Introduction:

According to the Valenzuela City local government, the city is a low-lying area, having the highest
elevation point is 38 metres (125 ft) above sea level. Basically, this area is the catchbasin of water
coming from overflowed nearby rivers in Bulacan. Baranggay Palasan is situated whereas Baranggay
Polo and Poblacion is in the north, Baranggay Arkong Bato in the south, Baranggay Isla in the East, and
the city municipality of Obando, Bulacan in the west.

According to National Economic and Development Authority (2015), the Aquino administration
approved ₱524.4 billion worth of infrastructure projects that runs from the cities in Manila to the
outlying areas outside of the capital. This includes highways, primary roads, railways, and maintenance
facilities. In the ascendance of the Duterte administration in 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte approves
₱270 billion worth of infrastructure projects for his "Build Build Build" program which aims to construct
infrastructures to generate income and jobs for thousands of Filipinos. In accordance to this, the
Valenzuela City local government approved many road rehabilitation and improvement in many primary
roads in different baranggays.

In the last few years, Valenzuela City, together with other cities and provinces in the Philippines,
experienced worst typhoons like Ondoy in 2009, Pablo in 2012, Glenda in 2014, and Yolanda in 2013,
which the cost of damaged properties is estimated at ₱181.4 billion or $1.118 billion dollars (Dailisan,
2013).

The severe and strongest weather systems in the Philippines caused severe floodings in major cities,
particularly in CAMANAVA (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela) area. The major and vital
roads in different baranggays in Valenzuela become artificial waterways to the rivers down to the
Manila Bay.

Currently, there are no recent studies concerning the effects of road heightening in Barangay Palasan.
We assume that we are the first on to study the effects of road heightening of M.H Del Pilar road in
Baranggay Palasan.

The goal of this research is to know the effects of road heightening of M.H Del Pilar road in Baranggay
Palasan in Valenzuela City and to suggest solutions to the problem.

Significance of the Study:

This research study wants to know the the effects of road heightening in Baranggay Palasan in
Valenzuela City. We identified several beneficiaries that we think will benefit from this study. The local
government of Valenzuela City, after seeing this study, will reconsider its project and reassess the
situation, not only the place and the residents, but also the status of the environment in the area. The
residents of Barangay Palasan, particularly those who lived in M.H Del Pilar road, will have an idea about
the situation of the road heightening. Also, the environmentalists will have a substantial data concerning
the effects of the said situation. Lastly, this research study will benefits the future researchers who will
tackle this topic in knowing the effects of road heightening of the road in the future.

Research Design:

This research study used the case study research design. According to Sturman (1997) as cited by
Starman (2013), case study is defined as "a study with description and analysis of an individual matter
or case with the purpose to identify variables, structures, forms and orders of
interaction between the participants in the situation, or, in order to assess the
performance of work or progress in development." This type of research design is suitable in this study
because the researchers want to identify the effects of the road heightening on the residents living in
M.H Del Pilar road in Barangay Palasan, Valenzuela City.

Crossman, A. (2017, March). Understanding purposive sampling. Retrieved from

https://www.thoughtco.com/purposive-sampling-3026727

Crouch, M. & McKenzie, H. (2006, December). The logic of small samples in interview-based qualitative
research. Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0539018406069584

Cruz, C. A., Tan, W., & Tadeo, P. E. (2016, December 01). Philippines Moving Forward with Massive Road
Infrastructure Projects. Retrieved from https://www.carmudi.com.ph/journal/philippines-moving-
forward-with-massive-road-infrastructure-projects/

Ubalde, V. T. (2015, October 21). P225M Classroom Infrastructure Earmarked For Valenzuelano
Students. Retrieved from http://www.valenzuela.gov.ph/search/tag/Infrastructure

Zaragoza, J. J. (2015, December 18). Aquino administration approves P524-billion new projects in 2015.
Retrieved from https://businessmirror.com.ph/aquino-administration-approves-p524-billion-new-
projects-in-2015/

Jesus, J. L. (2010, June 19). Timeline of Philippines' worst typhoon disasters since 2009. Retrieved from
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/470251/timeline-of-philippines-worst-typhoon-disaster

Dailisan, S. Q. (2011, January 01). Deadliest typhoons in the Philippines. Retrieved from
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/334635/deadliest-typhoons-in-the-philippines/story/

4. Quotes from your country’s leaders about the issue.

“I don’t allow the police to arrest prostitutes. I don’t allow the police in Davao to go to night clubs and
inspect the papers. They have no business doing that.”
“For those who racket of prostitution, drugs and everything, kidnapping, you will be treated as just any
ordinary criminal, just like a Filipino. You don’t enjoy special privileges just because you’re a foreigner.”

5. Statistics/Studies to back up your country’s position on the issue.

In 2012 alone, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) listed 1,376 victims of
human trafficking nationwide and 645 more victims in the first semester of 2013. Between 2005-2013,
there have only been 110 convictions for human-trafficking related crimes in the Philippines. In 2015,
studies by Unicef’s National Statistics Office show, an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 children are involved
in the sex industry (Lesacq, 2014). From April 1 to December 31, 2016, the National Bureau of
Investigation Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTRAD), the Philippine National Police Women and
Children’s Protection Center (WCPC), which has responsibility for police investigations of trafficking
cases, and IACAT Taskforces investigated 553 suspected trafficking cases, including conducting 109
surveillance operations and 55 raids, compared with 329 cases investigated in 2015. These actions led to
the arrest of 272 suspects, an increase from 151 in 2015. During the reporting period, the government
initiated prosecution of 441 alleged traffickers (569 in 2015) and secured convictions of 55 traffickers
(42 traffickers in 2015). These cases involved 131 victims, 78 of whom were children. According to the
2016 Global Slavery Index, an estimated 401,000 Filipinos are living in modern-day slavery. The index
showed the Philippines has an "average vulnerability score of 47.67 out of 100" despite being "a regional
leader in victim support and protection."

7. Convention’s and resolutions that your country has signed or ratified.

Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of
Others – the convention requires state parties to punish any person who “procures, entices, or leads
away, for purposes of prostitution, another person, even with the consent of that person (Article 1), or
runs a brothel or rents accommodations for the prostitution purposes (Article 2).

Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography – is a protocol to
the Convention on the Rights of the Child and requires parties to prohibit the sale of children, child
prostitution and child pornography.

International Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children – Ratified on
September 30, 1954, (Article 2) of the 1921 convention particularly recognizes the trafficking in children
of both sexes. (Article 5) raises the age limit for protection from twenty to twenty-one completed years
of age.

References:
https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/countries/2017/271264.htm

https://www.ucanews.com/news/philippines-struggles-in-war-against-human-trafficking/81683

https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/legislation-and-case-law-international-legislation-united-
nations/1921-international-convention_en

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/02/05/1669316/duterte-korean-mafia-controls-drug-trade-
prostitution-cebu

https://www.humanium.org/en/sexual-exploitation-of-children-in-the-philippines/

https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/06/25/18/duterte-i-dont-allow-arrest-of-prostitutes-in-davao

https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=IND&mtdsg_no=IV-11-c&chapter=4&lang=en

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/TrafficInPersons.aspx