Traders urged to spawn jobs for rail relocatees

Vice President Noli De Castro urged yesterday businessmen to build factories in industrial areas in Bulacan to spawn employment for relocatees from the Malabon and Valenzuela segment of the Northrail Development Project.

De Castro, concurrent chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), said factories can be built in Sapang Palay, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

As an incentive, he proposed a moratorium on lease payment for the properties for one year, provided that the businessmen would extend employment to the relocatees.

San Jose del Monte Mayor Lito Sarmiento also expressed support for the employment-generating measure for Towerville residents and the proposed incentive.

De Castro assured the affected families of constant support after their relocation to the government resettlement site in San Jose Del Monte, Bulucan.

He said that the relocatees’ need for electricity, drinking water and other basic services will be promptly addressed.

The National Housing Authority (NHA), the lead shelter agency implementing the relocation program for the families affected by the Northrail project, has allocated a vacant lot for a public market within the resettlement site.

The construction of the market will be funded by the local government to provide livelihood opportunities to their residents.

"The government will not stop at relocating your families to your new home. We will also ensure that you get adequate services, livelihood activities and other opportunities," De Castro said.

He also handed livelihood checks worth P25,000 each to 43 beneficiaries from Malabon who qualified for loans from NHA that is payable in five years.

Towerville is an NHA project that is home to some 4000 families, including 400 railroad settlers who have been relocated from the Malabon segment of Northrail.

De Castro earlier said that the relocation of 6,816 families occupying the Malabon and Valenzuela segment of the Northrail Development Project will be completed early next month.