1

Rehabilitaion Of Masalasa Creek,

Leading to Relocation Of Infomal Settlers

A Research Presented to
Tarlac State University
College of Architecture & Fine Arts
Department of Architecture
San Isidro, Tarlac City

In Partial Fulfilment
Of the Requirements in the subject
Housing for Architecture under the
Degree of Bachelor of Science in Architecture

Submitted to:
AR. JEREMIAH MARCO A. BILDAN
housing Class Instructor

By

ASUNCION, TRIXIE G.
MANALANG, JOHN LERRY R.
SABALA, ERIC S.
SANTOS, ALAIN T.
NOV 2019
 2

I. TITLE:

"REHABILITATION OF MASALASA CREEK, LEADING TO RELOCATION OF

INFORMAL SETTLERS"
II. ABSTRACT:

This study aims to provide a sustainable solution

for the rehabilitation of masalasa creek, tarlac through
the process of site evaluation. The study was conducted
through the initiative of the members of the residents of
informal settlers and the barangay officials to
facilitate the rehabilitation of masalasa creek, tarlac
and national housing authority standards. Necessary
information and data about the masalasa creek, tarlac
were obtained by means of site walkthroughs, interviews
and site surveys; which were architectural processes. As
what was found out on data gathered by the researchers,
the informal settlers basically needs to relocate to a
better sustainable community with carefully planned
spaces and buildings that were planned architecturally;
these problems were given emphasis based on the
requirements of NHA and the wishes of the city government
have voiced out. The desired outcome for this study is a
master plan that would not only conform to the
requirements given by NHA but also to the standards
dictated by its users.
III.KEYWORDS: Rehabilitation, sustainable community,
rehabilitation Facilities, environmental
planning, NHA Guidelines, informal settlers,
sustainable solution, NBC Provisions
IV. INTRODUCTION:

1) BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The masalasa creek is located at Tarlac City. Its water source

is came from Tarlac River, it is approximately 16
kilometers in length and it was once a good source of fish
and water for irrigation in the past (see figure 1). There
are 185 households with approximately 5 members per
household along the creek, all of them are informal
settlers (see table 1).
 3

Recently, the government of Tarlac city seriously want to

rehabilitate the Masalasa creek due to polluted water
composed of garbage, plastics and styro-foams (see figure
2)
In response, the best way to resolve this problem is to
relocate all the informal settlers near the Masalasa creek
providing them a community that is sustainable, more
environment friendly, less energy consumption and make a
community more liveable, workable and enjoyable especially
for young generations. The community design concept must
consider the culture and beliefs and even the psychological
mindsets of these people to meet their needs and
expectations.

Figure 1: location of informal settlers along Masalasa creek

 4

Figure 2: Site photos

 5

TABLE 1: DEMOGRAPHICS
1. SKILL/SOURCE OF FUND
AREA/LOCATION FARMER DRIVER CONSTRUCTION OTHER
WORKER
binauganan 50% 30% 15% 5%
San 20% 40% 25% 15%
sebastian
San jose 100% 0% 0% -
maliwalo 100% 0% 0% -
Sta. 60% 20% 10% 10%
catalina

2. SOCIAL CLASS
AREA/LOCATION HIGH MIDDLE LOW
binauganan 10% 50% 40%
San 4% 6% 90%
sebastian
San jose 0% 0% 100%
maliwalo 0% 0% 100%
Sta. 0% 20% 80%
catalina

3. TYPES OF SHELTER MATERIAL USED

AREA/LOCATION LIGHT CONCRETE
MATERIALS
binauganan 12 133
San 9 22
sebastian
San jose 1 0
maliwalo 1 0
Sta. 14 8
catalina

TABLE 2: PSYCHOGRAPHICS
WAY OF THINKING/ CONCERNS
1.) When the water from creek overflows, their
children would be in danger.
2.) Because of polluted water coming from creek,
they are exposed to different types of disease.
3.) Because of polluted water coming from creek,
they are exposed to different types of disease
 6

4.) Their lifestyle has big impact to their

children minds

5.) They need a community that all of them can

accommodate

2) PROBLEM AND OBJECTIVES

Generally the problem is worse environment near the masalasa

creek, lot of informal settlers are occupying near the
creek so basically, mostly of the garbage is caused by
them. Further viewing, this main problem may threat health
and safety allowing the community to exposed from dengue,
polio virus and other diseases, it makes the environment
exposed in such pollution and lastly it may have huge
psychological impact to the community especially young
generation.
The main objectives of this study are the following:

• To relocate all the informal settlers near the

Masalasa creek providing them a community that is
aligned in UN’s 17 sustainable development goals.
• To design a community that consider the culture
and beliefs and even the psychological mindsets of
these people.

3) REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Promoting Eco-Sanitation for Informal Settlements

Kenya

Through this eco-sanitation project, the Umande Trust

seeks to involve marginalized communities living in urban
informal settlements in accessing basic services through
community-led provision of bio-centers. The Trust
facilitates community participation and provides training
and support to enable informal settlers to lead on the
planning, design and management of the facilities. This
community development process enables people to gain skills
and a strong sense of ownership, and to deliver an eco-
sanitation facility that fits local needs.
 7

Sustainable features:
1. Cases of flying toilets and open defecations within the
informal settlements have dramatically decrease in areas
bio-centers are located.
2. This containment of human waste also reduces the pollution
of water bodies and helps to curb water borne disease.
3. The bio-slurry produced by the bio-centers is currently
used for urban greening in areas with space in the local
area, improving the environment for residents and some of
the bio-centers have embarked on activities to promote
urban farming and tree planting.
4. The project promotes renewable energy helping the shift
from wood, charcoal, kerosene and gas to biogas for
cooking.
5. Bio-sanitation closes the loop in the waste management
process by turning human waste into a resource.
6. The bio-centers apply ecological sanitation principles to
ensure that human waste is turned into valuable bio-
products by producing gas through bio-digester systems and
producing fertilizer as a by-product.

Inter-Cultural Neighborhood
Argentina

The Intercultural Neighbourhood is within an area

of land of approximately 400 hectares known as Plot 27. It
is three kilometres from the centre of the city of San
Martin de los Andes in Argentina. The owners of the land
were the indigenous Mapuche Curruhuinca community but the
land had been occupied by the Argentinian military.

Sustainable features:
1. Providing decent and peaceful communal living
2. The Intercultural Neighborhood offers a comprehensive
vision of habitat and respectful communal living,
establishing a cultural exchange.
 8

3. Opportunity for peaceful and decent communal living for

future generations in a community free from the risk of
land speculation.

Residential Rehabilitation
Australia

Odyssey House Family Units offer a residential

rehabilitation program based in Melbourne, Australia that
enables parents, including single fathers, to seek therapy
for drug and alcohol addiction. The units have been
designed, constructed and managed in accordance with the
ideals of a therapeutic community, and to a high
environmental standard.

Sustainable features:
1. The unique design and layout of the building is a feature
and symbol of the process of a therapeutic community.
2. The program offers a structured environment, with residents
and staff working together as a community to help
individuals address their problems, develop new coping
skills, and build self-esteem.

Harmonious Village
China

The Da Ping Village in the Sichuan Province of

China was rebuilt with the support of the Green Building
Research Centre (GBRC). The project aimed to create a
harmonious village through socially and environmentally
sustainable approaches to improve housing and
infrastructure, economic conditions, sanitation and
livelihoods. Its objective is to reconstruct the village,
develop the local economy and bring greater harmony with
the local environment using sustainable development
principles and to create a harmonious village through
socially and environmentally sustainable approaches to
 9

improve infrastructure, economic conditions, sanitation and

livelihoods.

Sustainable features:
1. The main building materials were wood and bamboo, locally
rich in supply.
2. The new houses provide more attractive living places, with
improved indoor comfort environment for the residents.
3. Use of an ecological building design, which is compatible
with the local climate and naturally conserves energy.
4. Core house and module concepts are used to enable flexible
design options. Once the core house is finished, spaces can
be added as needed for further living requirements.

Community-Based Solid Waste Management

Peru

A community-based solid waste management project

in Cerro el Pino innovatively uses motorbike as a means to
access remote areas. This project triggers the creation of
micro-enterprises and income generation opportunities for
waste collectors and recyclers. A community-based
monitoring system has been set up which oversees the work
of the waste collection micro-enterprises.
The aim of the project is to develop an efficient solid
waste management system for Cerro el Pino, reduce waste
volume in streets and landfills while creating
opportunities for income generation and contributing
towards improved quality of life. The direct beneficiaries
are the 23,450 residents of Cerro El Pino, including eight
recyclers who have permanent jobs as members of the solid
waste collection micro-enterprise. Indirect beneficiaries
(an estimated 120,000 people) include vendors and consumers
at the largest fruit market of Lima, which is located next
to Cerro El Pino.

Sustainable features:
1. Strengthening social networks and establishing a Committee
for Local Environmental Management.
 10

2. Establishing a micro-enterprise within the community to

provide a non-conventional system of solid waste collection
through motorbikes.
3. Organization of a system for door-to-door collection of
weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments for the services
provided, according to the preference and economic
possibilities of each family.
4. Creation of income generation opportunities through an
innovative micro-enterprise model.
5. Development of partnerships with local schools to help
raise awareness of environmental issues.

Eco-Neighborhood
New Zealand

The Earthsong Eco-Neighborhood is the first

cohousing community in New Zealand and combines
environmentally-sustainable approaches to housing and
lifestyle with well establish community decision-making
processes. The 32 households, made up of residents of all
ages and a range of ethnic groups and economic
circumstances, each have a self-contained home and also own
and share extensive communal facilities with the community
as a whole. Twice weekly communal meals, the vegetable
garden, shared childcare and carpooling foster an
atmosphere of respect and cooperation.
Earthsong Eco-Neighborhood was established,
based on the principles of permaculture, to serve as a
model of a socially- and environmentally-sustainable
community. It aims to assist in education and increasing
public awareness of social and environmental sustainability
by demonstrating and promoting innovative community design
and environmentally responsible construction.

