Submitted By:

Patricia Erika Argus BS. Arch. 4-A

Submitted To:
Ar. Richard L. Donguez
HOUSING (MW 10:30AM - 12:00PM)
Problem-Solution Paper

In these tough conditions, more unaccompanied Filipinos are falling into extreme poverty. The

Asian Development Bank attributes poverty to low economic development, a declining agricultural sector,

rising population rates, and excessive inequality. In the short film, Kabayan interviews nanay Dolores,

Melody, Susana, and Jenifer about their struggles to find a safe home. Nanay Dolores and Melody live

under the bridge and fear being washed away as the creek rises. Jenifer worries about monthly payments,

while Susana worries about her house leaking. Illegal Filipino settlers also confront this issue.

More studies find that housing that harmoniously blends public and private sectors is most alive

and energetic. In the video, USEC Paterna Ruiz suggests creating a mid-rise building for squatters.

Singapore's high-rise housing scheme houses more families and individuals due to space constraints and

population growth. USEC in the Philippines can use this dwelling type as Paterna Ruiz suggested mid-rise

buildings for informal settlers. This system can service many more households than individual houses,

which take up a lot of space. One of the inhabitants featured stated that the source of income is the reason

they would prefer to live as illegal settlers rather than in a house. This should be the major consideration

for the government in terms of housing, not just for these people to own a shelter, but also where they will

rely for survival. With proper planning, mid-rise buildings can retain thermal comfort and air quality.

Energy-efficient buildings consume less energy for lighting, heating, and cooling, lowering energy bills

and freeing up resources for households, businesses, and governments.

In addition to its usefulness in conserving energy, bioswales can also be implemented as a method

of preventing flooding and improving water quality. This can be used to slow down runoff and clean up

runoff in areas where stormwater management is required. Bioswales are useful in areas with large

amounts of impermeable surface, such roads, parking lots, or rooftops, because they are equipped to deal

with the initial influx of pollutants brought on by precipitation.

Walkways, curb cuts, road medians, and other public spaces can all benefit from having them installed.

To conclude, finding a solution to the problem of informal settlers in the Philippines calls for an

all-encompassing plan that takes into account a lot of different aspects of the situation. In addition to

problems with housing and sanitation, the informal settlers in the Philippines also have to contend with

the difficulty of making decent living. This shows the need of education for life knowledge. They are

obligated to either work for the government or find other employment in order to meet the monetary

needs of their families and buy the things that are required for survival.