SUBMITTED BY:

ARIEL BANGCAYA

REYNAN PABLO

GIFF EBARLE

GLORYROSE DY

CHAPTER I: THE WORLD VISION

Bayanihan is a popular tradition that put Filipinos in the highest pedestal among other nationalities. In the Philippines, though being known as one of the Third World countries, Filipinos can boast their moral and social values due to unexceptional faith to God. Bayanihan is used to be popular in rural towns. This was a method of transferring houses to other location where houses called “bahay kubo” were made of heap and leaves making it lightweight and easier to lift by a group of strong men (since women were assigned to prepare food or “merienda” for those who helped).

Nowadays, the definition of “bayanihan” does not refer only to the method of transferring houses. The spirit of bayanihan can also be used to describe a community action of helping one another and working together towards a common goal. It exemplifies the value of unity, cooperation, solidarity and teamwork.

As an observation, the spirit of bayanihan usually abides in a community where people are closely related to each other, either by blood or by friendship. Friendship is one of the basic requirements in developing a community or a neighborhood. Compared to high-end subdivisions where people (especially both parents) are sometimes not in their houses during daytime to work while their children are in school, people in some low-cost subdivisions, squatters’ areas and relocation sites have closer friendship with each other because of the proximity of dwelling units.

There is also a one good reason why there are closer ties between neighbors in some low-cost subdivisions. People need to survive and live happily despite of their low status in life. Instead of shopping, watching movies, going abroad, doing big businesses or just spending money, people who cannot afford these things just enjoys what they have in their community like sports activities or just chatting with their “kumpare/kumadre”.

Through the years, there are NGO’s who have been working to bring transformation in the lives of families and communities and bring back and continue the spirit of bayanihan in each housing subdivision. The World Vision Development Foundation (WVDF), a Non-Government Organization (NGO), volunteered to bring bayanihan back in order to preserve the Filipino values and remind the people the importance of house, home, community and God.

One of their projects was in Palanca Village, Matina, Davao City. The Palanca Project was part of a new national urban initiative of World Vision by journeying with the settlers as they worked towards the realization of their dreams- land acquisition.

Through the years, the World Vision has been working to bring transformation in the lives of children, families and communities. With every accomplishment celebrated and every learning gained, there are also challenges and difficulties that made the victories sweeter.

The case of Palanca settlers is a story that is very familiar to World Vision that inspires people to strive to do better and helping themselves.

The World Vision facilitated its development to see change in the communities. But how much did they want to change in them, particularly when it entails change in perspective and attitude as well as in lifestyle?

The Palanca Project was part of a new national urban initiative of World Vision at the time. While the urban initiative had put forth certain foundational principles, actual project implementation in three major cities (Quezon, Cebu and Davao) was to be determined by the people in communities themselves. It was to be their agenda. World Vision was going to journey with them as they worked towards the realization of their dreams but were determined to teach themselves and went on to do networking. The Foundation’s track record was in rural communities but they quickly learned the ropes of urban community organizing, at times committing mistakes, often reflecting on their own organizing experience as well as others’. Some facilitators went through uncharted water. Some were never trained to do land acquisition

World Vision also brought its urban facilitators together in regular learning events to share experiences and to address critical issues. During these events were honed some strategic processes and some WV’s guidelines on land acquisition and equity loans. The Foundation also co-hosted national urban workshops participated in by other NGO’s and churches from both the Protestant and Catholic sectors. These were times of standing in solidarity with other civil society groups, sometimes critiquing government policies but always on behalf of and with the urban poor.

ACRONYMS

BIR Bureau of Internal Revenue

CMP Community Mortgage Program

DENR Department of Environment and Natural Resources

ECC Environmental Compliance Certificate

HLURB Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board

IPHC Institute for Primary Health Care

MLF Mindanao Land Foundation

NGO Non-Government Organization

NHMFC National Home Mortgage and Financing Corporation

PCUP Presidential Council for the Urban Poor

PLC Purchase Land Commitment

PVHA Palanca Village Homeowners Association

SEC Securities and Exchange Commission

WVDF World Vision Development Foundation

CHAPTER II: THE FACE OF PALANCA VILLAGE

In the late 1960’s, Palanca was just another piece of marshy land with a scattering of urban poor houses. It was hemmed in by the Morales Subdivision on the west side. On one side was the Layug property and all around the back was the Davao Memorial Park. Telyong Te (husband of Teofila “Acao” Palanca) owned the 1.5 hectare property at that time.

