THE City Council on November 26 urged the Department of City Housing and Urban Planning and the Urban Development Department (Chudd) to address long-standing issues of abandoned housing units in hinterland areas, despite an urgent need for relocation spaces for evicted and fire-affected residents.
Councilor Jose ‘Pepe’ Abbu, during his privilege speech, criticized Chudd for failing to provide timely solutions for displaced families.
He cited recent incidents, including fires in Vamenta, Carmen, Lapasan, and Zone 3, Patag, as well as demolitions in Barangays Lumbia, Patag, and Carmen, leaving many residents without proper relocation.
Abbu recalled that in March 2023, Majority Floor Leader Edgar Cabanlas had already flagged anomalies within Chudd.
“Applicants are told there are no vacancies in relocation sites, but when inspected, many houses remain unoccupied or even damaged,” Abbu said, particularly pointing to abandoned units in Pahiron, Pagatpat.
The councilor also highlighted Chudd’s failure to submit an inventory of vacant units and relocation sites, despite repeated requests.
He noted that families evicted in February from Zone 5, Barangay Carmen, remain without relocation due to alleged lack of available housing.
Cabanlas, who chairs the Committee on Housing and Urban Poor, acknowledged systemic challenges in Chudd, describing it as “the most complicated department” with irregularities such as multiple ownerships of single units.
“Each administration inherits unresolved issues,” Cabanlas said, adding that Chudd’s records are incomplete, delaying efforts to finalize an accurate inventory.
However, he praised recent progress in accommodating Sendong victims and expanding relocation sites.
Vice Mayor Jocelyn ‘Bebot’ Rodriguez called for stricter measures, suggesting unoccupied units be reassigned to eligible beneficiaries.
Councilor Bernie Esparcia noted poor planning as a key issue, with housing developments lacking access to schools, hospitals, electricity, and water, driving beneficiaries to abandon units.
Abbu’s motion was referred to the Committee on Housing and Urban Poor, with Cabanlas committing to hold a hearing to address the matter.
Despite a backlog of 30,000 housing units, officials stressed the importance of continuing the housing program while resolving current setbacks.
