CHAPTER 1.

0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND / OVERVIEW

According to the DENR, almost 200,000 informal settlers residing around

waterways in Manila Bay designated as “danger zones” around Manila Bay. These
informal settlers will have to be relocated to other areas to continue with the
rehabilitation of the waterways around the city They are also one of the major cause of
pollution in these waterways as they dispose their wastes on it that leads to the clogging
of rivers, and creeks which then cause flooding and they would be endangering
themselves by staying in the area.

The research will be introducing a socialized housing project which will act in
accordance to the planned project of Manila City Government that intends to relocate
about 7,000 families of informal settlers living around waterways in the city, thus, the
city government will be the one funding the said project and will be helped by the LGU
where the site will be located. The project site will be in Cavite along a major road and
will be located near major roads which would provide the relocated communities access
to Metro Manila. The proposed project will feature a mid-rise socialized housing project
which would provide users with their basic needs for their everyday life. Each mid-rise
building will be three-five stories high with units suitable for families of five, it has
green zones, parking slots, and areas where tenants are able to interact with one another.
The project will have support facilities such as a youth development center, town hall,
recreational facilities, parks, laundry facilities, community centers, fitness centers,
libraries and study areas, and service centers which will provide service to the tenants
and job opportunities to some members of the community who want to work near their
homes.

The project aims to provide the community with good quality housing and
livelihood, an improvement that is far beyond their previous state of living and to give
them a place to live where they can live like normal people where kids can be kids,
adults and elderly people are able to relax in an environment which will help them relax.
Having a life like this will help these people rediscover themselves and find their true
purpose in life. It can help them discover new things about themselves and see how
they can use it to contribute to their communities and their country.

1
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Informal settlers are spread throughout Metro Manila. They usually occupy
waterways around the cities and they are considered as the major cause of the pollution
in these waterways. They treat these waterways as if they are garbage disposal areas
and comfort rooms as they continue to dispose their garbage and human wastes in it.
This lack of discipline causes these waterways to clog, and eventually lead to flooding
even with little rainfall. The pollution in these waterways are very alarming as coliform
levels are high and it would take years to clean it, maybe even more if the improper
garbage disposal doesn’t stop. The living conditions of these informal settlers are not
suitable for everyday life as their homes are made up of scraps they have gathered
around the area, mostly using wood and corrugated roof for the support and walls. Their
houses are also built very close to each other which gives them little room for
ventilation and limits their movements and activities and it also lacks sewage facilities
which leaves them with no choice but to send their waste straight to the creek below
their houses. They also live beside “danger zones” as they are at risk to be affected with
dangerous diseases due to the pollution in the water and to flooding as they will be the
first victims because they live beside it. It is also hard to relocate these informal settlers
from where they are living in now as they would not give up their houses and they claim
that they have lived there ever since, so why would they give it up. They also complain
about the designated relocation zones as some are located far away from cities and
towns, making it hard to travel to get resources, food, and even find job opportunities
for themselves.

In recognition of these problems, the project will provide the families with
homes in a cleaner environment which is a big change from what they are living at this
moment. They will each be issued with a unit that will cater a family of five which will
provide them with their basic needs and sanitary systems. The project will be having
facilities where the tenants can find their own jobs to help and service the new
community that they will be living in including libraries, development centers,
community facilities, etc. The project site will also be located along a major road which
will make travelling to other areas easier especially traveling to Metro Manila as there
will be public transportation available in the said road and the site will also be near
Cavite Expressway which will give access from Cavite to Metro Manila.

2
1.3 ARCHITECTURAL GOAL & OBJECTIVES/STRATEGIES

GOAL 1:

• Find ways on how to provide job opportunities for the relocated community

OBJECTIVE 1:

• Make use of existing roads to provide access to cities and towns nearby
that could provide job opportunities for the community

STRATEGIES:

• Establish transport terminals alongside major roads found in the

site
• Provide spaces for transportation stops
• Provide access from the relocation site to major accessible roads

OBJECTIVE 2:

• Construct support facilities that offers different services and jobs to the
community

STRATEGIES:

• Set-up development centers, community centers, libraries,

fitness centers, laundry, and service facilities which would offer
different jobs to the community

OBJECTIVE 3:

• Establish a tricycle terminal and TODA

STRATEGIES:

• Provide one tricycle for families that are willing to buy it which
they can pay monthly for 5 years
• Locate the terminal in strategic points to ease travel around the
site premises

3
GOAL 2:

• Consider the sustainability of the residential building and each housing unit to
save more power and energy

OBJECTIVE 1:

