THE HOMELESS IN UP AND IN ONE'S OWN COUNTRY： A Case Study of the Living Conditions of Informal Settlers in University of the Philippines, Diliman Campus

Abstract

As the cliche states； the University of the Philippines is the microcosm of the Philippine society. As common Filipinos bear the brunt of poverty, they are forced to settle on publicly or privately-owned lands； worse, a relatively large number of them are literally homeless； people who are forced by the circumstances to live in areas perilous for human settlement. The number of urban poor and informal settlers incessantly increases as the Philippine population increase — and the vast lands of University of the Philippines in Diliman Campus is not spared from the influx of informal settlers. This case study intends to provide quantitative and qualitative research in accordance to the principles of development research. As such, it aims to reveal the real condition of the underprivileged urban poor and informal settlers. The study first presents and then analyzes the current situation of the urban poor and informal settlers in the national level and then present the similar conditions that the urban poor inside the UP Diliman community experiences. In its conclusion, the root cause of their condition is identified and then doable recommendations are presented to alleviate their dire state and eventually break free from the bondage of poverty and unjust social structure.