Abstract:
The present study looked into the politics of urban resettlement by examining the socioeconomic
inequities of the development-displaced single mothers in Barangay Dayap, Calauan, Laguna. An
in-depth qualitative, phenomenological research of their lived experiences as a woman, a primary
provider and caregiver of the household, a single person without a spouse, indigent having come from
urban poverty-stricken areas, and now displaced due to the implementation of urban development
projects, revealed how development-induced displacement and resettlement (DIDR) affected their
livelihood or socioeconomic status in terms of their income, employment, education, and health status.
The study made use of two focus group discussions, each with ten displaced single mothers from
Calauan, Laguna, and semi-structured interviews with the Barangay Captain of Dayap, Calauan, Laguna
and the Administrative Head and Senior Community Services Officer of National Housing Authority
(NHA) Laguna District in order to identify and shed light on the struggles and inequities of displaced
single mothers. Pre-set and in-vivo coding were utilized in the analysis of their responses. Three major
coding themes were used to categorize and analyze data, namely: 1) effects of DIDR on DSM's
socioeconomic status, 2) effects of DIDR on the social identity of DSM, and 3) effects of social identity
of DSM on their socioeconomic status.
Findings revealed that the layers of intersectional vulnerabilities embedded in their lived
experiences immensely contributed to the impoverishment risks that they experienced. Displacement
exacerbated these socioeconomic inequities due to the economic insecurity, decline in employment and
livelihood opportunities, lack of educational opportunities, and physical and mental health deterioration
that they experienced. Finally, the researchers provided recommendations for the continuous study of the
phenomenon and the advocacy for democratic and inclusive urban development planning and resettlement
policies that benefit the marginalized sectors.
