duterte administration,” he said. (davaotoday.com)
