Tarlac City gov't offers relocation area, financial assistance to informal settlers

TARLAC CITY, July 12 (PNA) - The city government will provide relocation area as well as financial assistance to some 300 informal settlers in Barangay Roque here.

This was the assurance made by city councilors Ana Aguas and Emy Ladera during the meeting with informal settlers in Tarlac West Elementary School on Sunday.
The city government is exerting all efforts to assist the 300 families living in Blocks 2 and 7 in Barangay Roque here in case the demolition will push through anytime now, the councilors said.
Aguas, chairperson of the city council’s committee on urban poor, said the city government is planning to buy a 1.3-hectare relocation site, also located in the same barangay to accommodate the squatters in Block 7 where the demolition will start first.
It is not only the relocation site that is being offered to the informal settlers, but also financial assistance that they may use in their peaceful evacuation, Aguas said.
The city government will not allow anybody to live and scatter in the streets just because they were deprived of a home due to demolition, she said.

Ladera, chairperson of the city council’s committee on social justice, said that although the city government “is extending such generous offers, the settlers would not be forced to accept the offer as they are the ones who will decide for themselves.” (PNA)
DCT/LAP/zst/EGG/ps