• Provide natural lighting and ventilation for each housing unit

STRATEGIES:

• Provide open spaces after every 2 housing units to provide more

areas for natural ventilation
• Use sun shading techniques to avoid direct sun contact while still
providing enough light and air to enter each unit
• Provide clerestories in every housing unit
• Provide terraces with gardens which will act as buffer zones in
each unit

OBJECTIVE 2:

• Use alternative building techniques and materials that would help

control the heat index in each housing unit

STRATEGIES:

• Use green walls and green roofs which will provide the building
with insulation and aesthetics
• Use polycarbonate roof in walkways and terraces
• Use sun shading techniques added with greeneries which can
help cool the area and to add aesthetics to the design

OBJECTIVE 3:

• Find alternative energy solutions

STRATEGIES:

• Provide solar panels for every building which would act as its
secondary power source

4
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH

1.4.1 SIGNIFICANCE TO ARCHITECTURE

The study will help find new creative and innovative ways on how to build mid-
rise housing units and can serve as a basis for architecture students looking for
inspiration and ideas for their projects.

1.4.2 SIGNIFICANCE TO THE COMMUNITY

This research will help find the best way on how and where to relocate the
informal settlers residing in Manila. It will help with identifying their current problems
and how they affect the communities around them, the land they occupy, and the current
situation of the environment they are living in. Identifying these problems will then
make it easier to find solutions that will make up the project proposal. It will provide
knowledge on the improvements and additional needs the project should have which
would then lead to an effective proposal.

1.4.3 SIGNIFICANCE TO FUTURE RESEARCHERS

This research will also help future researchers identify the problems and needs
of communities and the environment and how they will find solutions that will help
improve or change the current state and livelihood of the communities affected by the
project. It will also help find some shortcomings and deficiencies in their projects and
find ways on how to resolve it or discover something else that will make their project
better and more efficient.

1.4.4 SIGNIFICANCE TO THE COUNTRY.

The study will help the government with the relocation of informal settlers in
Manila and they could use this as a basis with the relocation of other informal settlers
scattered around Metro Manila. This will also help the government progress with the
rehabilitation of Manila Bay and the waterways around it as waterways will finally be
free of informal settlers and there will be no more people who will delay the cleaning
of esteros, and creeks.

5
1.5 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

1.5.1 KASA KAWAYAN: A Proposed Socialized Bamboo Housing (LOCAL)

Alba, Ian Ricardo M.

De La Salle University – Dasmariñas, College of Engineering, Architecture, and

Technology

April 2015

SYNOPSIS:

Kasa Kawayan is a proposed architectural thesis that aims to find a new and
innovative solution to the housing problems that our country is facing. The study solely
focuses on the use of bamboo as a primary building material that acts as a unit’s
structural and utility system which then would provide the same capabilities of a
common housing unit. It also aimed to find a site capable of having the requirements
needed in order to build such structure. The site requirements were then decided to be
a place that has a high count of housing units present and also to have a great abundancy
of bamboo. A site in Pampanga was eventually chosen as it has satisfied the
requirements set by the researcher. The site was then divided into lots and was provided
with support facilities that would cater to the needs of the occupying community.
Housing units was then translated into four housing types, namely, a single-detached, a
row house, a row house with mezzanine, and a single-detached with mezzanine. The
housing units were made available to the low to mid class as each unit was estimated
to be around Php 64,000 – Php 79,000.

CRITIQUE:

Bamboo would be a great alternative as a primary building material as it would

be efficient, economic, and good for the environment. Bamboo is also a very sturdy
material which is proven by “kubos” found in the Philippines which mostly used
bamboo and wood as its primary material. Developers and buyers could also save a lot
of money as construction costs will surely decrease if they will be using bamboo as the
primary material for their developments.

6
APPLICATION:

This study could be a great inspiration to the project as it could help the
researcher find ways on how to incorporate the use of bamboo to his project or use it to
help him find different and innovative ways that could make the project sturdy but low
cost mostly because the housing project would be made for people in the lower-class.

1.5.2 SUSTAINABLE HOUSING IN NAVOTAS, PHILIPPINES – A Minor Field

Study on Low-income Housing in Disaster Prone Areas (LOCAL)

Olofsson, Lina & Truong, Sophia

Lund University, LTH School of Engineering

2007

SYNOPSIS:

Students at Lund University in Sweden had conducted a research about the

housing conditions and problems the people living in the Philippines are facing. For
this study, they limited the scope to the people living in Navotas and they used this as
a basis to see the living conditions of people living at relocation sites. The area used for
the study was reclaimed by the local government to make room for a residential
development which would accommodate people devastated by calamities and affected
by demolition projects. The local government disapproved this relocation site as they
think that organization running the community are taking in a lot of poor families to
their community. Some organizations have aided communities in Metro Manila like the
TAO-Pilipinas, NGOs, the NHA, Green Architecture Movement, and the Asia
Development Bank.

