Collective Action and Urban Poverty Alleviation: Community Organizations and the Struggle for Shelter in Manila (Urban and Regional Planning and Development Series)

185 Pages·2007·1.48 MB·English

by  Gavin Shatkin

COLLECTIVE ACTION AND URBAN POVERTY
ALLEVIATION
Urban and Regional Planning and
Development Series
Series Editors:
Professor Peter Roberts, University of Liverpool, UK
Professor Graham Haughton, University of Hull, UK
The Urban and Regional Planning and Development Series has developed a strong
profile since it was launched in 1995. It is internationally recognised for its high
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rigour. It is avowedly global in its outlook, with contributions welcomed from around
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and economics.
Collective Action and Urban
Poverty Alleviation
Community Organizations and the Struggle
for Shelter in Manila
GAVIN SHATKIN
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, USA
© Gavin Shatkin 2007
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmit-
ted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without
the prior permission of the publisher.
Gavin Shatkin has asserted his moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be
identified as the author of this work.
Published by
Ashgate Publishing Limited Ashgate Publishing Company
Gower House Suite 420
Croft Road 101 Cherry Street
Aldershot Burlington, VT 05401-4405
Hampshire GU11 3HR USA
England
Ashgate website: http://www.ashgate.com
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Shatkin, Gavin
Collective action and urban poverty alleviation : community
organizations and the struggle for shelter in Manila. -
(Urban and regional planning and development)
1. Non-governmental organizations - Philippines - Manila
2. Squatter settlements - Philippines - Manila 3. Community
development - Philippines - Manila 4. Non-governmenal
organizations - Philippines - Manila - Case studies
5. Squatter settlements - Philippines - Manila - Case
studies 6. Community development - Philippines - Manila -
Case studies 7. Manila (Philippines) - Politics and
government 8. Philippines - Politics and government - 1986-
I. Title
361.7'7'0959916
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shatkin, Gavin.
Collective action and urban poverty alleviation : community organizations and the
struggle for shelter in Manila / by Gavin Shatkin.
p. cm. -- (Urban and regional planning and development series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN: 978-0-7546-4786-7
1. Community development--Philippines--Manila Metropolitan Area. 2. Community
organization--Philippines--Manila Metropolitan Area. 3. Manila Metropolitan Area--
Politics and government--Citizen participation. 4. Land use--Philippines--Manila
Metropolitan Area--Planning--Citizen participation. I. Title.
HN720.M33S53 2007
307.3'4160959916--dc22
2006033552
ISBN: 978-0-7546-4786-7
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wiltshire.
Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Tables viii
Preface and Acknowledgements x
List of Abbreviations xiii
1 Introduction 1
Perspectives on CBOs and Community Development 3
Globalization and Community-based Collective Action 9
The Metro Manila Context 12
Methodology of the Study 14
Outline of the Book 17
2 Obstacles to Empowerment: Local Politics and Community
Organizing in Metro Manila 19
Urban Politics, Land Markets, and Civil Society Participation 20
Historical Foundations of Contemporary Urban Politics in the
Philippines 26
Martial Law and the Urban Poor Movement 28
CBOs and the State in the Post-Marcos Era 32
The Social and Political Impacts of Globalization 34
Conclusion 40
3 Community-Based Organizations and the State: Five Case Studies 41
The Structure of the Community Organizing System in Metro Manila 42
CBOs and the State in the Case Study Communities 49
Conclusion 60
4 Building Communities: Social Capital and Participation in CBOS 63
Theories of Community Participation in Informal Settlements 64
Methodology of the Household Survey 66
Profile of the Case Study Communities 67
Kinship and Social Ties in the Communities 72
Participation in the Communities 74
Household Characteristics and Participation 78
Conclusion 79
vi Collective Action and Urban Poverty Alleviation
5 Political Identities and Collective Action 81
Political Orientations of the Urban Poor: A Brief Theoretical Review 82
Political Orientations of Informal Settlers in Metro Manila 85
Resident Perceptions of their Political Environment in the Case Study
Communities 88
Residents’ Perceptions of CBO Agency 93
The Origins of Political Activism in Pasay and Navotas 96
Role of Non-Governmental Organizations 100
Community Identities 101
6 A Quantitive Assessment of Community Organizing in Metro
Manila 103
Methodology of the Survey 104
A Profile of Informal Settlements in Quezon City and Manila 108
Community Organizations: Leadership and Activities 111
CBO relations with NGOs 117
Community Relations with Government 120
Conclusion 122
7 A Comparative Perspective on Collective Action and
Community Change 125
The Historical Roots of Contemporary State-Community Relations
in the Philippines 127
Community-Based Organizations and the State: Lessons from
Metro Manila, Bangkok and Porto Alegre 129
Community-Based Organizations and Communities 134
Conclusion 137
Appendix 141
Bibliography 151
Index 173
List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Location of the Case Study Communities in Metro Manila 16
Figure 2.1: Development of Commercial Space by City and Municipality
in Metro Manila, 1990-1997 (square feet per square
kilometer of land area) 37
Figure 2.2: Development of Industrial Space by City and Municipality
in Metro Manila, 1990-1997 (square feet per square kilometer
of land area) 38
Figure 2.3: Revenue Per Capita for Cities and Municipalities
of Metro Manila,1997 (in pesos) 39
Figure 3.1: Tabing Dagat Daang Hari 52
Figure 3.2: A Roadside Market, National Government Center, Quezon
City (Photo Author) 56
Figure 4.1: Average Number of Co-sponsors by Community 72
List of Tables
Table 4.1: Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of
residents of the five communities 68
Table 4.2: Resident participation in eleven types of collective
activities by community (percents) 75
Table 4.3: Degrees of resident participation in the five
communities (percents) 75
Table 4.4: Degree of participation by individual characteristics 78
Table 5.1: Resident perceptions of the impact of the 1986 people’s
power revolution the political climate in the Philippines
(percent) 90
Table 5.2: Resident views on the impact of President Estrada’s policies
on living conditions of informal settlements (percent) 90
Table 5.3: Resident assessment of the performance of the local mayor
(percent) 91
Table 5.4: Resident responses to the question: how helpful do you feel
the mayor has been to your community? 91
Table 5.5: Resident responses to the question: how helpful do you feel
the local barangay office has been to your community 92
Table 5.6: Relationship of participation in collective activities to
assessment of the peformance of the mayor 92
Table 5.7: Residents’ assessment of the degree of the local CBOs’
influence on government programs and policies (percent) 94
Table 5.8: Resident perceptions of the likelihood that the community
will be evicted in the next five years (percent) 95
Table 5.9: Community improvements named by community residents,
and who they felt was responsible for improvements
(number of responses) 97

Table 6.1: Prevalence of CBOs in Manila and Quezon City
(number of communities) 107
Table 6.2: Ownership of land in informal settlements in Quezon City
and Manila (percent) 109
Table 6.3: Perception of the probability of a demolition in the next
three years (percent) 111
Table 6.4: Characteristics of informal settlements in Quezon City
and Manila (percent) 114
List of Tables ix
Table 6.5: Activities undertaken by community-based organizations
(percent) 114
Table 6.6: Community improvements named by community residents,
and who they felt was responsible for improvements
(number of responses) 116
Table 6.7: CBOs receiving various types of assistance from NGOs
(percent) 118
Table 6.8: Frequency of interaction between CBOs and government
agencies in Quezon City and Manila in the previous
12 months (percent) 121
Table 6.9: Community leaders’ assessment of the performance of the
local mayor (percent) 121
Table 6.10: Community leaders’ assessment of the performance of the
local mayor (percent) 122
Table 6.11: Community leaders’ assessment of the helpfulness
of barangay officials to their community (percent) 122