Little Victories: Shelter Code IRR

Nothing is as sweet as victories achieved slowly but surely
by the collaboration of many!!!

that's how it is with the City's Shelter Code....
A lot of groups were lobbying the city council for it different Civil society organizations and networks...

Last year after the last city council session and before the elections, the Shelter Code was passed....
it was victory but... 'twas only the start....
the bigger challenge was to have all the sectors seat on the Implementing Rules and Regulations formulation!

and so it started and finished last week with all the sectors represented!!!
kudos to all involved and who painstakingly stick with it even with a lot of hindrances, setbacks and bullshits LOL

I salute all the Civil Society Organizations & Networks, the Legislators of Davao and the different People's Organization!!!

now, what next???
let's see.... we have to work on the Housing Code...
the Land Utilization Code... the Coastal Management Code.. etc etc... LOL....

oooppsss... did i hear someone say they're taking a break!?!?! lmao!!

well, to inspire us to move one... here's the usual sad song housing NGOs love...:


BAHAY! (house)
by Gary Granada

Sto. Niño, Awad, Ilang, Davao City

Isang araw ako'y nadalaw sa bahay tambakan (One day I visited a house in the dumps)
Labinglimang mag-anak ang duo'y nagsiksikan (Fifteen Families crammed themselves here)
Nagtitiis sa munting barung-barong na sira-sira (Making do with the small dilapidated hut)
Habang doon sa isang mansyon halos walang nakatira (While in that large mansion there is almost no one there) Sa init ng tabla't karton sila doo'y nakakulong (imprisoned in the heat of the wood and carton)
Sa lilim ng yerong kalawang at mga sirang gulong (Under the corrugated steel roof fixed by used tire)
Pinagtagpi-tagping basurang pinatungan ng bato (Made up from garbage held on by a stone)
Hindi ko maintindihan bakit ang tawag sa ganito (I don’t understand why they call such thing as )
Ay bahay (a house) Sinulat ko ang nakita ng aking mga mata (I wrote what my eyes saw)
Ang kanilang kalagayan ginawan ko ng kanta (I wrote a song about their situation)
Iginuhit at isinalarawan ang naramdaman (I drew and Pictured what I felt)
At sinangguni ko sa mga taong marami ang alam (and I asked the people who knows better) Isang bantog na senador ang unang nilapitan ko (A famous senator I went to first)
At dalubhasang propesor ng malaking kolehiyo (and a knowledgeable Professor of a big College)
Ang pinagpala sa mundo, ang dyaryo at ang pulpito (The privileged of this world, the newspaper and the pulpit)
Lahat sila'y nagkasundo na ang tawag sa ganito (They all agreed that this they will call)
Ay bahay (a house) Maghapo't magdamag silang kakayod, kakahig (The whole day and whole night they will labor)
Pagdaka'y tutukang nakaupo lang sa sahig (and after they will peck on food while sitting on the floor)
Sa papag na gutay-gutay, pipiliting hihimlay (on the uneven floor they will try to sleep)
Di hamak na mainam pa ang pahingahan ng mga patay (isn’t it that the resting place of the dead is way better) Baka naman isang araw kayo doon ay maligaw (just maybe one day you might wander there)
Mahipo n'yo at marinig at maamoy at matanaw (You would feel with your hands, you will hear, smell and see)
Hindi ako nangungutya, kayo na rin ang magpasya (I won’t discourage, it is up to you to decide)
Sa palagay ninyo kaya, ito sa mata ng Maylikha (Would you even think, that this to the Creator’s eye is)
Ay bahay (A HOUSE)