Saturday, October 15, 2011

Investors in Davao City, Philippines

Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said investors in the city should share in helping resolve dislocation of informal settlers who were evicted from areas where their businesses are to be located.

Duterte said investors could assist the city government in confronting the problem of providing relocation sites for the illegal settlers by adding funds in their investment plan for the purpose.

"I am asking the investors to provide a budget in their investment plan for relocation of the informal settlers. Many businesses here are put on hold due to illegal occupants on their proposed factory or plant site or subdivision projects," he said.

Duterte said relocating the informal settlers ordered evicted by the court, takes a heavy toll on local finances even as the local government has resettlement areas for displaced urban poor. Davao City has an active Urban Land Reform Program that provides relocation sites for displaced informal settlers who are resettled in new homesites on city-owned land at the outskirts of the city proper.

Duterte's advice came as investors -- mostly in property development and housing projects -- gobble up lands for multi-million peso investments.

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