Sponsorship Speech of Senator Cynthia A. Villar On The Welfareville Property Disposition Act of 2025
January 20, 2025
Sponsorship Speech of Senator Cynthia A. Villar
On The Welfareville Property Disposition Act of 2025
20 January 2024
Mr. President, my fellow senators, I rise to sponsor and present Committee Report No. 448. This refers to The Welfareville Property Disposition Act of 2025, which seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) No. 5260, entitled "An Act Authorizing a Committee Composed of the Administrator of the Social Welfare Administration, the Auditor General and the Secretary of the Department of General Services to Sell the Welfareville Property Located in the Municipality of Mandaluyong, Province of Rizal, and for Other Purposes", enacted in 1968.
The Committee Report is an amendment by substitution of House Bill No. 428, taking into consideration House Bill No. 10015, both of which were authored by Representative Neptali "Boyet" Gonzales II (the second) of the Lone District of Mandaluyong City and refer to the disposition of the Welfareville Property in the City of Mandaluyong. The committee report seeks to rationalize the disposition of the Welfareville Property to generate proceeds dedicated to programs that advance the welfare of children, while ensuring its reasonable use by long-time residential occupants thereof.
In 1920, the Insular Government, through the efforts of Dr. Jose F. Fabella, who was then the Commissioner of the Office of the Public Welfare Commission (now known to us as the DSWD), purchased the Welfareville Compound from Phil Whitaker and Francisco B. Ortigas. The government reserved the property for the establishment of child welfare institutions and the improvement of child welfare services in the Philippines. Subsequently, the Philippines supported international movements that promoted children's rights and welfare, like the 1924 Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted by the League of Nations. During this period, the government also championed social services, public health, education, and social justice initiatives that would later reflect with Welfareville.
The Welfareville property then emerged as a centralized institution dedicated to vulnerable children and those who were deemed to be at risk. It provided a safe and nurturing environment for the orphans, homeless, neglected, displaced and abandoned, those children born of leprous parents, those youth in conflict with the law, the aged, and the infirm, among others.
In 1958, however, a study conducted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) showed that the Welfareville facilities were inadequate for the children. It concluded that it had insufficient and poor equipment and was causing overcentralization. Thus, it recommended the decentralization of the Welfareville institutions and its transfer to other sites to serve children in other parts of the country. Following this and the agreements between the Philippine government and the agencies of the United Nations, including UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), Republic Act No. 5260 was enacted in 1968, establishing a Trustee Committee and authorizing it to sell the Welfareville Property through public bidding. The proceeds of the sale of the property shall be exclusively used to purchase lands, construct buildings and facilities for the establishment of national children's homes and community service centers, procure essential furniture, equipment, and other necessary resources for its operation and maintenance, and support community-based programs and services for children in various parts of the country. Significantly, the enactment of the law led to a shift from a centralized institutional care, as seen in Welfareville, toward a more community-based approach to child welfare services.
Unfortunately, since the enactment of RA 5260 up to the present, the efforts to dispose of the property through public bidding have all been unsuccessful for various reasons. Among others, a large number of urban dwellers amassed over the years and caused significant delay in the disposition of the Welfareville property, which also shows the increasing demand for socialized housing.
Mr. President, allow me to paint a picture for you. The size of the Welfareville property is staggering as it encompasses 111.1492 hectares of land at the heart of Mandaluyong City. To put it into perspective, it makes up almost 10% of the 1,124.97-hectare land area of the city. And for over 35 years, Barangay Addition Hills, where the Welfareville property largely sits, remained the most populated area in Mandaluyong. There are approximately 182,000 individuals or nearly 37,000 households living in Welfareville. That alone equates to over one-fourth of Mandaluyong's projected population of 525,202 for 2025.
Ito po ay nakababahala. Kawawa ang sitwasyon ng mga tao, lalo na ang mga bata, na nakatira sa Welfareville. Halos taun-taon napapabalita na may sunog na nangyayari doon at ilan sa mga dahilan ay ang overcrowding at matagal na problema sa lupa. Tuwing may public bidding, takot na takot ang mga taga-Welfareville na basta na lang sila mapapa-alis ng makakabili ng lupa. Mahigit dalawang dekada na humihiling at nananawagan ang bawat pamilya na mabili nila ng direkta ang katiting na lupang tinatayuan ng kani-kanilang bahay pero hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin silang seguridad. Sa tingin ko, panahon na para pakinggan natin ang daing nila at tuparin ang pangarap nilang magkaroon ng tahanan na masasabi nilang pagmamay-ari nila. Tulungan natin silang makabili sa pamamagitan ng direct sale, at hindi ng public bidding. Kung malipat sa kanila ang pagmamay-ari ng lupa, mas makakatulong ang pambansa at lokal na pamahalaan na maisaayos ang mga problema ng mga residente sa kalsada, tubig, at kuryente.
