The issues identified in the areas of SANSAPADA with regards to the problems of illegal settling of the urban poor and the lacking response of the national and local government towards this dilemma are a long-standing problems facing our country constantly. Numerous government agencies and programs or policies have been instituted to get to the bottom of the problems of housing as well as illegal settlements in urban areas and eventually work out a solution to resolve the identified problems. And yet, none have succeeded. They were only successful in identifying more problems and issues that further aggravated the predicaments confronting us. Lack of political will probably is the main cause of our government’s underprovided services to our less fortunate fellow Filipino.
The statistics presented in the paper clearly shows how severe the problems have become. Fortunately, some non-government organizations have taken steps in helping solve the problem of housing for the urban poor. One crucial step that they have taken is to consider the role of the urban poor as active agents in the process of meeting the human settlement challenges. My experience as a volunteer in the construction of a GK Village has made me known to the willingness of the urban poor to be part of the solution to the problem. The concept of self-help housing has greatly empowered the urban poor in meeting their need for a decent home.
It was revealed in the research that the urban poor are actually capable of constructing their home through an incremental phase. Their financial state on the other hand hinders them from acquiring their own lot. On-site acquisition is a feasible option for the urban poor to acquire their own land, however, the chances of the land owner to agree to a negotiation with the illegal settlers and give them a reasonable price for the purchase of the land is less likely to happen. Furthermore, most of the lands where the urban poor settle are not suitable for socialized housing and the financial schemes available for the urban poor are not sustainable. The off-site relocation on the other hand is a better option for the urban poor. However, consideration with regards to the accessibility of the settlers to basic services such as the market, school, health centers, and employment opportunities - to name a few - should be well established first before the proposed relocation site would be offered to the urban poor.
It is the right of every individual to have a decent home of their own. Thus, it is very disturbing to catch sight of this basic human right being violated every day and as urbanization progresses this crisis also looms to a demoralizing state. It has been widely proven that the government alone cannot solve the problem of housing for the urban poor. Like so, the urban poor alone also cannot put an end to this problem. Thus, cooperation by the different sectors or by the broader community directly affected by this crisis should be strengthened. These sectors with their definite role should commit firmly to the pursuit of finding a concrete system in resolving the issue of housing for the urban poor.
Urbanization process and the changing agricultural landscape pattern in the urban fringe of Metro Manila
A Reaction Paper
Local land use planning and zoning regulations in the Philippines are mostly in favor of built-up land uses rather than preservation for agricultural purposes (Malaque III & Yokohari, 2003). The aforementioned statement clearly pointed out the misalignment of priorities by our government in handling the issues of urban development or land use planning in our country in general. However, this not a new issue as it is the most common mindset of the government in treating the mentioned issues.
The journal entitled “Urbanization process and the changing agricultural landscape pattern in the urban fringe of Metro Manila” depicted a clear picture of reality with regards to the abovementioned issues. The findings presented in the journal indicated that the constant urbanization in the urban fringe of Metro Manila resulted in the mix agricultural and urban land use which also in effect subjects the peripheral provinces to urban pressures. Furthermore, according to the study, there was a rapid expansion that took place in the metropolitan region of Metro Manila. In the peripheral area most of this takes the form of low density development that threatens the ecology of agricultural lands.
An interesting aspect of the findings in the study is the northwest study area, where it experienced uniform patterns of change in phased transition. Malaque III and Yokohari (2003) pointed out the factors for this occurrence; it has a better irrigation system, there was a higher resistance from the tenant farmers to land use conversion, and higher demands for disturbance compensation. Although there was no government intervention in reaction to land use conversion in that area, the people themselves acted to stop the conversion. These imply that the people of Imus have a definite object for their lands and value its importance. Unlike in the southeast area as reveled in the study where there is a low efficiency and productivity of agricultural lands as a result of insufficient irrigation, which in effect weakens the interest of the tenant farmers to continue farming. This condition again suggests the lack of government interest in assisting the farmers sector and neglecting the importance of agriculture or the environment in general.
Although the proximity of the urban fringe makes it a prime area for urban development, we should also remember its function as a habitat for most species, a venue for agricultural activities, and the impacts of the land conversion to the environment if it would be haphazardly converted in to urban spaces.
With this regard we could tell that a successful urban or land use planning is not a simple undertaking for it entails an extensive and wide-ranging issues which needs attention as well as consideration. Furthermore, in an undertaking a systematic planning results to a desirable output. In this same sense, in handling urbanization, systematic planning should be employed. However, the planning activity should start with the assessment of the conditions that surrounds the given undertaking. Thus, a strategic environment assessment should be employed first before the formal land use planning. This method will assess and address the implications of development and plans upon the environment. Moreover, this process will primarily consider a more balanced approach in addressing the environment and economic factor in the overall program of the planning.
In the formal planning, our government should employ a sustainable approach. The principle of sustainable development supports a balanced treatment of the environment as well as the factors like economics as well as in coming up with a holistic design output. In this approach the process of change will lean towards an improved long-term social, economical and ecological development. Thus, the entire process of land conversion would be phased and long-standing.
The problem of homelessness is only a manifestation of the bigger, deep-seated, and age old problem that is poverty (Cong. Navarro). It is one of the most serious problems facing by most developing countries today. This dilemma is clearly manifested in the housing problems that these countries are suffering. Visibly seen in most urban areas are the urban poor living in dilapidated structures made of cardboard on strips of land beside canals and railways or squatting on idle lands.
The lack of affordable land and housing options for the poor in most Philippines cities means that majority of the urban population are forced to live in informal settlements, in conditions that are illegal, insecure and environmentally degraded, without access to toilets, clean water supply, electricity and in ever-present danger of eviction. Without secure land, houses and communities, more and more of the poor's scanty resources go into just surviving, catching people up in a hopeless cycle of squatting and eviction which only further impoverishes the poor, and prevents them from developing themselves.
The Philippines population is growing at a rate of 2.4 percent annually, and in a situation like this, the government must assume that the needs of its constituents are also growing. One of these immediate needs is for adequate housing but it is sad to note that the government has not even coped with the housing requirements of a smaller population in the past how much more with the ever increasing population in our country today. I certainly agree with Dr. Ana Marie Karaos, who strongly believe that poverty is the biggest threat to the sustainability of our cities and that it (poverty) must be reduced and/or eliminated to attain sustainability.
For me, the dismal housing condition of the urban poor is a manifestation of the failure of the government in providing or making available to its constituents their basic and/or vital needs. It is said that the government have already made numerous policy measures to strengthen the delivery of the basic services to the people. Yet, the problem in housing among others still persists. The way I see it, the ineffectiveness of the policies formulated that would supposedly counter the problems in housing is due to the weak political will of those people in position who are tasked to effectively implement these policies.
While solving the dilemma in housing sounds a difficult task for the government, the private sector and other NGO as well as the governments from other countries are offering its hands to help. With the ever increasing awareness of the broader community that the problems could not only be solved by the government alone and that cooperation from different sectors of the community is needed to strengthen the battle against poverty, the shroud of hopelessness seemingly begins to fade.
Partnership between the government and private sectors of our community has shown progress in addressing the problems of homelessness. For instance, the four basic initiative of our country to increased housing needs – 1st is to make housing affordable to the poor; 2nd housing units were produced by both government and private sector; 3rd the government provided alternative modes of acquiring shelter security for informal settlers; and 4th a new approach to relocation of informal settlers was adopted – demonstrates a positive plan of action which resulted from the said partnership. With these initiative or plan of action, what is left to do is to establish a stronger commitment to solve the identified problems as well as a higher level of realization through more concrete methods of implementation.
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