The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported that 57,134 informal settler families (ISFs) have been relocated from high-risk areas within the Manila Bay Watershed to government housing units.
The effort forms part of the Manila Bay Clean-up, Rehabilitation and Preservation Program, a flagship initiative to reduce flooding hazards and restore environmental balance.
The DILG clarified, however, that the relocated families represent only 23.93% of the 238,747 ISFs targeted for transfer. The agency did not provide specifics on the original locations of the ISFs or their relocation sites.
Data showed that 61 local government units (LGUs) have already completed socialized housing projects, 52 still have projects under construction, while 90 remain in the proposal stage.
The agency also reported progress in institutional reforms: 182 LGUs have created Local Housing Boards, 133 have approved Local Shelter Plans, and 46 have prepared Resettlement and Relocation Action Plans.
The DILG urged LGUs to move faster and ensure that relocation programs are sustainable, humane, and responsive.
“We call on LGUs to accelerate resettlement programs across the Manila Bay Watershed and ensure that these are sustainable and people-centered,” the DILG said.