By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The University of the Philippines (UP) on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to proceed with the construction of a low-cost rental housing project inside the UP Diliman campus later this year, while assuring residents that no informal settler families (ISFs) will be displaced.
The university stated tensions at Pook Malantic in Barangay UP Campus, Quezon City, where residents formed a human barricade on Wednesday after fearing that demolition activities were about to begin.
UP clarified that no demolition orders had been carried out and that personnel were only tasked to install a perimeter fence around the designated transition housing site.
“The University has a legal duty to protect and properly utilize its land for the benefit of the UP community,” the university said.
It also stressed that it has both a legal and moral obligation to improve the living conditions of vulnerable families residing within the campus.
UP maintained that ownership of the land has long been affirmed by the courts and that the proposed housing development will benefit both university employees and qualified informal settler families.
According to the university, at least 26 families expected to be affected by the project will be provided with on-site relocation, ensuring that they remain within their community.
“With on-site relocation, no informal settler families will be displaced,” UP said.
The project, known as the UP Southern Diliman Gardens Rental Housing Project, forms part of the government’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program and is one of the flagship developments under the university’s Sustainable Development Goals Park.
Once completed, the development will consist of eight walk-up residential buildings offering approximately 1,000 rental housing units, each measuring around 27 square meters.
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with completion targeted in 2027.
The project will be implemented by Megawide Construction in partnership with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
UP said the initiative aims to provide affordable, safe, and decent housing for university personnel and informal settler families while protecting them from displacement and from individuals falsely claiming ownership or control of university property.
Beyond housing, the university said the project will include community development programs such as livelihood training, sustainable urban farming, educational assistance, and university readiness initiatives designed to improve the long-term welfare of residents.
UP earlier unveiled a model unit for the housing project, which is expected to benefit more than 3,000 individuals upon completion.
Aside from the Diliman campus, the DHSUD is also implementing a similar rental housing program at the University of the Philippines Los Baños as part of the government’s broader affordable housing initiative.
ia/xf
