THE URBAN POOR AND FLOODING IN METRO MANILA

-Alain B. BaguisiUP College of Law

3 important questions:Should we really blame the urban poor for the floods

that we frequently experience in Metro Manila?

What are the real causes of this ‘flooding phenomena’ in Metro Manila?

What is the right perspective in looking at the issue of urban poverty and the problem of flooding in Metro

Manila?

ONDOY,

2009

Reasons for BLAMING:

Dumping of garbage by informal settlers staying along the waterways.

Waterways are clogged by illegal settlers.

1.

Should we really blame the urban poor for the floods

that we frequently experience in Metro

Manila?

Ans. 2.

2.

What are the REAL CAUSES of this ‘flooding

phenomena’ in Metro Manila?

Typhoon Tracks

A. Frequent Typhoons

China

Japan

Taiwan

Philippines

20-25 typhoons/year

B. Typhoons & Climate Change(data from the National Statistical Coordination Board)

From 27 typhoons during the period 2000-2003, the number ominously increased to 39 from 2004-2007.

The typhoons are getting stronger and stronger, especially since the late 1990s. Typhoon signal no. 4 is of course, a fairly recent category .

Between 1947-2006, 3 of the 5 strongest tropical cyclones in the Philippines occurred in the past decade.

Total damages brought about by typhoons increased by 408% from 2003 to 2006.

Seven of the 20 deadliest typhoons in the Philippines covering the period 1947-2006 occurred in 1990-2006.

C. Water Systems

Pasig River

Marikina RiverTenejeros River

Malabon River

D. Rapid Urbanization

Philippine population: 92 million (4th most populous in East Asia, after China, Indonesia and Japan)

63% live in cities and urban areas (compared to 36% in Thailand & 43% in Indonesia)

Metro Manila: largest urban center

2007 population: 11.6 million (13% of national population)

2007: 16 cities and 1 urban municipality

2000-2007: population increase at the rate of 2.11%

Most Crowded Urban Area in the Philippines

URBANIZATION

SHOPPING MALLS

CONDOMINIUM UNITS

HIGHWAYS

INDUSTRIAL PARKS

LARGE INFRASTRUCTURES

SUBDIVISIONS BUSINESS CENTERS

HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMMERCIAL

ESTABLISHMENTS

Surface sealing & Deforestation=

50% 42%

35% 15%

E. Land Subsidence Lowering of land, over large areas, due to:

-natural compaction of underlying soil & sediment-compaction sped up by rapid withdrawal of groundwater

At Manila’s South Harbor, mean sea level rose at about 2mm per year from 1902-1960s… then started rising ten times as

fast.

Metro Manila’s groundwater demand is still increasing. Consequent subsidence will continue and may even accelerate!

(source: Siringan et. al., UP MSI)

F. Urban PovertyOf the roughly 10M Filipino families living in cities today, an estimated 3.1M suffer

from lack of security of tenure.

They occupy government-owned lands, idle, privately-owned properties, and

danger areas such as riverbanks, bridges and railroad tracks.

Without de facto tenure security, families in illegal and poorly-planned communities

are under constant threat of eviction.

Data from the National Housing Authority in 2007 placed the number of

informal settler households at over 544,000, or approximately 2.7M

persons, in Metro Manila alone (1/4 of the entire population of Metro Manila).

G. Waste DisposalMetro Manila produced about 8,400 to 8,600

tons of trash per day or 25 percent of the country’s daily solid waste generation.

A single resident produces an average of 0.7 kilogram of waste a day, about “130 percent higher” than the global average of 0.3 kg per

person per day.

About half of the garbage from Metro Manila is biodegradable waste such as food scraps, leftovers, and animal carcasses. About 17

percent are paper while 16 percent are plastics.

Of the 16 cities and one municipality making up Metro Manila, only nine cities have a solid waste

management plan.

(source: DENR, MMDA)

H. Inadequate Flood Control Structures

Existing internal drainage systems in Metro Manila cannot contain the unusual run-off. The old drainage system constructed in 1975 are already 70% silted.

Design can not contain extreme discharge of rainwater.

Existing waterways traversing subdivisions are filled-up and replaced with inadequate reinforced pipes and culverts.

(source: DPWH)

I.

J.K.L.

1.

Should we really blame the urban poor for the floods

that we frequently experience in Metro

Manila?

Ans. NO.

3.

What is the right perspective in looking at

the issue of urban poverty and the problem

of flooding in Metro Manila?

The existence of the urban poor is brought about by the social and economic imbalances in our society. They are a marginalized sector that must be

subjects of genuine development rather than be treated as obstacles to development. They are also partners to development.

Every resident of Metro Manila is a contributor and is responsible to the frequent flooding that it experiences. The urban poor should not be singled-

out as the major culprit, but rather, they should be seen as the most vulnerable in terms of the effects of major hazards and calamities.

Rather than looking at them as “eye-soars”, urban poor communities must be provided with assistance in their quest for genuine land reform, right to land tenure, and their right to adequate and decent housing. Their rights must be

protected against unreasonable and harsh demolitions.

…end

Thank you!