by  Jarieinill Namit

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in partnership with Municipal Urban Development and Housing Office (MUDHO) is expecting the ongoing construction of 40 houses in Brgy. Maahas to be completed and be awarded to its beneficiaries before the year ends.

Families living in danger areas from Brgys. Lalakay and Bambang are the top priority of MUDHO to be relocated in the housing units. The beneficiaries will be given a Certificate of Lot Award (CELA) giving them the right of occupancy.

The said construction is part of DSWD’s Core Shelter Assistance Project with 70,000 pesos worth of construction materials and labor based on bayanihan concept or ‘Cash for Work’ or ‘Food for Work’ for the future occupants.

The said project aims to minimize the number of informal settlers in danger areas and in privately owned properties in the locality of Los Baños. One hundred fourteen families had already been relocated to housing sites after Typhoon Milenyo hit the country in 2006, 48 in Brgy. Lalakay and 66 in Brgy. Maahas.

According to Anni Dimaao, administrative assistant of MUDHO, the ongoing project is still mainly under DSWD. The beneficiaries will be chosen by DSWD while MUDHO is monitoring over the project. Currently, the local government of Maahas said they have no role yet for the project. Everything is still under MUDHO and DSWD despite the land being within their jurisdiction.

However, Dimaano said that MUDHO will fully take over the project in time and by then will give role to the local government in Maahas to monitor the construction progress and materials.

Currently, there are 66 families that were awarded and relocated in Maahas from danger areas in Lalakay and Bambang. One of them is Berces Santos. Santos is from Bambang and was awarded in 2010. Santos said he has no complain to his new house since they got the house for not even a peso worth although they do not have the title yet. MUDHO said that the awardees will need to buy the land title from PNR, however the titles are still not available yet since there are still ongoing construction within the area.

Unlike Santos, Lorena Balasa, another awardee, seem to like her house in Lalakay more. “Walang kabuhayan dito, wala pang kuryente [there is no livelihood here, not even electricity]”, Balasa said. Balasa had been relocated in 2010 and since then, she mentioned that her husband still goes to Dampalit to make money since there is no available work for him in Maahas. “Yung iba ayaw lumipat dito [some refused to move here]”, she added.

Aside from the housing, beneficiaries are also asking some help from the government. Lani Casuncad, awarded in 2011, said that government gave each family two kilograms of rice and other relief goods when they were first relocated. However, MUDHO said that they only have limited funds for the project, and they can only provide these goods for those people who will help with the construction thus the ‘Food for Work’ or ‘Cash for Work’ concept.

As of press date, aside from the construction, MUDHO is also aiming to provide electricity within the area. “May budget na, approved na ng Department of Energy, implementation na lang ang hinihintay [We already have budget, it had already been approved by Department of Energy, we’re only waiting for implementation]”, Dimaano said.

However, funding is not the only problem of MUDHO and DSWD for the project to be fully implemented. Based on the figures that MUDHO consolidated from their different studies in the year 2008, the main problem of the housing sector in Los Baños is the lack of opportunity to own home lots. Los Baños has 5,650 hectares land area, 40% of which or 2,262. Seventeen hectares constitute the vast Forestry Conservation Area. The next big chunk of the land area is devoted to agricultural use, third comes institutional use and the smallest portion of it is for residential area. The remaining two percent are used for commercial purposes like parks and open spaces.

The government, however, strategized to regularize tenurial status of occupants of certain public lands.

The government’s strategy to solve the problem is by the issuance of Presidential Proclamation 550, Series of 2004. The proclamation declared open for disposition certain lands within Camp Eldridge Military Reservation Area in Brgy. Lalakay, Bambang, and Tinmugan; which means these lots can be used by the municipality for housing projects; and the Executive Order (EO) 048 which declares non-core properties of the Philippine National Railways as socialized housing site and open for disposition to its actual occupants. The EO covered four hectares in Brgys. Maahas, Mayondon, Bayog, and San Antonio.

