The Human Crisis Behind Housing Numbers

The number is concerning: 22,038. According to the Iloilo City Local Housing Office (ICLHO), that is the official tally of informal settler families (ISFs) in our city as of April 2025. As ICLHO Head Atty. Peter Jason Millare admitted, the numbers have “really ballooned,” far surpassing a decade’s worth of projections. It is a crisis. But to truly understand it, we must first see it for what it is: 22,038 families, not 22,038 problems.

It’s easy to use dehumanizing labels like “squatting,” but behind each makeshift shanty is a story of hope and desperation. These are the parents who work in our construction sites, the vendors in our markets, and the children who walk to our public schools. They flock to Iloilo City because it represents opportunity. When we see 16 new structures built on the roadside railings of Sunset Boulevard, we should see not just a violation, but a powerful testament to the lengths a family will go to for a foothold in a city that promises a better life. Even the lamentable fact that some relocation beneficiaries illegally sell their awarded lots speaks to a deeper issue. It is an act of desperation, not defiance—a sign that the economic precarity that led them to informal settling persists even after being given a home. This is now a community crisis that requires a compassionate, collective response.

For years, the city’s primary strategy has been relocation—acquiring land on the outskirts to move families away from danger zones and public projects. But relocation is a Band-Aid, not a cure. This approach, while well-intentioned, is a 20th-century solution to a 21st-century urban challenge. It is slow, expensive, and fundamentally ignores why people live where they do: access to jobs, schools, and transportation. Moving families to distant sites disconnects them from their livelihoods, treating them as problems to be hidden rather than as integral parts of the urban fabric. As Iloilo City grows up, its solutions must, too.

The city’s efforts to create a comprehensive census and establish clear policies are necessary first steps. But stop-gap measures are not a vision. It is time to pivot from the outdated model of horizontal relocation to modern, land-efficient, and humane alternatives. We must aggressively pursue and follow on in-city, medium-rise socialized housing that allows families to live in dignity near their places of work. The city has started with that but we need robust public-private partnerships that leverage the resources of the business community to address the housing backlog.

This moment calls for a city-wide dialogue, bringing together not just the LGU, but also NGOs, private developers, and faith-based organizations. We must work together to build integrated communities, not just isolated relocation sites. Let’s ensure that as Iloilo reaches for the sky, we lift everyone up with it.