Bukod dito, nauna ng ipatayo ang Welfareville School, na kilala natin ngayon bilang Jose Fabella Memorial School, noong 1925 para sa mga bata na may espesyal na pangangailangan. Unti-unti rin na naipatayo ang iba pang educational institutions - ang Nueve de Febrero Elementary School, Andres Bonifacio Integrated School, Mataas na Paaralang Neptali A. Gonzales, Addition Hills Integrated School, Mandaluyong Addition Hills Elementary School, Senate President Neptali A. Gonzales Integrated School, at ang Mandaluyong College of Science and Technology. Nakatulong ang mga nasabing paaralan sa halos kalahating milyong bata, at sa ngayon, may walumpung libong (80,000) estudyante ang kasalukuyang nag-aaral sa mga eskwelahang nabanggit.
Mr. President, makikita rin sa Welfareville Property ang iba pang mga tanggapan ng national government, tulad ng National Center for Mental Health na una ring naitayo noong 1925, ang Nayon ng Kabataan, Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking - Tahanan ng Inyong Pag-Asa Center, Jose Fabella Center, at ng Sanctuary Center ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), ang Department of Health (DOH) - National Capital Region, and Metro Manila Center for Health Development din ng DOH, ang Correctional Institution for Women ng Department of Justice (DOJ), Commission on Population Development ng National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), ang mga istasyon ng Philippine National Police at ng Philippine Coast Guard.
Bukod dito, nakapag-patayo rin ang City of Mandaluyong nga mga imprastraktura na nagdadala ng basic public services sa lumipas na mga taon. Marami dito ay naipatayo dahil na rin sa initiative ni Congressman Boyet Gonzales II (the second). Ito po ay mga medical na pasilidad, multi-purpose buildings, day care centers, flea markets, fire stations, basketball courts, at iba pang local facilities, gaya ng Manpower Training Center, Hardin ng Pag-Asa, at Project TEACH.
Sa sitwasyon po ng Welfareville ngayon na may residential urban dwellers at mga tanggapan at pasilidad ng national and local government na naghahatid ng basic public services, napakahirap na po itong mabenta through public bidding na ayon sa RA 5260. Mr. President, this is a lingering challenge or uncertainty existing for almost sixty years now.
The Welfareville Property Disposition Act of 2025 will address these long-standing challenges in the disposition of the property. The key provisions are:
First, the bill provides for the disposition of the Welfareville Property through two distinct modes:
No. 1, direct sale of lands actually used for residential purposes, without public bidding, to actual and qualified residential occupants thereof, pursuant to Act No. 3038, in relation to RA 730; and
No. 2, conveyance of lands actually occupied and used for public use or purpose to concerned government entities, pursuant to Section 8, Book I of Executive Order No. 292, or the "Administrative Code of 1987".
Second, it incorporates safeguards to ensure that the policy objectives of the bill are upheld. Lands used for residential purposes that were acquired by the beneficiaries shall not be subject to encumbrance or alienation for a period of ten years. Through this, long-term residents will be given the opportunity to enjoy land tenure and security under fair and reasonable conditions.
On the other hand, the lands that were issued with deeds of conveyances to the concerned government entities shall not be disposed of, unless it is sanctioned by Congress. In this way, we are assured that the delivery of essential and basic public services will not be hampered.
Third, a survey will be conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in coordination with the relevant National Government Agencies and the local government of the City of Mandaluyong, to determine the actual boundaries, including actual possession and improvements thereon.
Fourth, this bill will require a harmonious collaboration among the Trustee Committee, which shall be principally chaired by the Secretary of the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources and the Mayor of the City of Mandaluyong as its co-Chair, to ensure its efficient and effective implementation.
Lastly and more importantly, a dedicated fund, to be known as the "Welfareville Children's Welfare Fund" (WCWF), will be established to promote the welfare and development of the children. The proceeds from the disposition of the property will accrue to this fund and will be administered by the DSWD.
The historical background of Welfareville Property and the continued challenges faced by Filipino children emphasized the need for a dedicated fund. Through this, we could support existing child welfare services, develop and strengthen community-based initiatives, invest in facilities, such as shelters, schools, and healthcare centers, and provide for the targeted needs of the orphaned, abandoned, neglected or abused, those in conflict with the law, those with disabilities, indigenous children and children from vulnerable communities, children affected by natural disasters or crises, and children from low-income families or disadvantaged backgrounds, among others.
In closing, the core principles of RA 5260 remain relevant today. However, the approach to child welfare has evolved from institutionalized care to a more community-based approach, as envisioned in RA 5260. This bill represents a novel framework toward our commitment to improve child welfare services.
Moreover, this bill promotes sustainable urban land reform by directly addressing the needs of the informal settler families who do not have land tenure security. This is crucial given Welfareville Property's prime location in Metro Manila, which presents a significant potential for urban development.
Until the very end, our committee is dedicated to ensure that the property's disposition is adaptable to the changing times, guided by our learnings from the past and the principles of RA 5260. Thus, as we proceed, we are appealing to you, Mr. President, and my distinguished colleagues, to help us finally realize the true intent of this bill. I urge you to support this novel legislative measure. We welcome your wisdom and valuable insights as we move forward with the bill's deliberations.
Thank you very much.
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