DOCUMENTARY NOTES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2005
ARCA, LAURITA P.
DELA CRUZ, ROWENA G.
GLORIA, AL P.
OLA, ___________
SARAWUT INTHORRHATED
Students
CED 301 – Philosophical Ideas In Devt.
First Semester, SY 2005-2006
University of the
College, Laguna
Introduction
“The beginning was hard but we survived through faith and through our abilities.”
These are the actual words that come from the people that the group interviewed during our visit at
We thus concluded that observing is not enough. One must ask the insiders in order to know the realities among them.
During the Orientation/Briefing
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO PONDER (SET A)
Q. Where is the smoke?
- There is no smoke when it rains.
- Always smelly?
A. Yes but they learned to live with it.
KA JAIME UNFOLDS THE STORY BEHIND THE RISE OF
Bago napatalsik si Marcos, ang alam namin ay may polisiya na nagsasabing ibabahagi na sa amin ng gobyerno ang lupang kinatitirikan ng aming mga bahay. Hindi nga lamang natuloy dahil maraming tao pero kokonti ang lupa. Ganito na naman ang nangyari nang panahon ni Aquino. Itutuloy na Sa panahon ni Ramos, nagkaroon ng oryentasyon sa aming mga residente rito tungkol sa “People Empowerment.” Ang mga lider ng iba’t ibang organisasyon ay pinagkaisa. Sa panahon din ni Ramos lumabas ang tinatawag na “Medium Rise Development.” Kabilang sa proyektong ito ang “Balik-Probinsya Project.” Lahat ng pamilyang tumugon sa programang ito ay nakatanggap ng halagang limang libong piso. May proyekto ring relokasyon at “Temporary Housing Project.” Ang mga pamilyang napasama sa relokasyon ay nangagsitanggap ng halagang dalawampung libong piso. Iyong mga ayaw naman sa relokasyon ay dinala sa “Temporary Housing.” Mahirap ang nagging buhay namin sa “Temporary Housing.” Dahil kulang ang mga yunit sa napakaraming bilang ng mga tao, minsan ay tatlong pamilya ang nagsasama-sama sa isang yunit. Maraming mga pulitiko at mga “NGO’s” ang lumapit sa amin at nagkunwaring tutulong pero ginamit lamang ang gaming kondisyon para sa kanilang pansariling interes.
Ka Jaime sighs knowing that amidst their poor condition, there are still people who can take to use them for their personal vested interests.
There are those who sponsor in providing their youth of studying materials like notebooks, bags, ballpens, papers, pencils, shoes, and uniform. Ka Jaime however said that these are not the only things need in order to sustain their studies. Daily allowances which are more important, he says, must also be provided.
President GMA’s administration, Ka Jaime said, promised to transfer them from temporary housing to permanent housing and to give them livelihood assistance. The rise of twenty one buildings with one hundred twenty units was thus realized.
During the Open Forum
Respondents: Original Leaders of Sambayanang Kristiyano
Q. How’s the quality of your water here?
A1. It can not be drunk unless boiled that we thus buy mineral water for drinking which costs twenty five pesos per container.
A2. We use the water from the faucet for washing purposes.
A3. The price of water is higher here than in the outside. We, the
- What do you do to solve this problem?
A1. There are now on-going cooperatives that give us the items we need in cheaper prices.
A2. Through our leaders, a memo that requests to lessen the price of their water service payment was sent to Maynilad.
A3. Our water comes from NAWASA.
A4. In cooperatives, one container costs only fifteen pesos. This is not, however, what we want but to lessen the price of our payment per cubic.
- Have you talked with the National Housing Authority?
A1. NHS allowed volume agreement. This is the reason why we pay higher than the outsiders pay.
- Is there any action regarding this?
A1. None. We are still getting information on how can we act on this. Our SMCAI (Smokey Mountain Community Association) leaders still talk about the problem.
- How many hectares does
A1. Twenty three and a half. Most of it however is occupied by garbage.
- How about the total number of families living here?
A1. Two thousand six according to census.
A2. We can not count the exact number because there are twenty one buildings with one hundred twenty units each. Each unit is however occupied by one, two or three families.
- When did
A1. Year 1955, when Marcelo Ice Plant was already being cleaned, dumping garbage here already started. During this year, the pile of garbage was not yet high.
A2. About 1970’s or 1980’s when it fully blew into a mountain, smokey mountain.
A3. Demolition in Bulihan,
- What is the common number of children per family?
A1. Six to nine.
- How about schools?
A1. We have no school inside the community. Our children usually enrol at LACSON, VICENTE LIM, PAES, and VILLEGAS.
- How many kids in a room?
A1. Forty to fifty.
- Other livelihood sources….
A1. As of now…. - construction workers, carpenters, masons, office workers, guards, side car drivers, jeepney drivers, vendors, manicure, repairs and junk shop…
A2. Before, mostly from garbage.
Q. Is there a memo already from NHA?
A1. Yes. Payment is according to floor level. Seven hundred for the first floor, five hundred for the second floor, four hundred for the third floor, three hundred for the fourth floor and two hundred for the fifth floor. Our contract is twenty five years.
A2. Age is also considered in payment. Both young and old sign a twenty-five year contract.
- Are there non-paying cases?
A1. Yes but not in unit rental but in water bills.
Q. What if one can not pay his unit rental fee?
A1. Non-payment for three to five or more months means cutting our water connection.
A2. What we worry now is the “Seawage Treatment Plan.” We will be the one to shoulder the payment for the water to be used.
- What is it?
A1. It is one of the major requirements in housing projects.