According to the 2012 National Statistics Office report, there are 21, 749 households in Los Baños. Twenty-one percent of these households are informal settlers, excluding the families residing along the lakeshore. The length of Los Baños shoreline covers six barangays and the number of informal settlers there can be approximately at 700 families, according to MUDHO’s partial report in 2012.

About 699 informal settlers from Military Reservation Areas (MRA) and 528 informal settlers from Philippine National Railways Non-Core Property were awarded with either Land Title or CELA in pursuant of PP550, Series of 2004 and Executive Order No. 048, Series of 2001. After awarding these titles and CELAs to 1227 families, the number of informal settlers from 8,052 dropped to 6,825 as of 12^th of March 2012.

Other than the funding and home lots issued, another major challenge for MUDHO is the existence of private claimants and land titles covering big tracts of land issued prior to PP 550. Because of this, MUDHO cannot issue CELA or titles to the awardees thus cannot give the beneficiaries their right to occupy the land.

In Brgy. Bambang, no title had been rewarded yet because of private claimants. There are about 50 families facing eviction cases in court.

In the relocation site in Timugan, a five-hectare land is under the name of Cesar Lopez. The case had been filed to the Office of Solicitor General (OSG) to nullify the said land title. April last year, court had favored Lopez but just recently, the beneficiaries had been granted by the motion to present evidences. “Umusad yung kaso konti lang nakakaalam, [the case progressed with few people being aware of it]” Dimaano said, “nagulat na lang kami may desisyon na yung court [we were surprised that court already has a decision]”.

To date, there are already two closed eviction cases. The first one was Kayumanggi Press, Inc. against the residents in Purok 5 of Brgy. Bambang. The court decided in favor of Kayumanggi Press. However, DENR has requested OSG to file nullification of title and revision of land to public status so the implementation of the court decision has not been implemented yet. The other case is between Paraducho-Ramos against 20 residents in Tuntungin-Putho. The court had favored the landowner and the decision is for implementation. There are also three cases filed by Eric Cuevo against 50 residents in Purok 5 of Bambang that are still going through court trial.

The Office of the Mayor is offering assistance to these families who are involved in eviction cases through MUDHO in form of legal aid, technical, and administrative support.

With all the challenges MUDHO is facing in their ongoing housing project, MUDHO has three proposed projects and activities.

The first project is to conduct inventory of landless and underprivileged families. Even with the current number that they have, MUDHO stated that the current number would be underestimation of the informal settlers because other families had not been part of the survey like those who are living in privately owned properties. There are also families residing by Boy

Scout of the Philippines and the upland farmers living at the foot of Mt. Makiling. If formally surveyed, the figure is being expected to rise by another thousand.

The survey would also need to have the exact number of families living in danger areas, the economic profile of the residents and also to come-up with a shelter plan that will cover relocation of the beneficiaries.

The second proposed activity is to come up with a Municipal Shelter Plan. As provided for Republic Act 7279, which also states the areas of danger areas in the local municipality, it states that every municipality should come up with Municipal Shelter Plan that shall serve as guide in implementation of housing projects.

Third is acquisition of housing site. The possible relocation sites within the areas covered of PP 550 cannot be easily be taken in possession by the municipality because of the private claimants who had been paying taxes due to the lands.

Dimaano said that once the construction in Brgy. Maahas is completed, the next project will be in Brgy. Putho-Tuntungin. Currently, MUDHO is also looking for lots that the municipality can buy and use for further shelter assistance.

Los Baños Times correspondent Mary Joie C. Cruz sits down with Los Baños Mayor Caesar Perez for the LBTimes Coffee Break sessions.

