Title: Slum Upgrading and Urban Renewal of the National Government Center
Description: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you
welcomed me, naked and you clothed me….” “The King will answer them: ‘I assure you, as often as you did it for
one of my least brothers, you did it for me’” (NAB, Mt. 25: 35-36; 40).
Inspired by the above passage, the author saw the urgent need for shelter in his parish. He decided to
involve himself and inspired the people to fight for their rights to acquire decent dwellings. He then conducted a
study to evaluate the government-housing program, called the “National Government Center Housing Project,”
particularly, the People’s Housing Alternative for Social Empowerment-Land Acquisition Development Program
(PHASE-LADP) at the West Side of Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City. The results of the study are presented
in this book entitled: Slum Upgrading and Urban Renewal of the National Government Center where the author narrates his
active participation in the struggle of the members of his parish community to acquire their individual land titles and
seek security of tenure that frees them from threats of eviction or demolition. The author also chronicles actual
experiences of struggle of the homeless and landless and juxtapose them with the theories and concepts of good
governance particularly those related to housing and land titling, namely, transparency, predictability, participation
and accountability and feedback from the program beneficiaries and the researcher. He likewise probes for the
causes of the housing problem and the various government approaches, ranging from the traditional approach of
eviction, relocation and resettlement of squatters to a new area, to innovative and non-conventional approaches,
like improvement of sites-and-services, production of housing units, provision of housing finance schemes for land
tenure, site development, and house improvement to solve the problem. Finally, the author suggests a partnership
between the government, business, individual beneficiaries, and homeowner associations toward an effective and
efficient implementation of the program.