Residents and peasant-members of Samahan ng Mamamayang Nagkakaisa sa Diliman (SAMANA Diliman, or United People’s Association Diliman) held a dialogue with University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Vice Chancellor Edgar “Carlo” Vistan on July 14 to demand the scrapping of the UP Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Park and Rental Housing Building projects.

Residents from Pook Malantic, Area 17, Pook Aguinaldo, Sityo Libis, and Krus na Ligas demanded that the university administration reveal the project’s real agenda, after tensions rose at the barricade erected by residents on July 8.

Community leaders said the UP administration disregarded their complaints about land rights. Instead of resolving the dispute, the administration continues to railroad the construction of eight buildings and a park on the 20-hectare land where their homes and livelihoods stand. The project is being pushed through in collusion with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and Megawide Corporation under the Marcos regime’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH, National Housing for the Filipino) program.

“UP again proved having no intention of listening to the people’s grievances,” SAMANA Diliman said. “Instead of resolving land issues and the rights of farmers and residents, the administration deliberately sidesteps ownership questions and still promotes the SDG Park and Rental Housing Building.”

The group strongly opposed the park and housing project. They said residents, farmers, and contractual workers cannot meet the project’s high housing requirements, even including 24-month Pag-IBIG membership and three months’ salary. They also emphasized that the rooms are too small to accommodate large families. The residents would rent for life since the housing is not rent-to-own.

Beyond the profit-driven rental housing, residents questioned UP’s ownership of the land. The community’s investigation revealed that the university’s title (TCT 9462 Decree No. N-15584) does not cover Krus na Ligas but lists San Antonio, Zambales as the named area.

“Krus na Ligas peasants have long resided on the land, for decades before UP and Quezon City,” SAMANA Diliman said. “UP’s claimed title covering Krus na Ligas is fake.”

The dialogue also raised a series of violence and harassment incidents the community faced from armed “Blue Guard” personnel of ARMMS Agency, the Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS), and the Quezon City Police District (QCPD). Complaints include destruction of equipment, uprooting of crops, and physical assaults on women and youth.

The sheds and barricades in Pook Malantic currently remain in place to block entry of the construction company’s equipment. Youth organizations are at the same time conducting house-to-house campaigns to further strengthen residents’ unity.

SAMANA Diliman insisted residents do not oppose development, but they will stand by the barricade against any project that destroys their homes and blocks their livelihoods.

“The struggle does not end with dialogue,” the group said. “As long as Pook Malantic, Pook Aguinaldo, Area 17, and Sityo Libis face a threat, the community will remain barricaded against anti-people development.”