In their conclusion, they realized that there are a number of factors affecting the
housing problems in the Philippines such as overpopulation, lack of government
support, the availability of land, lack of funds, and the lack of communication between
developers, the government, and the communities affected by their development
projects.

7
CRITIQUE:

This study shows that the housing problems in the Philippines are becoming
very overcrowded as people keep on coming and build their own houses in areas with
dense population. The government should not have let this happen and act fast but as
always, they didn’t pay attention to the problems the communities are facing again. The
community should also be responsible for this as it is the place they’re living in that’s
getting cramped and overpopulated and they should aim to live in a better environment.

APPLICATION:

The study could help the researcher identify the present problems found in
housing developments in the Philippines. It could give him knowledge of what the
project should have and what it should not have. With the knowledge gained from this
study, the researcher will be able to present a proposal that is economic, effective,
environment and user friendly, and almost problem-free.

1.5.3 DISASTER RESISTANT BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES FOR

SOCIALIZED HOUSING (LOCAL)

Ar. Gertrudes C. Samson

TAO-Pilipinas YP Workshop

2008

SYNOPSIS:

This presentation made by Ar. Gertrudes Samson talks about the different
building technologies available and how to apply it. There are many natural factors that
makes the Philippines prone to natural calamities like flooding, typhoons, and
earthquakes. One of it is being an archipelago and surrounded by bodies of water,
another is its varying topography, from low swamps, hills, volcanoes, mountain ranges,
and plains. All these factors make the country vulnerable to these natural calamities
which makes it important to have building technologies that can withstand these natural
events.

8
CRITIQUE:

The presentation is a good source of information regarding on building

technologies and would certainly help the researcher build a durable housing
development. It has provided the researcher basic knowledge on how to plan while
taking into consideration different disasters that could affect the development.

APPLICATION:

As safety of the tenants would be a primary objective, the researcher could use
the different building technologies cited in this presentation to make an effective
housing development that would surely be durable and resistant to disasters that could
affect the development.

1.5.4 RE-THINKING THE URBAN FORM OF SOCIAL HOUSING IN BRAZIL:

A search for Urban Sustainability

Cavalcante, Lis Moreira

Rochester Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture

2016

SYNOPSIS:

This study focuses on the ongoing construction of housing developments in

Brazil. A government program called “My House My Life” has constructed 4.2 million
houses in seven years, with the goal of boosting the construction sector and reducing
the deficiency of housing units in their country. Sadly, the project has backfired as
residents are provided with small and packed housing units without any support and
commercial facilities nearby. The study sought to find a more sustainable urban
development that will introduce a healthy environment to the community that has
interactive and green areas, support facilities, and commercial spaces that will
encourage the residents to socialize and interact with one another. Their proposed plan
aims to retain most of residents in the area while also providing them with an urban
plan that would accommodate their daily needs.

9
CRITIQUE:

It is good for the government to develop housing projects aiming to provide and
decrease the housing deficiencies of a country like the project mentioned in this study.
But the government should continue to monitor the project and provide necessary
facilities and spaces that would cater to the basic needs of a community.

APPLICATION:

The researcher can use this study as a lesson to always provide support facilities
to housing developments and to think of projects that would help and improve the
community that will be surrounding it.

1.5.5 COMMUNITY SERVICE THROUGH ARCHITECTURE: Social Housing

with Identity

Cigagna, Karina Cabernite

University of South Florida, School of Architecture and Community Design

November 20, 2009

SYNOPSIS:

The study focuses on the housing conditions and deficiencies of Brazil. An

estimated of 1/5 of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s population are living in bad housing conditions
like the “favelas” where people are living in houses built closely with each other which
limits movement and interaction and are made from scraps, using wood and metal
sheets as primary materials for their houses. They also lack power and water supply,
sanitary services, and drainage systems.

The researchers observed that the favelas developed a strong sense of

community which cannot be found in other places and so they used it as an inspiration
to their formulated solution to the urban plan and housing developments. They created
an urban environment with modular blocks that creates a favela like pattern which then
results in open and green areas, walkways, small streets, and interactive spaces,
introducing a new urban plan to the community while still retaining the identity of the
area.

