Urban poverty in the City of Manila: the case of the jeepney, FX and taxi barkers in the city.

Abstract

This study delves into the issue of urban poverty in the city of Manila. It focuses on the PUV barkers, a group of informal economy workers who belong to the urban poor population. It studies the socio-economic conditions of the barkers and analyzes the underlying causes of their social and economic deprivation. For the purpose of this study, the group of barkers represents the workers in informal economy who are part of the urban poor population. The underlying causes of the barkers’ deprivation mirror that of the rest of the informal workers. This study also examines the interplay of political and economic policies of the country which resulted to further deprivation and marginalization of informal workers. It also suggests ways which the local and national government could do to effectively combat poverty in urban areas, particularly in Manila.