MILITANT KADAMAY STORMS NHA AGAIN, DARES OFFICIALS TO ‘ TRY’ HOUSING UNITS
MEMBERS of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap ( Kadamay) rallied again in front of the National Housing Authority ( NHA) on Thursday morning to continue their fight for their housing rights. “Hinahamon namin kayo, tumira kayo ng isang linggo sa mga bahay na walang tubig at ilaw para maranasan ninyo ang naranasan namin [ We dare you, stay for one week in houses where there is no light and water so that you will experience what we are experiencing],” Kadamay official Gloria Arellano addressed the housing officials. About a hundred members of the group trooped to the agency to demand that houses that still lack electricity and water be provided with such. They expressed fear that the recently filed Senate Bill 1578 or the Human Settlements Act 2017 seeking to create a Department of Human Settlements is aimed at massive demolition of communities of informal settlers. Kadamay has been a staunch critic of the government’s housing agencies for allegedly neglecting the welfare of the poorest families in need of shelter. NHA data showed that Kadamay members occupied 5,278 idle low- cost housing units in Pandi, Bulacan in March last year. The units were intended for members of the Philippine National Police the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The NHA earlier said it will study proper legal measures against Kadamay members who will be proven to have been renting out their housing units to other families in the area.
FIRE RAZES COMMERCIAL STORES IN ILIGAN
ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte: A fire of undetermined origin gutted seven establishments at the ground floor of a commercial building along Aguinaldo Street in Poblacion on Wednesday. The fire that started at about 4 p.m. created a traffic snarl since the building is about 10 meters from traffic lights close to the city plaza. The burned area is part of a number of establishments within the same block located some 200 meters from the Poblacion fire station. Extremely heavy traffic and bystanders made it difficult for Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel to respond immediately. Fire Officer 3 Richard Cartin said the BFP ruled out the possibility of arson. Initial investigation showed that the fire started at the kitchen of Red Carpet, a corner shop that makes balloons. Someone reportedly left the stove on while cooking. The BFP estimated the damage to be between P5 and P7 million. Witnesses said the traffic light near the fire scene was charred by extreme heat.
BJMP- WESTERN VISAYAS IN NEED OF MORE JAIL GUARDS
BACOLOD CITY: The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology ( BJMP) in Western Visayas will hire additional jail guards this year to compensate for the growing number of prisoners in the region. Jail Senior Supt. Joel Superficial, BJMP regional director, said they need an additional 1,000 new jail guards nationwide, of which about 100 would be assigned for various detention facilities in the region. He pointed out the ideal jail guard to prisoner ratio would be one- is- to- one, but the current ratio is one guard for every 50 prisoners. He added that he is confident more people would join their force since President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order increasing the pay of all military and police personnel including those under BJMP.