President Benigno Aquino III and Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman (MNS Photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman on Saturday clarified that Oplan Likas, which aims to resettle more then 26,000 informal settler families (ISF) to safer areas has been ongoing since 2013.
“Ongoing po. Hindi lang ngayon sinimulan. Tuluy-tuloy po iyan mula 2013,” Soliman said, clarifying Friday’s announcement of the Department of the Inteior and Local Government (DILG) that a total of 26,367 ISFs in Metro Manila will be relocated starting this year.
Soliman said that since 2013, at least 20,000 ISFs have been relocated from Metro Manila to nearby provinces, including Bulacan.
Some of the ISFs were also relocated in areas in Rizal province.
“Bago magtag-ulan ay kailangang madagdagan pa ang ililipat namin para hindi sila malagay sa panganib,” she added.
The DILG said in a press release on Friday that the relocation of ISFs from Metro Manila is being done in coordination between the DILG, local government units, the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor and the National Housing Authority.
The ISFs being relocated are living in high-risk areas, including waterways around Metro Manila. (MNS)