Abstract:
This study is concerned with assessing possible risks to the informal settlers of Majaas, Payatas II caused by development-induced displacement and resettlement (DIDR) facilitated by the planned construction of the Bistekville 5 Socialized Housing Project. As the development project in question concerns low-cost housing, themes associated with gentrification – the displacement of residents from a community and the subsequent shift to a high-income population due to increasing prices of property – were also incorporated in this study. Eight informal settlers were interviewed in succession and their accounts formed a narrative on the situation of the slum community in Majaas and how their daily lives were affected by the impending construction of the Bistekville Socialized Housing Project. Respondents were selected through the purposive snowball sampling method, with the sample population limited to nine after applying the principle of saturation. Recurring themes from the individual accounts were classified and analyzed using Michael Cernea’s Impoverishment Risks and Reduction model, taking into account the special circumstances of their situation, as evidenced by their life stories and the peculiar characteristics of the place they live in. An interview was also conducted with an official from the local government to validate the claims of the respondents and provide the government’s perspective on the situation. Key findings from this study indicate that while the objectives of the housing program is at the best interests of the beneficiaries, it ironically puts the residents at greater risk of impoverishment due to deficiencies in the implementation: (1) minimal consultation between the residents and the LGU, (2) lack of social preparation, and (3) separation of the residents from participation in the process of development, reducing them to mere beneficiaries of the program instead of empowering them.
