The Road to Manila

Why would a prestigious institution like MIT interview former squatters, instead of examining high-level policies and programs? Why reach down when it could be working with government and international development agencies and NGOs? The answer is simple and obvious: a policy that does not show results ‘on the ground’ is a failure. After all is said and done, the benefit to the families is what counts. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) post-graduate students were joined by students from the University of Santo Tomas in revisiting three projects of the mid-1970s in Manila, which became famous the world over for their lessons for housing the urban poor. The Dagat-Dagatan development, the Tondo-Foreshore upgrading project and the Habitat Demonstration Project ‘Kapitbahayan’ were the focus of two weeks of survey and documentation. These projects were presented at the ‘United Nations Conference on Human Settlements’ in 1976 in Vancouver and recognized the world over. The three projects surveyed represented a momentous milestone in a global ‘paradigm shift’ toward celebration of the informal sector – known as ‘squatters’ by many. These events formalized international recognition of the energy and opportunity that the informal sectors offered and highlighted the need to work with them instead of against them. The conference led to the establishment of UN Habitat, dedicated to human settlement development, and new approaches to housing were initiated. The Tondo-Foreshore project was a first attempt to tackle some of the major problems facing metropolitan Manila, and was envisioned to “demonstrate the practicality of this approach for upgrading the standards of living of the those living below the subsistence level” in fast growing urban areas. The project became a model for the world, and Manila became the focus for intense development study. Also presented at the Vancouver conference in 1976 was the parallel ‘Manila-Tondo Foreshore International Architectural Competition’ which challenged the world to brainstorm new ways of approaching community, house, and income issues of low-income families. Over 3000 architects registered from approximately 68 countries, and about 500 formal entries were received. A New Zealand entry was the first place winner, and a model house was built at the Vancouver Conference. Now 30 years later, the MIT/UST team revisited the original projects to explore whether the lessons of 1976 are still valid and that the approach still provides a viable housing strategy for the world’s urban poor. Architect ‘Nandy’ del la Paz was the UST coordinator. Extensive support throughout the 2-weeks was provided by the NGO Gawad Kalinga, guided by Tito Cajulis, and by staff of the National Housing Authority. Illac Diaz, a rising young entrepreneur in Manila and at MIT for focused advanced studies, was the key liaison between MIT and Manila.