If they had a choice, members of the urban poor group Kadamay would not live in government housing projects that looked like a dog’s shelter.

“Sinasabi lang lang po natin kung tayo ay may regular na trabaho, may sapat na sahod, baka hindi na natin gustong tumira dun sa malayo e. Mangupahan na lang tayo ng apartment, ng condominium kung meron tayong trabaho na maaayos,” Gloria Arellano, chair of Kadamay, said during the hearing of the Senate committee on urban planning, housing, and resettlement on Tuesday.

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(What I am saying is if only we had a regular job and sufficient pay, we would not live in a far-flung area. We would just rent an apartment or a condominium unit if we had a decent job.)

“E ang nakakatiis lang po sa ginawa ng NHA e mga mahihirap lang po e, ang liliit at sira sira na. Baka sa inyo, kwarto lang ng alagang aso ‘yung mga ginawa nila doon,” Arellano added.

(Only the poor can stomach living in houses built by NHA; they are too small and dilapidated. For you, these houses may look like dog shelter.)

Last month, Kadamay occupied the housing units in Bulacan intended for military and police personnel.

READ: Homeless take over gov’t housing projects in Bulacan

After taking over the housing units, the group is now demanding a permanent and decent work for poor people like them.

READ: 2 senators say giving housing units to Kadamay may cause anarchy

“Hindi po tamad ang mahihirap. Gusto po namin ng trabaho, ng disenteng trabaho. Tungkulin ng gobyerno na lumika nito kaya hindi pa po tapos ang laban ng maralita. Magkaisa at lumaban,” Arellano said.

(The poor are not lazy. We want jobs, decent jobs. It’s the government’s duty to create jobs; the fight of the poor is not over. Let us unite and fight.)

When the committee chair, Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito asked if Kadamay members are willing to work to pay for the housing they occupied, Arellano said: “Yun nga po. Kailangan ho talagang bigyan sila ng trabaho…Naghahanap nga po kami ng mga trabaho e pero kailangan pong permanenteng trabaho at nakakabuhay na trabaho.”

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(That’s right. They really need to be given jobs. We are looking for jobs, but they have to be permanet and a dependable source of livelihood.)

“Bastat may trabaho na ipagkakaloob, trabahong nakakabuhay ng sahod…Cash for work, e magkano lang naman po yun, kulang pang pambuhay sa pamilya. Basta ‘yung trabaho regular na trabaho at nakakabuhay na trabaho.”

(As long as we will be offered jobs with pays that will sustain us…Cash for work. How much is that? Probably even less that what we need to sustain our families. We need regular jobs, jobs that will sustain us.)

“Habang wala pang trabaho, libreng pabahay muna. Saan po kukuha ng pambayad di po ba?” she asked.

(As long as we don’t have jobs, give us free shelter. Because where will we get the money to pay these houses?)

READ: Kadamay offers to pay for occupied houses

Ejercito explained that Kadamay should also pay for the houses so that the government would recover the money and would be able to build more housing projects.

And when he asked again if Kadamay members are willing to pay for the houses, Arellano changed her answer saying she could not make such promise.

“Hindi ko rin po ipinapangako dahil kailangan sigurado ‘yung trabaho po. ‘Yung sabi nga natin trabaho ng nakakabuhay ng tao.”

(We cannot promise that because we need jobs. As I have mentioned, we need jobs that can sustain us.) IDL/rga

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