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BACKGROUND
Metro Cebu has a population of almost 2 million and ranks
as the second largest urban economic centre in the Philippines
. It serves as the main commercial, industrial and transport
hub of the whole island province as well as the other nearby
islands of the Visayas and northern Mindanao . The cities of
Cebu , Talisay, Mandaue and Lapulapu contribute to the largest
share of 42 per cent of the population.
As a result, a rapid urbanization has taken place giving
rise to internal migrant populations who seek employment or
other forms of livelihood in the metropolis. Consequently, the
number of informal urban dwellers has increased. The inability
of the government's housing program to cope with the demand
has given way to more slum areas and makeshift colonies
particularly in garbage dump-sites in the province.
Because these are temporary settlements , the
government will not locate basic social services there. In the
absence of a presence of government, an alternate structure of
society forms outside of the commonly accepted norms of law.
It becomes a haven of lawlessness.
The Cebu Archdiocese Prison Apostolate has
identified that a significant proportion of the inmates of
Cebu 's prisons originate from these marginalized settlements
in the dump-sites. As well, the Dumlog foreshore and the
Mandaue Reclamation coastline are filled with the shanties of
marginal fisherfolks.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE
The objective of this project is to permanently remove 360
marginalized families coming from these different informal
settlements and to permanently relocate them to decent
housing, located within a community where members are taught
to support each other in achieving a viable future for
themselves and especially for their children.
The Cebu Dumlog Housing Village Project, now named San Pio
Village Project has dual objectives - poverty reduction and
community building. The Project has two major parts: the
Community Development component and the Infrastructure
component.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The Community Development component will
equip the 360 families with the skills and values to build
their future, by engaging and guiding them to help themselves
and each other. This component will also be implemented in
stages. Initially there is the selection and preparation of
the families, followed by their relocation to the new village,
the formation of their Village Association, and their further
training to become productive, responsible members of the
society.
INFRASTRUCTURE
The Infrastructure component will build
the village, its houses and its communal buildings for the
relocating families. This component consists of several stages
which include purchasing the land, preparing it for
construction activities and then building the houses and
community buildings.
Through the establishment of the San Pio Village and a
Village Association, the project aims to build basic
community infrastructure and establish good governance
structures, build capacities of
family beneficiaries to enable productive economic activities
in the community and support social and cultural activities
encouraging community participation.
The entire Project is based on three underlying
development principles, namely:
- Participation,
- Capacity Building
and
- Good Governance.
Participation
of family beneficiaries is vital. Potential
HOPs (Home Owner
Partners) has to save up a deposit to express commitment
to the program before they can be selected to become a HOP.
Ownership of the project is reinforced through community
contribution in the form of "sweat equity" in the construction
of the houses. Families will continue to repay the total cost
of the house to allow them to provide another family with
decent shelter.
Participation in the Project is crucial for several
reasons. It preserves the dignity of the Home Owner Partners
and ensures ownership of the Project by them - the key beneficiaries. It also inspires learning whilst they
are adjusting to a new societal environment.
Capacity building
of families will provide survival skills in
their new community. These will be undertaken in a
participative, community based manner that encourages families
to reflect on their present situation, focus and
make suggestions about how to alleviate their situation and
identify what resources (within and external to the community) are needed to fulfill these needs.
Within the Project, various community groups will be
established to train families on good governance
.
The current culture of poverty of living in a marginalized
society has taught the majority of these families to be
individuals and not to rely on others. The San Pio Village
Project will endeavor to educate the Home Owner Partners what
it means to be members of a community where all have roles to
play and where all are accountable to the other members for
living-out these roles.
SUSTAINABILITY
Finally, it supports the sustainability of the Project
after it ends; that way, they will have a vested interest to
continue the operation of the Village Association and the
implementation of the newly learned skills.
The project is expected to achieve a number of outcomes
starting from the acquisition of the project site up to the
establishment of the village association and the development
of a responsive membership. The completion of the project is
expected within three years.
Construction of houses will be conducted in a six-monthly
phase over three years.
The government of the city of Talisay has committed to provide
basic infrastructure for the project site such as roads and
drainage.
Habitat (see our Partners page)
has put together house designs and
established a timeline for the construction implementation of
the project.
A Memoranda of Agreement between the lead agency Newscoop
and BCA has been signed. The rest of the project
partners and BCA have also signed MOAs between them. Project
Partners include C4C, JPIC, Bethlehem Day Care Foundation Inc,
Newscoop and the city of Talisay (see our
Partners
page).
The Overall Project Manager is Margarita Matheu. She is based in Cebu
and has been working on this project since September 2005.
For
more information visit our newsletter
page.
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