LBTimes Coffee Break with Mayor Caesar Perez from the los baños times on Vimeo.

by Dianne B. Ubaldo

[NEWS FEATURE] “Makikipagsabayan na tayo sa supermarkets,” this was the statement of Los Baños Mayor Caesar Perez during the inspection of Brgy. Baybayin Public Market on July 21, 2013. Mayor Perez explained that the public market inspection aims to ensure that pathways are not overcrowded with vendors putting premium to the convenience of the customers as well as to ensure fair pricing of goods and the use of accurate and calibrated weighing scales.

It is also during the regular public market visits that Task Force Kalinisan (TFK) checks market stalls to ensure that the vendors are complying with the regulations on “No Plastic Policy”, “No Smoking”, and “Tapat Mo, Linis Mo“.

“Sang-ayon ako sa polisiya ng munisipyo kasi mas magandang magdala na lang ng sariling lagayan para mabawasan ang mga plastik na nagdudulot lang ng maraming basura na nagbabara sa mga kanal tuwing may baha,” Renel Lapiz said. On the other hand, Tonio Lanceta explained that “mahirap din naman kung sa papel lang ibabalot ang bigas kasi kapag sumabog talagang nakakapanghinayang.”

While these regulation are met with mixed responses from the customers, these policies are strictly observed by vendors in the Los Baños public markets. “Pabor nga sa aming mga tindera na gamiting pambalot ang mga diyaryo o paper bags kasi mahal ang plastik,”said bread seller Gladys Makiñara. Also, RCC Bienes explained that the vendors following the rules and regulations implemented in the public market because violations result to payment of fines, an additional expense.

Most public market vendors argue that the income they earn is not enough. “Madalang na ang mga mamimili dito sa palengke kaya hirap kaming isampa ang pambayad sa buwis at sana maging maunawain ang munisipyo sa kalagayan naming mga nagtitinda,” said bakery owner Purificacion Regalado.

With the increase in taxes and fees and the increase in number of supermarkets in the municipality; public market vendors are left with greater expenses and decreased sales.

The vendors suggested lower government taxes and fees so they can give lower prices for their goods. Lower prices of goods can encourage more customers to buy in the public markets. RCC Bienes noted that “napahina ang kita ng palengke, kasi ang mga tao naman kapag may bagong bukas na supermarket ay doon sila nagbibilihan pero babalik din naman sa palengke.”

Currently, some consumers prefer to go to supermarkets for the prices of goods, range of products,  and for their convenience as with the case of Neneng Bautista, Toto Osido, and Che Espiritu. “May mga produktong mag-kapresyo sa palengke at supermarket, pero sa supermarket ako namimili kasi komportable at naka-aircon pa,” said Bautista. Osido explained that he frequently shops in supermarkets “kasi may aircon at organisado, hindi katulad sa palengke na maputik at iba’t-iba ang amoy.” Espiritu confirmed that it is easier for her to locate goods and it is more convenient to shop given the carts and the air conditioning in supermarkets.

On the other hand, consumers like Ronnie Pascua explained that “sa palengke ako namimili kasi gusto kong makatipid at mas sariwa pa ang mga paninda kaysa sa mga supermarkets na frozen ang mga karne at isda.”  Lea Navarro added that “nakakahingi ako ng diskwento sa mga tindera sa palengke kaya nakakatipid ako at mas maganda pa ang kwalidad ng mga paninda kasi sariwang-sariwa ang mga gulay.” Boy Rodriguez supported that one can get discounts in public markets as well as select better quality vegetables unlike in supermarkets where the good are pre-packed with fixed pricing.

According to the member of the Public Market Vendors’ Association and a coconut milk seller Alex Foster, the 2009 Revenue Code of Los Baños included an increase in the amount of taxes that sellers pay in renting their stalls. The association is negotiating with the Public Market Administrator for the amendment of the 2009 Revenue Code of Los Baños to lessen the amount of taxes. Municipal Councilors Jay Rolusta and Norvin Tamisin are supporting the intent of the Public Market Vendors’ Association in the amendment of the revenue code.