10
CRITIQUE:

The study shows that it is important to consider different aspects and factors
that would help a housing development be more effective and user friendly. It also
shows that people can find something good from something chaotic as the researcher
of this study used the favela as an inspiration to make an effective design that has some
of the elements of the favela. The concept of a favela is not bad, the way it lacks support
facilities, interactive and open areas and connected roads are what makes it bad.

APPLICATION:

The researcher could use this study as a guide and inspiration that would help
him find elements that currently exists in the housing problems in the Philippines and
use those elements to try and make an effective housing design. Trying to make
something good, out of something bad.

11
1.6 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Pollution in areas Delay of

Growing number of
occupied by development
informal settlers
informal settlers projects

Problems caused by Socialized Relocation of

informal settlers Housing informal settlers
Proposal

Considering job Build quality of Encourage social

opportunities for the housing units and interaction and
community site planning healthy environment

Establishing Integrating disaster Provision of green

transport stops and resistant building spaces and
terminals technologies to the interactive areas
project

Provide support Consideration of

facilities to generate sustainable house
jobs opportunities designs

Provide support Use of alternative

facilities to generate design solutions to
jobs opportunities lower construction
costs

Sustainable &
effective
housing design

Table 1.0 Conceptual Framework

12
1.7 RESEARCH DESIGN (RESEARCH METHODS)

RESEARCH DESIGN / STRATEGY

The research focuses on providing sustainable and economic housing that will
rely on alternative materials and technologies that would create a low-cost housing but
remains to be unique, durable, environmentally friendly, and efficient. The information
and data gathered in this research will be used to address the current issues and
conditions affecting the target community which then be analyzed to formulate
effective solutions and recommendations and try to find alternative solutions to give an
even more effective approach to the design itself. The research will be looking on
different building technologies in order to make the project calamity proof or if not, to
make a housing design that would withstand any calamities that might affect the project.

DATA GATHERING

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

The research will be using a qualitative approach to identify the current

problems and present condition of the target community. The research will be done by
observing their housing problems, environmental conditions, their effect to the
communities around them, and the problems they cause in a large scale. The research
will also be looking into positive elements that the target community provides to the
city and other organizations and try to incorporate this positivity into the design or use
it as an inspiration into formulating the project. The data gathered will help the
researcher identify which support facilities can be incorporated to the project that will
help improve the livelihood of the community. It will also help find suitable and
strategic areas in the site where the chosen support facilities would be best placed that
will be easily accessible to the whole community.

By using a qualitative approach for the research, the data will be gathered by

means of surveys, and observation of their way of life. The research will also be looking

onto related articles to find alternative strategies that would help with formulating the

design.

13
1.8 SCOPE & LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH & THE ARCHITECTURAL

PROJECT:

With the estimated 200,000 informal settlers living around waterways

connected to Manila Bay, the research will only target the informal settlers residing
around waterways in Manila estimated by USO chief, Danny Isiderio to be around
7,000 families of informal settlers, are to be relocated to the proposed relocation site.
The site will be limited to areas near Metro Manila or areas that have direct access to
Metro Manila or towns and cities which can offer job opportunities for the relocated
community. Having a mid-rise building for the development would reduce the total area
each housing units will take up. This reduction in area consumption will make way for
more green areas in the project development which can offer more spaces for
interaction, aesthetics, and additional trees which will help reduce environmental
problems. Each housing unit will have a kitchen, living area, dining area, two toilet and
baths, and three bedrooms, one being a master bedroom. The kitchen, living, and dining
area will all be connected with one another and will not be separated by any walls in
order to reduce the construction cost and also to provide an open space inside the unit.
The planning of the vicinity will be using a similar concept of Daniel Burnham’s urban
planning which be a sign of respect and to pay homage to the city of Manila and also
to give the informal settlers a sense of déjà vu since they have lived in the streets of
Manila for many years.

14
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS:

1.9.1 DEFINITIONS:

• Informal settlements – places where houses are built illegally on land that are
owned by the government or private sectors
• Informal settlers – people or communities living in informal settlements
• Waterways – refers to bodies of water navigable by ships or small boats
• Favela – unique neighborhoods in Brazil that has been neglected by its
government. It consists of low to middle cost housing units
• Kubo (Nipa Hut) – indigenous house of people in the Philippines

1.9.2 ACRONYMS:

• USO – Urban Settlements Office

• DENR – Department of Environment and Natural Resources
• LGU – Local Government Unit
• CAVITEX – Cavite Expressway
• NGO – Non-Governmental Organization
• NHA – National Housing Authority
• TODA – Tricycle Operators and Drivers’ Association
• CLUP – Comprehensive Land Use Plan

15