HOME FOR THE HOMELESS A Socio-Economic Research Paper

Presented to: MR. JUN DE LARA Presented by: TRISHA BUSTAMANTE PAZ ELAINE CO

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH 1. What is the problem all about? Informal settlement is taking its toll on the countrys economy. For the previous years, this issue has been ignored and not been given proper attention by the local government. They allowed the informal settlers to grow in number before they took action. Now that the country can feel the effect of these people, it is a great blow to the economy of the Philippines. 2. Why did you choose this problem as an immediate concern? This problem greatly affects the Philippines economy because of the budget allocated for relocation of informal settlers; Php 18,000 per family to 19,440 families and counting. Services such as transportation from the city to relocation sites, and construction and planning for the resettlement housing.

I.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM This research is about informal settlements in Metro Manila. We have listed some of the causes and effects on why informal settlers thrive. Listed below are issues we have expounded on: Health concerns; wastes that are not properly disposed make squatters prone to diseases and epidemics. Environmental effects; garbage that clog drainages is one of the causes of flooding in the city. Budget Allocation; the government provides too many resources and services to the relocation of informal settlers such as transportation, construction, etc.

Attitude problems; some of the informal settlers tend to be arrogant; they expect the government to be solely responsible for them without understanding that they must also contribute for their own betterment.

II.

HYPOTHESES/ASSUMPTIONS 1. If informal settlers are relocated, the land will properly be used (for projects/sites) and Metro Manila will become cleaner, less populated and polluted. 2. If informal settlers are given livelihood, then these people will become productive and will be able to contribute to the development of the economy.

III.

DATA GATHERED

INFORMAL SETTLERS

* Informal Settlers are groups of people living on land they have no legal claim to or the homes and land do not follow codes and regulations. Also referred to as a squatter settlement, slum or shanty town. There are two types of Informal Settlers, those who follow the government, and those who fight for their houses. *According to the 11th National Convention on Statistics, the estimated number of informal settlers in the Philippines has reached 550,771 households. They are defined as those households whose tenure status is rent-free without consent of owner. *Informal settlement has been perceived both as a problem and solution to housing needs in speedily growing cities.

CAUSES OF INFORMAL SETTLERS:

*Urbanization It is one of the root causes for the spread of informal settlers. Urbanization is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of rural migration and even suburban concentration into cities, particularly the very large ones. *It all started from the Pre-Revolution Era when the rapid expansion of trade and other economic opportunities during the early nineteenth century resulted in the booming growth of the population in Manila, Metro Manila locations. *Poverty Due to poverty, people cannot afford to buy or rent houses therefore, they are pushed to live in informal settlements so that they have a house to live in. And some of them cannot afford their own houses because of unemployment and lack of education. *Ineffective Housing Policies Although the government has implemented policies to provide housing for the urban poor, their efforts have proved futile. They have evicted people from informal settlements, razed the housing, and sent the dwellers back to the countryside. These measures fail to stem the tide of urban migration. *Blind-eye Approach The blind-eye approach is the governments lack of political will to implement policies on land use. It is called the blind-eye approach because the government acts as if it is blind when the land wherein informal settlers reside at are not claimed by its legal owners.

EFFECTS OF POVERTY:

*Disaster The informal settlers are prone to disaster due to the lands that they occupy which are still undergoing construction or are temporarily stopped, which makes the houses and/or buildings not yet suitable for living.

*Overpopulation The people who cannot afford houses will settle on lands that are not their own, and then the new generation of people will think that it is okay for them not to afford a house because they can always settle in informal lands which will cause the settlements to be overflowing with people.

*Pollution and Flooding Most of the people living in these areas are not aware of proper waste disposal. This is the reason why areas wherein informal settlers stay are often polluted, therefore making these same areas prone to flooding during the rainy season.

*Diseases and Epidemics Due to the overpopulation of people living in informal settlements, the houses or settlements that they construct are small and connected with each others houses to maximize the usage of space. This is one of the causes of the rapid spread of diseases these areas.

NEWS ON INFORMAL SETTLERS:

*Government to remove informal settlers from danger zones to avoid typhoon casualties: MANILA, Philippines - The government plans to remove almost 20,000 informal settlers living in danger zones like waterways in Metro Manila within the year to avoid annual casualties during the typhoon season, a government official said today. Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said at a press briefing on today that the government would be providing each informal settler-family living in the waterways P18,000 ($410) in rent on a staggered basis in the next six months or until the houses where they would be relocated have been completed. He said as the rainy or typhoon season comes, there's a danger of them being washed away. At least 4,000 of these identified settler-families had already agreed to be relocated in an area where the National Housing Authority has already started construction of houses. Nearly 500 families have already moved out. The government wants to finish the relocation by the end of the year. Manila is one of the world's biggest cities with a population of close to 14 million. Unofficial statistics showed there are 3 million informal settlers who come from the provinces seeking a better life in Manila, but most of them had to live in squatter camps in the end. FROM PHILSTAR: (JUNE 24, 2013)

*Muntinlupa informal settlers ready to barricade anew MANILA, Philippines - Around 128 informal settler-families in Muntinlupa City on Wednesday trooped again to the East Service Road and posed to barricade the path to keep a demolition crew at bay, urban poor rights advocacy group Kadamay said.

