The National Drive Against Professional Squatting and Squatting Syndicates award was given to Angono by Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council as recognition for its outstanding achievements in curtailing the activities of professional squatters and squatter syndicates through sound legislative actions, pragmatic policies, and innovative anti-professional squatting programs and projects, thus enhancing its capacity to address housing and urban development concerns.
NDAPSSS was instituted to curb the nefarious activities of professional squatters and squatting syndicates and intensify as well the national drive against criminal elements that prey on people who need most the protection of the law.
Angono’s Anti-Illegal Squatting Task Force, compose of Urban Settlement and Development Office, Public Safety Office-Civil Security Unit, barangay officials and the Angono Philippine National Police, was able to thwart questionable individuals and groups using spurious titles.
These include the groups of Hermogenes Rodríguez, Kadakilaan Estate, Wilfred Sumulong Torres, Prince Julian Galliano, Acopiado/Acop, Roberto Madrigal Acopiado, RHEMA International Foundation Inc., Dona Lourdes Yaneza, Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo and Rachelle Mabaggu, De Ocampo Estate, Don Ignacio Conrad Estate, Ang Bagong Lahing Filipino Development Foundation, Don Mariano San Pedro y Esteban, Edison Hindap, and other squatting syndicates.
In 2016, the Municipality placed 2nd trailing Tagum City in the same award.
The municipality’s Zero Squatter Program has likewise addressed the informal settlers, which have ballooned to 11,000 families in 2013.
But as of September 2016, the Urban Settlement Development Office has assisted more than 8, 000 families and still striving to facilitate the remaining less than 3,000 families to have a liveable, reasonably priced and decent home.
These are implemented using different approaches such as Direct Buying Program, Community Mortgage Program, National Housing Authority program, and LGU-initiative on auctioned and levied properties program.
Direct buying is a win-win situation between the informal residents of intruded lands and its owners. The municipality serves as middle man, preparing the community for the purchase while they negotiate with the landowner for a reasonable price.
Community Mortgage Program involves key shelter agencies of our government – the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation and the Social Housing Finance Corporation. Once the community is organized by the municipality, the said agencies are contacted to take over and assist them with the program. They accommodate onsite and offsite land occupants.
National Housing Authority Program is similar to CMP. The NHA program is assisted by its respective agency.
LGU Initiative on Auctioned and Levied Properties Program features highly delinquent properties that are levied and auctioned by the provincial government. The municipality organizes the community in preparing funds for the auction where they partake or negotiate with the winning bidders. The provincial government then assists the office in the instance of lost – talking to the bidding winners on behalf of the informal settlers.