Puerto Princesa, being the center of trade, commerce, and
education in Palawan, has attracted migrants to the city.
Over the years, many families illegally occupied private
land or squatted along the coastal areas.
A census conducted by the city found squatters in
13 of the 66 barangays, totalling 4,540 households. The
overcrowding of squatters’ shanties in these areas
resulted in health and sanitation problems, and the pollution
of Puerto Princesa bay.
To address the squatter problem, the city embarked
on a program involving 24-hour demolition of illegal construction
and on squatter relocation. It used the low cost housing
scheme in Barangay Sicsican as its model. In this project,
the government provided shell houses for squatters to purchase
within a monthly 25-year scheme. Given the above conditions,
the first batch of 150 squatters voluntarily agreed to relocate.
