The Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor is urging the Department of Interior and Local Government to continuously implement Memorandum Circular 2020-068 or the postponement of administrative demolitions and evictions.
Chairperson and chief executive Alvin Feliciano, in a letter, said any demolition is not timely since the livelihood of the urban poor community has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the urban poor sector need housing even more, especially with a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
“We ask the DILG as well as other agencies to focus on assisting, alternative shelters, resettlement sites and relocation for these informal settler families because that is what they need the most,” he said.
“As the number of cases increases and there are new variants of the virus, I would like to advance to focus more on measures that are more practical, appropriate and effective methods, and not the ones that will make their experience more difficult.”
Feliciano said the interest and safety of the poor is their priority.
Last year, the DILG issued the memorandum circular to ensure the safety of the marginalized sector and the suppression of COVID-19.
But last March 12, 2021, the DILG withdrew the memorandum circular due to the increase in the number of informal settler families staying in dangerous areas.