Informal settlers have been a longstanding issue in the University of the Philippines

Diliman. There are 28 areas where squatting communities reside all of which are on
land owned by UP. Some of these areas such as Village A and Village B are given to
UP employees and their families.
The University of the Philippines Diliman Police has a special unit to address the
communities of informal settlers inside the campus. The special task force on
squatting communities, housing and utilities is a 5-person team headed by Sargeant
Jocelyn de Peralta.
The job of the task force is to implement laws against expansion of houses or
renovations without permits and to preserve UP land, especially those unused.
Sargeant Jocelyn has only been on the job for 1 year but she is known and
respected by the communities she visits almost every day. Her style of leadership is
motherly for she is strict and firmhaving a sharp eye for rule breakers but warm
and friendly, calling residents of each area by name.
It is the job of the UPDP Task force to implement the laws of the UP Office on
Community Relations. UP covers of 493 hectares of land ranging from academic,
residential, commercial and even agricultural purposes. The task force must
maintain the size of property and housing and manage the population of the
squatting communities.
The issue of land ownership and informal settlers claims to UP land is complicated.
Some families continue to claim they have a right to the land even if their contracts
have expired. Some families overstay the lease given by UP while others claim that
their land was given to them by the government from the Marcos, Aquino and
Ramos administrations. But without any titles, informal settlers cannot have a full
claim on any land even if they have lived on the land before UP was established.
The dela Cruz family has lived in Pook Aguinaldo for 4 generations. Lola Olympia is a
second generation resident. She and her daughter claim that they are the original
residents, having more rights to the land than the University.
The cries of entitlement from these families may never end but what is certain, is
that ownership of the land will always belong to UP. Officer for Community Relations,
Professor Thelma Magcuro explains why the problem of informal settlers is a
delicate one that cannot be solved by simplistic and linear thinking. She explains
the different factors and groups involved in implementing policy and the role of her
office in all of these.
As Professor Magcuro explained, it is necessary to examine the reality by which the
University and the community of Informal settlers belong. And the reality is,
informal settlers exist in the University. Yes it is clear in the UP Charter that when
the university needs its land, the squatting communities must leave. But it is also
clear that being the state university that protects the rights of the people, it has an
obligation to help and serve the poor. There is a need for fair dialogue and
representation of involved groups. The best solution to the problem of informal
settlers may be achieved by finding where the policies of UP meet its core values.