Sustainable features:
1. A permaculture system of organic land management has been
used to create productive ‘edible’ landscapes.
2. Community facilities and public transport, and the
neighborhood itself is predominantly pedestrian: cars are
parked at the edge of the site and homes are connected
through a network of paths.
 11

Public Oriented Community

Netherlands

This project provides 169 apartments for

independent living and 46 units for those people who need
much higher levels of care. All design is to lifetime
guaranteed standards of accessibility, safety and
adaptability. Community facilities are incorporated within
the complex and are well used by the general public,
helping to ensure that the residents are not isolated from
daily life in the small town of Zevenaar. The buildings
have been designed to high environmental standards and
incorporate a range of sustainable construction features
including green roofs, high-density design, storm water
retention and the use of environmentally sound building
materials. Advanced ICT systems are incorporated to
maximize safety, communications and energy management.

Sustainable features:
1. Communal facilities include a kitchen, restaurant, small
supermarket, theatre, parking facilities, meeting and
activity rooms. Some of these can be used by the general
public.
2. Large-scale integrated project for older people with many
different innovative approaches combined.
3. High social value is achieved by ensuring that residents
have recourse to the care facilities within the sheltered
complex, without having to move house to do so.
4. Digital superhighway to improve safety, communications and
energy management.

Colorado Court: Energy Neutral Building

United States of America

One of the first energy-neutral buildings in the

USA, this five-storey complex of 54 apartments provides
 12

affordable housing for key workers close to the Santa

Monica city center. Innovative energy technologies and
construction materials, strict waste recycling and water
conservation and management systems combine to make this a
nationally recognized example of environmentally
sustainable construction.

Sustainable features:
1. Although the units are fairly small, the ceilings are 10
ft. high and there is natural light and cross ventilation
in each unit.
2. Additional facilities provided by the project include a
community room, mail room, outdoor courtyard space, bike
store, laundry and covered car parking for 20 cars.
3. A natural gas powered micro-turbine and heat recovery
system generate base-load electricity and hot water.
4. 100 per cent energy neutral in that it is designed to
produce as much energy as it uses.
5. Strict waste recycling regulations for the contractor and
use of recycled materials wherever possible.

Resilient Social Housing

Chile

The 2010 earthquake and tsunami destroyed 11,400

buildings on the Chilean coast – shattering people’s houses
and livelihoods. For these families, the government’s
reconstruction program could have seen them resettling in a
safer place away from the sea but this would have meant not
only losing their homes but their livelihoods and community
identity.
This resilient social housing has helped to
preserve the culture and identity of coastal communities
and has supported people’s livelihoods. A total of 180
‘stilt houses’ were built in five fishing villages for
local families who make their living from fishing or by
collecting algae.

Sustainable features:
 13

1. Disaster resilient community.

2. The houses are earthquake-resistant stilt houses,
responding to a structural calculation model that considers
the particular challenges of a flood-prone area.
3. The ground floor is flood-able to take account of tsunamis
and can otherwise be used as a work or storage area.
4. The living space (bedroom, kitchen and bathroom) is higher
and at a safer level which makes it much easier to make the
house habitable again after a tsunami or high seas.
5. The structural design allows for faster reconstruction in
the event of potential extreme natural disasters.

V. METHODS

The study was conducted in masalasa creek,

tarlac, which is bounded by the informal settlers of
barangay San Sebastian, binauganan, maliwalo and matatalaib,
tarlac. The methods used by researcher in conducting
evaluation for the relocation site were the following:

• WALK THROUGH: Initial step in gathering data on the site

was to record its existing features and its physical
characteristics, the other data being recorded was shown
below;
 SITE INVENTORY
 Existing residential
 Site Photos
 Site utilization study
 Existing condition of site
 OBSERVATION
PHYSICAL CONFORMANCE TO STANDARDS SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
CHARACTERISTICS
 14

The creek is Insufficient open Residents are

surrounded by informal spaces. living along with
settlers. 6m X 8m classrooms their livestock and
Crowded community. instead of 7m X 9m poultry.
Houses are extended Some buildings don’t Lot of children
along the creek. follow the minimum swimming in the
required setbacks creek.
Bad sanitation.
Houses are made of The school have
light materials. insufficient academic
Bad vehicular/ areas such as
pedestrian Laboratory Room, TLE,
circulation. Home Economics room,
Guidance Office and
playing fields.

• INTERVIEWS:
Had an interview to barangay officials and
informal settlers regarding on the needed
information for the development.

• SURVEY:
 Existing site conditions
 Existing residential
 Site utilization
 Circulation path
VI. RESULTS / FINDINGS

The researcher used the case studies and combined

strategies method of research in this study. The data
gathered were analyzed, categorized, interpreted and
tabulated accordingly as follows:

Figure 4: Site Inventory

Figure 5: Photos
 15

VII. DISCUSSION:

a) SITE SELECTION CRITERIA AND SCORES:

b) COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL RATINGS:

c) CONCERNS:

Figure 6: Site Analysis

Figure 7: Bubble Diagram and Schematic Pans

VIII. Conclusion

Figure 8: Master Plan

Figure 9: Perspective Plan