URBAN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS: PEOPLE, PLACE, SOCIETY

Presentation at the Urban Design FestivalMary Racelis

Research Scientist, Institute of Philippine CultureProfessorial Lecturer, Department of Sociology and Anthropology

School of Social SciencesAteneo de Manila University

May 17, 2015

Introduction• Poverty: rural and urban – 2/3 of poor are in rural areas, but

urban poor concentrations are worse off in many ways.

• Metro Manila has 4,035,000 informal settlers and slumdwellers – 37% of the metro population (FIES) living in sub-human conditions.

• Nonetheless, these communities contribute their striving, hard work, resilience, mutual help, social capital networks to make the city a vibrant place.

IMAGES OFURBAN POVERTYIN THE PHILIPPINESPhoto credits:Carlos Vasquez (pictures 1-6)Mayor Jonas Cortez (pictures 7-12)

Urban Informal Settlements – economic aspects

• High levels of poverty and un/under-employment; but vast majority working to earn – with low remuneration

• Low and irregular incomes; informal economy linked to the formal economy; mixed income levels

• Largely cash economy

• Income generation: gender and generational roles: women and children work to support households

Urban Informal Settlements – physical aspects

• Dense, flimsy housing vulnerable to the elements and fire

• Sprawl along coastal areas, rivers, under bridges/flyovers, empty lots – “danger areas”

• Irregular layouts but neighborhood clusters of solidarity and mutual help

Urban Informal Settlements Social Aspects

Nuclear family and extended kin households: expand and contract to accommodate newcomers temporarily

Vulnerable groups: children, women, older persons, disabled, migrants, ethnic minorities, etc

Women’s ability to earn affected by family size; high abortion rates; teen-age pregnancies; lack of reproductive health information and services

Out-of-school youth; attraction of drug- and criminal-related jobsDomestic violence Spirituality strong; faith as central or as ultimate fallback

Capacity to Survive and Develop

Livelihood as major concern, shelter as secondary; resistance to distant relocation is totally justifiable;

Location as crucial: need to be near place of work/earning, schools, health centers, market, etc.

Sense of community: sharing and caring; extensive social capital networks

Communication and social media: text messaging Local celebrations: secular and religious

Governance and People’s Agency

• People’s organizations/community associations abound – formal and informal

• High levels of community organization: resist and/or engage with government; effective first responders in disasters

• Strong women as community leaders• Government agencies often hostile: eviction and relocation off-city as

their “solutions”; slow-moving bureaucracies; confused inter-agency responses

• Communities overwhelmingly resist relocation to distant off-city resettlement sites – “from danger zone to death zone”; demand onsite upgrading; near/incity as poor seconds

Inclusivity: Basic Principles of Interaction

Listen to and learn from informal settlers; get their points of view; understand and respect their People’s Plan; respond with appropriate interactive technical assistance.

Seek flexible win-win solutions in close consultation with the community

Intensify confidence building mechanismsReorient government bureaucracies and systems toward genuine partnerships with urban poor communities.

Change the paradigm!1. Understand that the urban poor make up the dynamic work force

of the city; in effect, they subsidize the lifestyles of the rich; Metro Manila’s elite and middle classes could not exist without them.

2. Support onsite upgrading, and only secondarily

nearsite/incity relocation if onsite not possible;

discard ill-conceived, poorly prepared off-city

resettlement.

3. Identify land for social housing in the city and develop appropriate social subsidies..

Change the Paradigm!

4. Adjust to differential, erratic earning patterns, and levels of vulnerability when establishing installment payment schemes for informal settlers in social housing

5. Recognize the strengths and vitality of urban- poor women leaders.

6. Affirm that poor urbanites have a right to the city and to their dignity as Filipino citizens.