Social and Ecological Vulnerability of Urban
Poor Communities in Metro Manila:
Information Needs, Opportunities
and Constraints
by
Emma Porio
Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
School of Social Sciences, Ateneo de Manila University
Executive Council, International Sociological Association
eporio@ateneo.edu
Presented at Cities at Risk: Building Adaptive Capacity for Managing Climate
Change in Asia’s Coastal Megacities
Chulalongkorn University
26-28 February 2009
Urban Poverty in Metro Manila
Poverty in Metro Manila
Number of Informal Settlers in Metro Manila by City and Municipality, 2002
Poverty and Flood-prone areas
in Metro Manila
Poverty and Climate-related Risks
in Metro Manila
Slum community next to a major river
in Pasay City.
Slum community next to a railroad
track in Manila City.
Existing Data/Information Base: Response to
the Needs of Vulnerable Population
1.
Metro Manila:Heterogeneity,Specificity,Vulnerability
Available data base, perceived needs, opportunities
vary, one city to the other, within one city, barangay,
vulnerable group:

Ecological, social-political-economic vulnerability: e.g.,Taguig,
migrant Muslim community vs. old-time residents

GIS, Pag-Asa, Phivocs, National Disaster
Coordinating Council, Civilian Defense System or
Civilian Relations Service (CRS)
Metropolitan Gov’t/Local Government Units:
Decentralization and Information Bases

The Most Vulnerable Populations in
Metro Manila
• Live in low-lying or swampy/wetlands, informal settlements
• Low-income and/or no stable sources of income (less than US$
1/day); high number of dependents
• Majority (about 80 percent) have no security of tenure
• About 75 percent have no adequate access to basic services
(potable water, electricity, sanitation facilities get flooded, etc.)
• About 75 percent regularly suffer income/job loss, sickness, and
schooling of children as a result of floods/typhoons
• About 75 percent suffer loss of HH appliances, garments or need
house repair due to typhoons/floods
• Single-headed/female-headed households (singles, widows,
widowers and old)
Existing Data/Information Base: Response to
the Needs of Vulnerable Population


Administrative Boundaries (LGU/MMDA) vs.
Ecological Boundaries and Information Bases
LGU:Marikina, disaster mitigation program vs.
other cities in the Kamanava area, e.g., Navotas
officials in collaboration with urban poor affected
by sea level rise (SLR), storms, floods.
a. Municipal data base system: List of barangays (or puroks/HHs)
that are frequently flooded/evacuated during floods
b. List of schools and other buildings as evacuation centers
c. Barangay officials, teachers, tanods and their contact numbers in
case of floods/typhoons and inventory of available resources
d. A Barangay-Level Disaster Mitigation Task Force
Constraints/Opportunities
•
Main issue: Access and Utilization of data (both formal
data base system and insider knowledge system) for
decision-making by the different stakeholders:
- Analysis/Understanding vs. Policy, Programs for Disaster
Mitigation, Adaptation, Resilience
–
–
–
•
•
Information data base/early warning devise system , e.g.
water-gauge & siren/alarm system in Tumana, Marikina.
Barangays: no early warning device—the monitoring of water
levels or flood levels by those in situ and communicating
these to the appropriate disaster response system/officials.
Need to connect: Decision-makers (e.g., local/school
officials) with information/resources to vulnerable populations
who need/use it. Most decision-makers live in gated
communities or areas that do not get flooded, so they cannot
tell whether the residents in creeks and danger areas should
be evacuated or not.
Barangay and local/national officials with the task force
handling disaster-related activities like evacuation, food
distribution, and medical services
Vulnerable Populations: Communicating information more
efficiently/effectively to vulnerable populations in danger
zones.
Constraints/Opportunities
•
Adaptation/Resilience: Flood Water-Based Lifestyle and
Information Systems
–
–
–
–
Adaptation: Architecture/building/housing designs
Water-based transport systems (Styrofoam boats and bancas at
HH level; pedi-cab; bombastic or water diversion for LGUs)
Household/Barangay organization adaptation for evacuation
(plastic for wrapping garments, boots, raincoats, etc.)
Drainage/sanitation adjustments
•
Maximizing and Linking Insider Knowledge of Vulnerable
Populations (from lunar calendar and experience) and the
Formal Knowledge (GIS, Information Warning Systems)
•
Updated and linked information system: HHbased/neighborhood based information linked to LGU
information system (e.g. residential, commercial development
that fill up/obstruct natural waterways, etc.)
 Linking ground-based information with those from
ABOVE!!!
•
Information Needs:For Whom?
For What? When?
• Analysis/Understanding  Policy,
Planning, Implementation/Action
• Variable/uneven data bases in different
institutions, e.g. GIS mainly used by local
gov’ts for tax mapping purposes
• Access/utilization of vulnerability, hazard
maps (e.g, suppress for fear of panic)
• Disconnect between data base and
potential users/non-users(MMDA,LGUs)
Information Needs, Available
Data: For Whom?What?
Available, Accessible, Consumable by the
appropriate stakeholder (researcher,
planner, decision-makers at national/local
level, etc.)
Need to connect data bases from the
ground or from above to the level of
decision-making/action
Threats to Sustainability:
Climate Change and Disaster-Related Risks
Threats to Sustainability:
Climate Change and Disaster-Related Risks
Maraming salamat po!
Thank you!