2010 Elections: Jobs, Agrarian Reform, Housing and Social Services Top Urban Poor Electoral Agenda Published on May 8, 2010

2010 Elections: Jobs, Agrarian Reform, Housing and Social Services Top Urban Poor Electoral Agenda
Published on May 8, 2010
By ANDREA ZARAH DAYAO and JENNY DE VENECIA
Bulatlat.com
 
MANILA — At the slightest rainfall, the relocation site where Rhiza Perlas, (age), lives is usually flooded. But on one fateful day on September 25, 2009, many homes in Montalban, Rizal were damaged and worse, swept by tropical storm Ondoy. The flood water rose so fast making it almost impossible to bring important things and documents to safety.

“During Ondoy, the water entered our house and reached the roof. Our house wasn’t destroyed but all our things were drenched and most of it were ruined,” Perlas said in Filipino.

Perlas was relocated to Montalban, Rizal after their home in San Andres Bukid, Manila was demolished due to a road-widening program of the government at the boundary of Makati and Manila in 2003. Perlas noticed that the slightest rainfall would make their relocation site flooded but an abnormal typhoon like Ondoy left them with no money, no furnitures and belongings and yet no help from the government.

“The first help that we received were from Anakpawis Party-list and Kadamay. Other NGOs also came to help us. But help coming from the government sector came only after a couple of days,” Perlas said, “We had a hard time cleaning our area. Some NGOs came to help but the government’s arrived very late.”

But after her gradual recovery from the damages that Ondoy had caused, Perlas and her neighbors still have to face the dire living conditions that they have to go through even before the storm Ondoy hit the country, foremost of which is the lack of job opportunities in the area.... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2010/05/08/jobs-agrarian-reform-housing-and-social-services-top-urban-poor-electoral-agenda/