RCC Bienes explained that Mayor Perez and the Sangguniang Bayan are looking for possible solutions to modify the revenue code in order to respond to the petition of the Public Market Vendor’s Association.

Currently, the public markets vendors pay taxes and fees based on the space rented. Included in the taxes and fees are electricity usage, ticket, and business permit. RCC Bienes, stated that the taxes they collect in daily electricity usage is Php 6,000 and tickets roughly worth Php 7,000. The local government also gives deadline extensions, notices, and interests to vendors who were not able to pay their dues on time. Vegetable vendor Merly Yadao said that “maayos at regular ang pamamalakad ng munisipyo sa pagkolekta ng mga buwis sa aming mga tindera.”

By Shien C. Maiquez

(NEWS FEATURE) Calamba City’s Special Education for the Employment of Students (SPES) 2013 recorded 559 participants this year. This is according to the report released by the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) in June 2013.

SPES is mandated under the Republic Act 7393 or the act to help poor but deserving students pursue their education by encouraging their employment during summer and/or Christmas vacations. In the Calamba City, PESO is the implementing agency.

Calamba was among the first to implement SPES in 1995. The number of annual participants vary with the amount of funds allocated by each municipality. Calamba City is able to accommodate an average of 465 students every summer. Since 1995, SPES Calamba has recorded 8,413 beneficiaries.

Calamba PESO Department Head Peter Capitan explained that the program is for students who are of good academic standing and one or both of the student’s parents should unemployed or have no permanent source of income.

Angelo Dy, 17 and a resident of Villa de Calamba, is a student of Laguna College of Business and Arts. Like many students, he lives wanting to help out his parents with the household expenses. His mother manages a store in front of the police station where he would often be and when he heard about SPES he grabbed the opportunity right away.

Students who want to apply for the program are required to submit a report of their family’s net income and student class cards, among other documents to verify their qualifications. Aside from these, the student must also be enrolled for the current semester or for the semester preceding the program.

Participating schools in Calamba City include the University of Perpetual Help, St. John Colleges, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, and The Lyceum of the Philippines. SPES participants can also come from other schools as long as they are residents of Calamba. There have been participants from University of the Philippines Los Baños, Malayan Colleges, and Canossa de San Pablo Colleges.

This year, an additional 398 students was employed through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Community Based Employment Program (CBEP), a complementing program to the SPES. CBEP is a upholds a policy of hiring 50% of unskilled or underskilled workers and 30% skilled workers in local communities. Representative Edgar San Luiz, proposed to DOLE to acquire more funds to accommodate more students this year. Overall, there were an additional 2,000 additional students from the province of Laguna taken in for the summer internship program under the CBEP.

With SPES and CBEP combined, Calamba recorded 957 participants who benefited from the paid summer internship program. These participants underwent job interviews and screenings and were selected to be the most deserving.

Seventeen-year–old Dy emphasizes the importance of perseverance in being accepted to the program. After completing the requirements and passing the interview, Angelo was set for a month long employment. He was excited for the chance to spend his summer gaining experience in the work force. He was put under the task of inventory and filing. Dy completed his first SPES experience in the summer of 2013 and he was satisfied with it. He also recommends joining SPES to his peers.

The local government of Calamba distributes SPES and CBEP participants among the different departments, as each and every department is required to help in the program. SPES participants are given office or clerk work, liaison, computerization and community surveying. There are also opportunities to become tour guides in landmarks like the ancestral house of Jose Rizal.

“The focus of SPES is not only to earn money, but also to serve as a training ground for them to become more competitive when they graduate,” explained Capitan. The PESO department head shared that they were pleasantly surprised to receive words of gratitude from individuals who were part of the SPES. These SPES participants would also update Capitan on their current employment.

Dy said that his experience with the SPES program was able to inspire him to become steadfast and persevering in his work. He learned to work even harder than before. His experience with the people he worked under and the people he worked with was also enjoyable as they were easy to get along with. Dy established his own connections within the municipality through the program. He believes that SPES definitely gave him a big boost and that it increased his chances of making it in the real world.

