Abstract:
Infrastructure development would be one of the key elements in generating substantial and consistent economic growth in a fast-paced and dynamic world. This study aimed to describe the road widening project and uncover the experiences of the affected residents. The study utilized a case study research design to investigate the impacts of the Francisco E. Barzaga road widening project to the affected communities in Dasmarinas City, Cavite. With the use of snowball sampling, nine residents were recruited and interviewed for the data collection process. Key informant interviews were also conducted with three officials from government agencies involved in the project. A thematic analysis was used to identify the nine themes which tackled the community’s attitudes towards participatory governance, policy implementation, and experienced impacts. The results revealed that the reservations of the people towards political participation due to their past experiences of neglect from the government. There are also shortcomings from the government as current policies are not able to effectively mitigate the impacts of the development project. The impacts include (1) psychological distress, (2) financial constraints, (3) business and livelihood impacts, and (4) safety improvements and concerns. It is recommended to address the urgency for genuine participatory governance that would bring forth pro-people policies. For the improvement of future research, researchers could seek the participation of displaced dwellers and relocated residents to deepen the knowledge on the effects of development projects.