Kadamay said the families, belonging to the San Isidro Labrador Neighborhood Association, were bracing for a possible demolition of their houses at Carmina Compound in Barangay Cupang. The residents went to the East Service Road of the South Super Highway as early as 5 a.m., ready to block a demolition team, Kadamay added. The group said the residents are demanding from the private owner, Sonia Lim, to provide them with relocation. They also called on the city officials to intervene in the pending demolition of its constituents. Kadamay said that although the demolition this morning did not push through, the residents will be at the area to defend their homes "at all cost."

*Binay: Informal settlers to have new homes MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay assured yesterday the 8,000 informal settler families living in danger zones that they will have new and safer homes through the high-density housing (HDH) program this year. Speaking during an ocular inspection at the Doa Imelda HDH project in Quezon City, the chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) said informal settlers will not be taken away from their livelihood because the five-storey buildings are to be constructed in-city, near-city, or near-site. Around 8,000 informal settler families are expected to benefit from this project within the year, he said.

Binay said the HDH adopts a community-driven approach to guarantee that informal settlers are involved in the planning and implementation of their housing and shelter facilities. This approach provides security of housing tenure to the informal settler families and at the same time, ensure that their livelihood will not be affected once they transfer to their new, decent and safe homes, he said. Binay said that under the HDH, the Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC) will provide loan assistance to organized communities of informal settler families living in danger areas in Metro Manila to finance land acquisition and construction of homes. The adopted scheme allows beneficiaries to pay lower monthly amortizations on the first year with a gradual annual increase of 10 percent up to 10 years, he said. The succeeding monthly amortization after the 11th year is fixed. We are studying the capabilities of the beneficiaries to pay their monthly amortization so that they can afford the terms of payment. Binay said that the SHFC offers up to P400,000 loan with an interest of 4.5 percent per annum for a maximum of 30 years. Borrowers may also apply for a graduated amortization scheme, he added. Binay said the beneficiaries must pay their monthly dues so the government may be able to build more houses for the poor. Part of this program is the responsibility of the families and the community to fulfill their obligation as beneficiaries, he said. I hope that you will be an example by rightfully paying your monthly amortizations.

OPINIONS ON INFORMAL SETTLERS:

There should be a code of conduct for operatives tasked with demolishing informal settlers homes on private or government property - Paraaque Rep. Gustavo Tambunting

Tuesday he will look into the possibility of offering incentives to informants who wi ll identify the members of the so-called professional squatting syndicate. - Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II

The Quezon City government is set to build more than 700 homes for informal settler families along the San Juan and Tullahan rivers, who have been targeted for relocation by the end of July.

The government is offering P18,000 to each of the 20,000 families of informal settlers living along waterways in Metro Manila so they can rent decent and safe homes elsewhere for 12 months while officials are looking for a place to resettle them permanently.

DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT and DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT:

MANILA, July 1 -- The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced the release of P374.4 million for the resettlement program for informal sector families (ISFs) living in identified priority waterways in Metro Manila. This is a part of the government's

broader flood control and management plan for the city. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the Interim Shelter Fund for Informal Settler Families program, will distribute P18,000 to each of the 19,440 ISFs in Metro Manila danger zones who will voluntary vacate their current residences along targeted waterways. The fund release covers the necessary allocations for the subsidies, as well as the fund requirements for the mobilization cost of the project. "Foremost in President Aquino's disaster and flood management strategy is securing the safety of communities living in high-risk areas. By providing decent shelters in habitable environments to families living in esteros and other waterways, we not only account for the safety of these communitieswe also strike at one of the major causes of flooding in the metro, DBM Secretary Florencio Butch Abad said. The rental subsidy will be offered to families living along eight identified waterways across Metro Manila, including the San Juan River, Manggahan Floodway, and Estero de Tripa de Gallina. Families by the Pasig River, Tullahan River, Maricaban Creek, Estero de Sunog Apog, and Estero de Maypajo, will likewise receive assistance. The relocation effort kicks off the implementation of the government's flood control master plan under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which was designed to address the severe flooding problem in Metro Manila and nearby provinces through long-term measures, such as watershed rehabilitation, river desiltation, and the construction of bigger drainage systems and dams. (DBM)