SPES 2012 participant, Roselle Previlla,18, in in agreement with Dy. “It’s like a training ground. We’re shown that we all have to start at the bottom. We need to work hard even if we have an edge from graduating from a good school.”

Previlla is a student of the University of the Philippines Los Baños and is a resident of Brgy. Majada, Calamba City. She shared that SPES taught her about teamwork and patience. Previlla was assigned in the City Housing and Settlements Department as an encoder and community surveyor.

“Sometimes there are no job openings in the city hall, so students are assigned to departments in barangays instead. Participants must be prepared to do what job is given to them even if it’s not in their field of specialization,” Previlla explained.

Both Dy and Previlla say that given the chance, they would want to participate in SPES in the future. It is good news to know that it is very much likely to happen.

PESO Calamba aims to help SPES and CBEP participants finish their studies and pursue their career. After graduating completion of the summer internship program, the local government of Calamba also helps in finding job openings for the participants.

Participants of SPES receive their wages at the end of the program. Each day they work corresponds to Php 255 or the minimum wage. According to Capitan, the particpants’ wages are given directly to the participants through a payroll system.

By law, 60% of the wages of the students must come from the local government while the remaining 40% is provided by the DOLE. PESO Calamba started releasing the remaining 40% of this years program on September 20.

Although it has been more than three months of waiting for the portion of the DOST, Dy understands that the funds of the national government takes time to be processed. The participants of SPES have been oriented about this problem prior to their working days as it has been a common trend ever since it was first conducted. This year, the remaining 40% wage from DOST had been delayed because of the processing of the additional 2,000 students in Laguna that participated from the CBEP.

According to Dessy Encinas, an employee of PESO Calamba, the portion of DOST is delayed because even if they send the profiles and documents of the participants they have already verified, DOST must then re-asses all documents to ensure that none has been tampered with. Calamba City aims to be able to provide the 60% wage by the end of May to be able to provide support for the student’s enrollment onto the first semester. Over the years, the participants use the portion of the DOST for their second semester expenses.

The Calamba SPES program prioritizes college students with their youngest participants at least in their third year in college. “College students feel the importance of employment more so that somewhat ensures us that they use the funds to finish their studies,” says Encinas.

Upon acceptance into the program, SPES participants are expected to act professionally. Grounds for the removal of a participant from the program include excessive absences, bad work ethics, and destruction of government property. In cases as such, the students will not receive any wage even if they have been employed for several weeks already. However, in cases where absences are justified, the wages they earned in the days they have worked will still be given to them at the end of the program. Such grounds include the participant being sick or having to take care of an immediate family member.

Falsification of documents are an annual problem, according to Encinas. There have been cases of people over the age of 25 wanting to participate. They use falsified birth certificates. Signatures of school registrar’s are also forged usually by students who do not meet the grade requirement of the program of an average 2.5.

“From the start we see who is trust worthy or not. If they cannot be honest with documents, what more when they are placed in their workstations?” said Encinas.

In Calamba, the three million annual budget for the wages of the participants can only cover so much. Department Head Peter Capitan hopes to double the number of beneficiaries given the chance for securing additional budget for the program. He added that there is no problem in finding work for the students to do. PESO has community projects that need all the manpower that it can get.

Capitan also hopes to be able to improve the language and communication skills of his participants, as he believes that the skill is needed for every type of job the students will ever hope to have.

Dy’s advise to SPES applicants is to “do things to the best of your abilities.” Previlla emphasized that, “students should mind the deadlines of requirement and that they should be willing to be placed in any department, in any place.”

Department Head Capitan wants the hopeful applicants to be aware that being in SPES is being in a commitment. He explained that the participants “need to be consistent with their life. They have good grades, good traits, and that we can see their perseverance to study and to finish their studies.”