Abstract:
Filipinos exhibit a remarkable ability to find solutions when confronted with
challenges. In many slum areas in the Philippines, dwellers have demonstrated
resourcefulness in the construction of their houses when facing environmental
challenges. However, these practices are unsustainable and often involve the use of
substandard materials. Employing a qualitative case study design, this study links
climate change to housing construction practices of six slum dwellers along Laguna
de Bay in Sucat, Muntinlupa City. Through observations and interviews, the study
examines their housing construction experiences and challenges, coping
mechanisms, materials used, and preferred housing construction– analyzed using
thematic analysis. Living in close proximity to the bay, findings reveal that dwellers
face frequent flooding, strong winds, indoor heat, and rain seepage/leakage. To
cope, dwellers elevate their dwellings, practice layering or “pagtatagpi-tagpi” of
materials, utilize locally available resources, and procure affordable and easy-to-use
materials. Materials used by the dwellers are evaluated for durability, maintenance,
procurement, execution, thermal conductivity, shelf-life and cost which reveals the
logic behind the use of such materials and its impact on climate change. Dwellers
aspire for concrete houses and prefer an up-and-down house as a solution to their
challenges. The researcher refrains from placing the blame to dwellers and
recognizes the larger systemic factors at play in the issue of climate change.
Recommendations include involving dwellers themselves in the housing
development process, providing decent and sustainable housing initiatives, and
cross-checking of existing housing policies to better address the current climate
crisis. Future researchers could expand the scope of the study by exploring other
slum areas from different regions with unique environmental conditions.