- Are there organizations here?
A1. Yes. There many. We have three cooperatives – Akbayan, Sambayanang Kristiyano and….. Two of which are duly registered.
- Are they active?
A1. Akbayan and Sambayang Kristyano – Yes. Others are not.
- Besides Daycare, do you have other health centers?
A1. There should be but there is none.
A2. Sometimes there are “Medical Missioners” who come here to help us (pretentiously).
A3. There are no regular missions being conducted here.
- How about church?
A1. There was a plan which is still a plan until now.
- What about other organizations and their existing projects?
A1. MITHI – Tulong Aral; ERDA – Elementary and High School Education plus livelihood; CONCOCCHIO; Y-WAM and SHALLOM – both for education and Bible studies.
- Are there residents here from tribes?
A1. None.
- From where are you mostly?
A1. From different places in the country.
- Usual reasons in migration to
A1. NPA-related troubles in the province.
- Initial problems met..
A1. Job, shelter, health risks….
A2. Incinerator was the solution thought of for the garbage problem but Clean Air Act project affected it.
- How did you survive?
A1. I even had my family broken but I stood still because of faith.
A2. Lack of money to pay house rent forced us to stay here. My family and I just exercised patience until one by one, my children finished college.
A3. The hardships I experienced in living here resulted to different skills that I now use in running a junk and repair shop.
A4. Yes. His house is very nice! It looks like a condo unit.
(Everybody in the interviewer group wowed because of it.)
A5. Involvement in religious organizations gave me and my family the chance to get a slot in the housing project.
A6. We scavenged first before we had established a better home and more decent livelihood.
- Epidemics….
A1. In 1982 to 1985, almost five children died each day because of flies-caused sicknesses. We were then eating inside the sleeping net because flies were then very, very thick.
Q. Tuberculosis?
A1. Many, many cases.
Q. Diabetics and heart ailments?
A1. There are also.
Q. NO medical services?
A1. None. We just do some sickness prevention measures.
- How about peace and order?
A1. There are Barangay Tanod. Each building also has “Bantay Pangkapayapaan.”
Q. Crime rate..
A1. High.
- The common crimes?
A1. Stabbing…Rambles…Stealing….
- How’s slandering here?
A1. We’re rich in that here.. (laughs)
- Do policemen go here?
A1. Very seldom.
A2. We are actually planning to enjoin all “Bantay Pangkapayapaan” forces but we can not do it because we are not yet an independent barangay. We deeply wish to be given back our title as Barangay 128.
- What about that again?
A1. When we were relocated to the temporary housing while this place was being renovated, barangay 128 was dissolved. When we came back here, we were thus enjoined into barangay 129. We therefore can not decide on our own. That’s why we want our own barangay back.
- Leadership?
A1. Nobody can perform it well. The causes maybe are lack of knowledge and skills in management and lack of incentives.
- I heard you have adult education here. What are being taught there?
A1. Electronic modules about technical skills in different aspects. One hour review through lecture then one hour hands-on.
A2. Mothers are taught here to in food production like patis…etc. Soap making is also taught here.
A3.Etrading, the one mentioned by Father Tim this morning, is also being taught here.
- Other trainings like….solid waste management?
A1. Yes there are. One is the
- Is there agriculture here?
A1. Yes but can not be sustained because the soil is contaminated.
Q. How are the units? Are they clean?
A1. Yes especially if we know that we have visitors (laughs).
- Community conflicts management…
A1. “Awat-awat” system.
- Infidelity and adultery – do these things also happen here?
A1. Yes of course.
Q. What happens next if someone in a building commits this immoral act?
A1. Family level solution.
- Livelihood projects?
A1. Etrading of Father Tim.
A2. Plant nursery growers but this one is very hard to sustain due to our soil condition.
- Health of the community?
A1. Cough, flu, all lung-related problems.
A2. Most of us can not go to doctors because we don’t have money that we just heal these all by faith.
- Dengue?
A1. There was one case but was treated very early that it did not become serious.
- Cholesterol, amoebiasis?
A1. Of course there are because of water.
- High blood?
A1. Many, many cases especially among those who do not have money (everybody laughs).
- Regular weighing?
A1. Yes there is but no food supplements are given.
- How’s the common educational attainment of the people here?
A1. We now have a lot of professionals.
- Traditions?
A1. Fiesta, “Mahal na Araw”…Flores de Mayo…Month of Rosary in October..
A2. Father had trained one youth group in playing banduria. They are now going places not just around the
- What are your secrets why do you stay happy and cool despite the difficulties you experience here in
A1. We are simple people. Just like this food that you gave us. We are already happy to have things like these.
A2. It’s because if we belonged in other squatter group, we couldn’t meet people like you. (Weng says “Ayy…Nakaka-touch naman..”)
- What is Sambayanang Kristyano all about?
A1. This is actually BEC (Basic Ecclesiastical Community). Its officers are elected not just appointed. This is the reason why its officers are not ordinary workers.
A2. This is the group used by the community in sending our laments.
A3. We are aware of the social-political conditions that we have. This is why almost all of us cooperate in the projects being promoted by this group.
Q. What projects for example?
A1. Vicariate..This is a church organization that…
A2. Dasal-Musal during Saturday mornings. This is morning prayer and breakfast, too.
- Any final word?
A1. We, the
Additional Questions
Q. Other rehabs have these drugs and prostitution cases. Do you also have them here?
A1. Yes. Usually beginning 13 to 14 years old.
- How much is the trend?
A1. Sometimes just an exchange with coffee is enough.
Q. How?
A1. It is done in beerhouses.