Abstract:
The Villar family play a pivotal role in driving the infrastructure development of Las
Piñas City, spearheading crucial initiatives that enhance the city's connectivity, transportation
systems, and overall urban growth. Part of these initiatives are clearing operations in partnership
with the city’s Local Government Unit to protect citizens residing in coastal and waterway areas
as well as to make way for developments such as the Las Piñas-Zapote River Drive. Employing a
case study research design, this study identifies the issues faced by the resettlers, explores the
impacts of resettlement on their lives, and explores their evaluation on the city's resettlement
strategies. A thematic analysis was conducted from the data gathered through 19 individual,
semi-structured interviews with resettled communities from Las Piñas City. The lens of social
capital is also utilized to gain a holistic understanding of their resettlement experiences. Findings
reveal inadequate funding for housing, resulting in homelessness, overcrowding, and substandard
living conditions. Lack of proper infrastructure compounds the difficulties, while limited
accessibility to essential facilities and financial burdens increase poverty and debt. Resettlement
disrupts social and cultural fabric, livelihood opportunities, and the environment of coastal and
waterway communities. The evaluation of coastal and waterway dwellers on the resettlement
program highlights concerns about housing quality, affordability, facility accessibility, and
limited government support. Interpreting results through the lens of Bourdieu’s social capital give
credence to the discomfort that coastal and waterway dwellers initially experienced with the
process of being resettled. Despite these issues, resettled communities maintain a positive
outlook toward the city’s resettlement initiatives, provided that they finally had a home they
could call their own. Several notable suggestions from the resettlers include involving
communities in decision-making, providing affordable housing, and supporting intangible losses.
