PHOTO

DOCUMENTATION
NORTHVILLE 9, BAGBAG, CITY OF CALUMPIT, BULACAN
NORTHVILLE 9
More than 600,000 informal settler families (ISF) from Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna who
were residing along railroad tracks were affected by the Northrail and Southrail projects. They were relocated to 69 Northville and Southville
resettlement areas of National Housing Authority (NHA). (Senate of the Philippines 17th Congress, Press Release, November 18, 2017).

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has cleared two new official development assistance (ODA) loans worth $600 million to be provided by The
Export Import Bank of China for the government’s major infrastructure projects.
BSP sources said the policy-making Monetary Board approved during its Thursday’s meeting a $500-million, long-term loan from China Eximbank
to finance the first phase of the North Railway project and another $100-million term loan to boost the country’s container inspection system.

The first phase of the North Railway project seeks to reconstruct and convert the existing 32.3-kilometer track from Caloocan to Malolos,
Bulacan, into a double track. The implementing agency is the Philippines National Railways.

The groundbreaking for the first phase of the priority infrastructure project was held last Oct. 20. Based on the latest report by the Task Force on
Infrastructure Monitoring headed by Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap the right of way for the railway project had been fully cleared and
relocation of informal settlers almost complete.

Construction will start this April and project will be completed by 2010. A memorandum of understanding had been signed between the
Department of Finance and China Eximbank for the loan.

The second loan worth $100 million will finance the implementation of the Bureau of Customs’ non-intrusive container inspection system
project phase 2. (Inquirer, Business, February 03, 2007)

In time of former President Fidel Ramos, families living on railways were planned to be abolished. It was when Manila-Clark Railway System
(MCRS) was programmed. It was planned under the Philippine 2000 that was later on changed its name into 747 Economic Plan. On this version,
the development was focused on Central Luzon, which then called Central Luzon Development Plan (CLDP). This was not completed due to
Ramos’ term ended. In time of former President Gloria Arroyo, the project was changed into Strong Republic Transport System. She issued an
order to Northrail project for North and South Railways rehabilitation which Philippine National Railway (PNR) then owned. After that, it was
called Northrail Transport Railway System. This was when the $600M was loaned from China.

From then on, massive relocation for informal settler families (ISF) living on lands owned by PNR had started under former Vice President Noli de
Castro which was then the head of The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC). Northville and Southville Relocation
sites were created.

Relocation of ISF to NV1-2 (Valenzuela), NV3-9 – (Bulacan), and NV10-16 (Pampanga) was rushed because it was said that railroads were going to
be constructed soon.

In 2008, ISF from Calumpit, Bulacan were relocated at North Ville – 9 Relocation Site, Rainbow Village, located on Iba O’este, Calumpit, Bulacan
having an area of 12.4 hectares. The awardees were each allocated a 5mx8m (40sqm.) lot area with a 1-storey dwelling and 1 toilet in it. Today,
the village resides 9400 population or 2000 families.
There is a talipapa inside the Village.
There is no maintenance provision to the housing by the government.
There is only one Health Center for
the whole village that has not a
single medical staff or nurse, and is
only available during Thursdays.
This is an In-Town Relocation which inappropriately consists of only one
entrance which happened to also be an exit at the same time.
A single unit is 40sqm. in size with 8x5m in dimension.
There are no city lights constructed and planned all over the Ville which will
always give the people a hard time especially during the night.
Extreme poverty, it’s like the slums of Tondo in Manila.
Electricity and water are not properly distributed to every unit.
Street vendors are exclusive in the area.
Every unit has its own sanitary tank that is really tiny and is composed of very
small sewer pipe lines.
Some units are well maintained by some resident, majority has business. But
majority of the people’s houses urgently needs to be rehabilitated.
Structures are only made of sub-standard materials that the roofs are easily
ripped apart by bare hands.