See the attached map of Palanca Village.

CHAPTER III: EVOLUTION OF PALANCA

The “Kangkongan” Years

During 1969, the marshy land of Palanca, full of “kangkong” became a community when the old and dilapidated chapel was put up at its center.

Rosita Jagape, the current WV nursery teacher in Palanca and one of the first settlers in the property, recall that there were only three houses in the property back then. There was no drainage, no roads, and whatever rains came, the whole area was flooded.

When Al Camasura settled in 1975, there were about ten households at the time. He was the first president of the association that the residents organized, when they started to pursue acquisition of the land on which they built their houses. All his four children were born in Palanca.

Some residents still remembers those days when their houses would be flooded during rainy season. Many cannot count the times they slept on top of the table. The water would be about a foot deep inside the house. Sometimes it would take a week for the water to subside. Children had to be carried out of the village so they could go to school. Those who had to leave the village would wrap their feet and legs in plastic.

The place was literally a slum area with households resorting to “flying saucers” (human manure wrapped in paper flying out of the window) because of lack of sanitary toilets.

People in the village loved to gamble. They often resorted to alcohol and gambling due to lack of direction and hopelessness. According to Al Camasura, the place had an unpleasant reputation as being a “haven” for rebels and criminal elements.

Despite their impoverished situation, Palanca residents, however, were not squatters. They paid rent to Acao Palanca who came to collect rental fees every month for as much as 40 pesos for bigger lots. For lot measuring around 150 square meters, a rent of 15 pesos was paid.

While their rent seems a pittance today, these amounts were rather a lot to the people at that time. The residents recall that jeepney fares cost 10 centavos regardless of where you wanted to go and a bottle of softdrink costs 30 centavos. Theirs was a hard life, but at least they had a roof above their heads; they ate three square meals a day; their children were at school.

The Troubled Times

Between 1960-1970, however unknown to the residents, Telyong Te mortgaged Palanca to his friend, Cua Ceen, for 50 thousand pesos. Although it was just a loan, Te signed the absolute deed of sale. However, Te still continued to collect rent through his daughter-in-law, Rebecca. This arrangement was all right while Cua and Telyong were still alive. When they died, the problem started. Cua’s son, Jose, took over the management of Cua Ceen’s estateand declared that he was the rightful owner of the Palanca property. A court battle ensued between the heirs of Telyong Te and Cua Ceen and the residents were caught in the middle.

While a court battle for land ownership was ongoing, Jose took 20 of the original residents of Palanca to court for “squatting” on titled property.

In 1984, the Court of Appeals handed down the decision in favor of the residents affirming the legality of tenancy. The residents produced receipts to show that they had been renting the land in good faith from Acao Palanca. But despite the decision, they were still troubled. The legal battle was still going on over who really owned the property. They were very uncertain. This uncertainty drove the people to alcohol and gambling. They did not care anymore about their neighborhood; even the health conditions of their children, they just took for granted.

CHAPTER IV: ISSUES OF PALANCA VILLAGE

Political Issues

It was Mrs. Dinah Dimalanta, the WVDF Project Head Facilitator in Palanca during the land and housing experience, solicited advice and aids from big names in politics namely: Mr. Jesus Dureza (the Presidential Assistant who was then a congressman), Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, former Councilor Aries Albay, Congressman Greg Andolana, Congressman Prospero Nograles and many others. These gentlemen truly helped Palanca without any payments coming from the settlers or from the World Vision. But sadly, there were also people who helped but only to have a brighter future in politics especially during election.

They always brag during community meeting that if they did not helped Palanca during land acquisition, the people would still be sleeping on a muddy bed. They keep on telling the settlers that if they would vote for them during election, street lights and improved roads will also come.

Social Issues

Al Camasura stated that during 1970’s-1990’s, Palanca Village was a perfect haven for criminals because of its location situated in a crampy and very interior area of the city. