SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

To Political Science Major The study will enable the Political Science majors to gain
knowledge on politics of reclamation and the vulnerability of the estuarial community along
Manila Bay. Moreover, the study will look into the dynamics of network governance in order to
describe and analyze the collaboration and coordination among the interest groups to forward
their agenda. To understand the prospects for reform and ways in which the NGOs can contribute
in the reduction of vulnerability of BASECO as a community. This study will inspire other
Political Science majors to propose a deeper and a more extensive research on the politics of
reclamation given that it is inter-connected to other problems that the country faces. The issue of
reclamation is not only an issue in our society but also in different parts of the world. Thus, it
requires greater action most especially from the government. As Political Science majors, it is
important to study how the government and even the civil society works pertinent to such issues
in order for them to act upon these in the future.

To General Readers Reclamation is one of the solutions to cope with the increasing population
of the society. In the Philippines, Baseco has been a reclamation area that has been transformed
into a community. However, different problems and issues are being faced by the community.
This study will be beneficial to the general readers as they will gain awareness on the challenges
that the society faces which has political, economic, cultural and ethical dimensions. Moreover,
readers will also gain awareness to the collaboration and coordination of different interest groups
specifically the civil society in addressing the issues and problems of the community.

Vulnerability of Baseco
Reclamation for the Philippine government, according to Engr. Destura of the Philippine
Reclamation Authority (PRA) is basically filling up with a good sand an area that is underwater,
offshore or foreshore and containing it in order for the filling materials not to spread. Scientific
studies and environmental studies and the EEC from the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources are required by the PRA before they give the green signal to start the land
reclamation.
Baseco is a reclaimed area of a total of 54 hectares situated along the Port Area, Manila
and is built from muck dredged of a portion of Manila Bay from accumulated tidal deposits of
sands, shells and trash washed ashore by the waves of the Pasig River and Manila Bay (Guevara
et.Al, 2009).

Figure Baseco (Taken from the Barangay Hall)

According to the barangay profile of Baseco, as of 2010, the total structures in Baseco
has reached to a number of 8, 984, with 10, 712 number of families. The population rose from
42, 249 residents in 2007 to 51, 060 in 2010 (NSO, 2007). Baseco is considered as Urban Poor
as vast majority of its population are informal settlers. This is primarily because Baseco has been
designated as the resettlement site for thousands of informal settlers evicted from other parts of

Metro Manila (Guevara et., Al, 2009). Displaced families were transferred to Baseco and the
population ballooned especially in the early 90s. Most of the families in Baseco live as the
urban poor do elsewhere, that is, in poor housing, lacking planned streets, decent sanitation and
public space. Moreover, every year there is the rising number of population which led to the
problem of space. The more the people that live in Baseco, the more the structures being built
illegally that even the barangay can hardly oust the people in the area. Thus, Baseco has been
vulnerable in many aspects.
Baseco has earned the reputation as one of Metro Manilas most impoverished and
hapless slums. It lies between two breakwaters. The Northern breakwater controls the flow of the
Pasig River into the Bay while the Southern breakwater protects the south Harbor. However, the
land between breakwaters grew by natural accretion and from garbage (UPA, 2013). Some
homes were built on soft and swampy ground which easily floods during high tide or especially
when typhoon hits Manila. Soil tests were conducted by the Department of the Environment and
Natural resources (DENR) in the years 2004 and 2007. Tests revealed that Baseco is unsafe for
more than one story structures and is at risk if a strong earthquake hits the area. Strong methane
gas is present in the area because the land used to reclaim the area has been composed mostly of
garbage. In connection to the soil test conducted by the DENR, Philippine Reclamation
Authority claimed that Baseco was purely reclaimed and is not suitable for human settlements
and considered Baseco as an environmental time bomb because anytime the area will liquefy
which would highly risks the lives of the people.

Figures Crowded houses in Baseco; Made of light materials

Due to its location, Baseco has been vulnerable to disasters such fires, floods, typhoons
and earthquakes. From the years 2002 to 2012, there are eight incidents of fires. Baseco
experienced three major fires in the years 2002, 2003 and 2004 which drastically worsen the
situation in Baseco. As fires occurred close to each other, thousands of families lost their homes
which are built in light materials. Houses were crowded against one another which resulted to a
high number of casualties. According to the Barangay profile of Baseco, there are only 228
concrete houses, 3,566 semi-concrete houses, 5, 190 make-shifts and more or less 4,000 has no
census.

Figure _ & _ Garbage and tricycles as their sources of living.

Baseco is seen as of squalor and poverty. Even the media had caught its attention to the
problem of hunger in Baseco. Hunger drove residents to sell not only their blood but also their
internal organs. Baseco was considered as the most well-known living donor community in the
Philippines and one of the hot spots of human organ trafficking in the world (Guevara et., Al,
2009). Such incidents alarmed other people in the society. Lack of employment opportunity
indicates the low standard of living of the residents of Baseco because they are constrained to
find high-paying jobs due to their limited education and skills. Although Baseco is a coastal
community, the sea is dumped with lots of garbage that made it difficult for the fishermen to
catch marine resources. People especially the children have also used scavenging as a source of
livelihood as they look for garbage and sell it to junkshops to earn small amount of money for a
living (Pagute, 2012).

Figure Children as the most vulnerable sector in Baseco

Peace and order has also been a problem in Baseco as crime rates increases which
involves youth in drug use and stealing. Moreover, according to the 2009 census, children below
twelve years old has the highest number in Baseco which contributes to different child related

issues such as child abuse, child labour, early pregnancy, illiteracy, malnutrition and among
others (Pagute, 2012).

Figures No toilet facilities

In certain areas in Baseco, people had no access to clean water and electricity nor toilet
facilities available, no drainage system was in place as roads are not paved which resulted for
the houses to easily got flooded during high tide with polluted water from Manila Bay
(Moraleda, 2013). Even until now, the situation remains the same. There are depressed areas and
informal settlements which cover three-fourths of the whole Baseco and most of Baseco is
composed of reclaimed soil that turns very muddy when it rains and even in a sunny day, some
parts of the community are submerged in stagnant putrid water and become breeding ground for
diseases and infections especially to children (Moraleda, 2013). Poor health condition was the
result of inadequate sanitation in Baseco that the top three diseases that are most rampant in the
area are respiratory infections, hypertension and gastrointestinal related diseases (Pagute, 2012)
There were deep well pumps installed in Baseco in their hope that it would provide the
community access to clean water. However, it was not used due to the high concentration of
methane. Moreover, the PRA discouraged the installation of deep well pumps in the area because
once water is being extracted; there would be a possibility of land subsidence.

Figure Unused deep well pumps due to the high concentration of Methane
Originally Baseco has an area of 54 hectares. Eventually, according to the barangay
official, due to the areas weak soil condition it reduces to 47 hectares caused by coastal erosion
which made Baseco vulnerable to displace its people. Community are even frightened if the soil
can hold high-rise structures for a long time and it has been observed that some of the structures
started to sink below its ground level. Even roads have been made higher for several times
because of the gradual sinking of the land (Pagute, 2012). There are land titles that are still
pending where houses are still possible to be demolished in the future and that majority of the
respondents in the study conducted by Diana Moraleda of UPA still feared their eviction in the
area (2013).

The Presence of Interest groups

Interest Groups

Kabalikat sa Pag-unlad ng
Baseco Compound
(Kabalikat)

Urban Poor Associates

(UPA)

Nature

Peoples Organization

An independent, nongovernmental, not-for-profit

human rights organization

Founding Date

2001

1992

Legitimacy

Securities and Exchange

Commission - SEC Reg.
No.A20011238.

Securities and Exchange

Commission - SEC Reg.

Objectives

To improve the lives of

families in Baseco by
creating programs that
will uplift their life
conditions
One family, one house.
Equal rights to each
person

To educate families in
housing rights matters
and assist communities
in eviction crises
To protect housing
rights and prevent
forced evictions and
illegal demolitions.
To work with urban
poor communities to
obtain land tenure,
housing and basic
services
including
jobs,
health
and
education

Table Interest Groups

Interest groups such as the Urban Poor Associates (UPA) and the Kabalikat sa Pag-unlad
ng Baseco Compound (Kabalikat) with the local government unit of Baseco as the facilitating
agency, have been involved in Baseco in order to reduce the vulnerabilities of the community.
The Urban Poor Associates is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit human
rights organization whose aims are to educate families in housing rights matters and assist

communities in eviction crises, to protect housing rights and to prevent forced evictions and
illegal demolitions. They work with urban poor communities to obtain land tenure, housing and
basic services including jobs, health and education and empower them through establishing
peoples organizations by community organizing. Moreover, they disseminate urban-poor related
issues through media, research and studies for community analysis, legal consultations and
childrens related program (Pagute, 2012).UPA has been a registered NGO since 1992 formed by
Mr. Dennis Murphy. UPA basically works in Manila and in the esteros. Though some of the
families in Manila were relocated to San Pedro, Laguna, Bulacan, and Montalban, they still
extend their services to them. The UPA have been active in Baseco by forming large
democratic, nonviolent peoples organization that can unite poor peoples energies and hopes,
win a seat at the negotiating table with other compelling interest groups and work out just and
prosperous solutions for all (Moraleda, 2013). According to Ms. Ivy Espineli-Pugate, the
community organizer of UPA in Baseco, the key advocacy of UPA is on the security of tenure of
families, to organize people in the community which led to the formation of Kabalikat in Baseco.
The Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran ng Baseco Inc. is a peoples organization within the
community of Baseco whose aim is to improve the lives of Baseco families through the creation
of programs that would uplift their life conditions. Kabalikat was formally established in 2001
with the assistance of the Urban Poor Associates. To be more specific, according to the Kabalikat
President JeorgieTenolete, Kabalikat name was Baseco Organization at first and was established
due to the demolition of houses in the compound, until they created a peoples plan and became
Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran ng Baseco Inc. In 2002, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued the
Presidential Land Proclamation No. 145 declaring Baseco as a socialized housing site and open
for disposition to its actual occupants. This incident was a major victory for Kabalikat and the

people of Baseco. As an organization, they also conduct election for those who will become
leaders of a specific area in the community. Their members are oriented of the Kabalikats role
and of their work in the organization. Being a member of the organization means one is prepared
and willing to do the job. Today, Kabalikat has a total of 756 members. One family is equal to
one member in the organization. Kabalikat was established to work for the development of
Baseco especially in terms of education, health, livelihood, savings scheme, and security of
tenure including housing rights and basic services. The organization has many advocacies which
is why they have programs of various aspects.