Dahas at kandili: Pag-uukit ng espasyo para sa mga involuntary displaced sa San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan

Sa loob ng mahigit tatlong dekada, mula 1960 hanggang 1996, naging mabilis ang urbanisasyon sa Pilipinas dahil sa paglago ng populasyon sa kalunsuran. Ang maralitang tagalungsod ay natitipon sa 600 komunidad na slums at iskwater sa buong bansa at sila ay nakararanas ng di-makataong kalagayan sa pamumuhay. Kalakhan ng informal settlers ay nagtatayo ng kanilang mga tahanan sa nakatiwangwang na lupa ng gobyerno habang ang iba naman ay nagtatayo ng mga bahay sa mga imprastraktura katulad ng ilalim ng tulay, mga highway, at sa mapapanganib na lugar katulad ng estero, riles ng tren at ilog, at sa mga pribadong lupain. Sa panahong kailangan na ng gobyerno ang mga lupang iligal na tinitirhan ng mga maralita dahil sa mga debelopment katulad ng pagtatayo ng mga pabrika, irigasyon, LRT, MRT, mga tulay, highway, power generation at iba pang imprastraktura, gayundin ang pagpapatayo ng mga ospital, paaralan at airport, kinakailangan na nilang umalis. Ito ang tinatawag na involuntary displacement. Sapilitan silang pinapaalis sa kanilang tinitirahan dahil kailangang pagtayuan ang lupa ng mga imprastuktura na makakatulong sa mas nakararaming mamamayan (Cernea, 2004: 6). Sa paghahanap ng malilipatan ng mga involuntary displaced, isa sa napiling lugar ng gobyerno ang Bulacan bilang bagong tirahan ng mga involuntary displaced. Layunin ng pag-aaral na ito na malaman ang mga banta na naidudulot ng pagiging involuntary displaced sa San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan ayon sa modelong Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction o IRR ni Michael Cernea; maunawaan ang mga kalagayan at karanasan nila bilang mga involuntary displaced; kung paano nila hinaharap ang kanilang kalagayan bilang mga involuntary displaced at kung paano nila ito hinaharap; at kung paano tinugunan o tinutugunan ng pamahalaan ang kanilang mga pangangailangan. Nagmula ang datos sa pagsasagawa ng Focus Group Discussions sa 28 na magulang na nagmula sa tatlong resettlement site sa San Jose Del Monte City (ang Towerville 6 Brgy. Gaya-gaya; Towerville Brgy. Minuyan; at Pabahay 2000 Brgy. Muzon.), pagsasagawa ng Thematic Analysis, pakikipanayam sa Local Government Unit (LGU) at National Housing Authority (NHA), at paglalapat ng modelong IRR ni Cernea sa karanasan ng mga kinapanayam. Lumabas sa pag-aaral na may “karahasan” silang naranasan bago at pagkatapos nilang ilipat sa San Jose del Monte City dahil hindi kaagad natugunan ng pamahalaan ang pangangailangan nilang mga pangunahing serbisyong panlipunan. Samantala, nakaranas sila ng kaunting “pagkandili” dahil sa tulong ng iba’t ibang institusyon at organisasyon. Bilang kongklusyon, masasabing nakapag-ukit ng espasyo ang mga involuntary displaced ng San Jose del Monte City ngunit hindi lubusan dahil marami pa silang isyung kinakaharap at mga suliraning kailangang lutasin

From displacement to resettlement: How current policies shape eviction narratives among urban poor in the Philippines

Purpose: This study aims to examine the experiences of urban poor relocatees in their resettlement communities, specifically those who were relocated from the Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela and Quezon City areas to the province of Bulacan, Philippines. This study hopes to convey the importance of revisiting the law on socialized housing in the Philippines. Design/methodology/approach: This study gathered qualitative data through 2 focus group discussions among 28 participants who came from 3 resettlement sites in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan Province, Philippines. The resettlement areas are owned and managed by the National Housing Authority of the Philippine Government. Findings: Results show that resettlement experiences are stories of survival under impoverished conditions. Lack of housing facilities or poorly built units characterize their relocation experience aside from having no immediate access to basic utilities such as electricity and water, despite a law that supposedly secures these rights to relocatees. The expensive cost of transportation and the lack of livelihood also heavily strain the lives of the relocated population. Originality/value: This study illustrates that involuntary displacement predicts poor living conditions upon resettlement. This study is an inquiry not only of existing conditions of socialized housing in resettlement areas but also past realities of these housing communities at the onset of the displacees’ relocation. © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

School climate for the internally displaced children (IDPs) in Manila, Philippines

The article aims to examine the spheres which help create positive school climate suitable for the integration of internally displaced children (IDPs). The paper looks at how the experience of IDP children affects their overall school life as perceived by their own teachers. Data from this study were taken from nine (9) elementary school teachers who participated in the focus group discussion (FGD). The participants, all from a particular school in Manila, handled the IDP students as they continued their studies after displacement. Results suggest that the spheres of safety, supportive and inclusive environment have created a positive school climate for the IDP students. The paper argues that school integration of IDP children requires the positive fulfillment of these spheres. Feeling secured, being surrounded with supportive social network, and learning in inclusive environment are all non-negotiable features of a school climate that facilitates successful school integration. Results of this study provide insights as to what components have to be improved and focused on by host schools when receiving IDP school children. © 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

“Shookt by COVID-19”: The pandemic as lived experience among young people under virus-induced lockdown in the Philippines

The article aims to describe the pandemic experience from the vantage point of the youth. We wish to uncover the thoughts, feelings, and attitudes of the youth while being under the virus-induced lockdown and examine how the whole experience shapes the way they look at the crisis. Our subjects were students of non-health related courses studying in the National Capital Region, Philippines. Findings drawn from 29 written interview participants, whose data were obtained through the internet, reveal that the pandemic is predominantly seen as a disappointing and anxiety-inducing experience. The results also indicate how the pandemic challenged the young people’s indifference towards public health prior to the pandemic. Moreover, the magnitude of the crisis stirred them to view the pandemic as something more than just strictly a medical issue. Largely dissatisfied in the way the crisis is being handled, our participants acknowledged that the disease has a socio-political dimension requiring meaningful political solutions. The youth participants remained cognizant of the indispensable part of political actors and institutions in the fight against the disease while not excusing themselves of their very own vital role. Our study suggests that, within the context of a highly concerning pandemic experience, the youth are able to engage critically in our quest to end the crisis. © RJ4All 2020

Touch Me Please—When This Enhanced Community Quarantine is Over: Sexual Intimacies Among Pre-Marital Partners During Pandemic-Induced Lockdown

The study aims to examine the experiences of pre-marital; noncohabiting partners while coping with the Covid-19-induced lockdown. With specific focus on sexual intimacies; our interest is to investigate the degree or extent by which the pandemic has constrained people’s sexual interests and expressions with the intention to determine whether or not the overall relationship would be negatively affected by the paucity of sexual encounters. Findings drawn from online interviews involving 28 participants reveal that the pandemic has indeed affected sexual intimacy aspirations among partners; with some participants calling these times as “dry season.” For this very reason; the pandemic has also emerged as a sexual issue. Further results reveal that partners employ technology-based strategies in order to satisfy their sexual desires during these times when restrictions in movement are in place. Trust; love; communication and understanding serve also to assure partners of the integrity of the relationship. The study suggests that the loss of physical sexual encounters during lockdowns is not sufficient to result in negative relationship outcomes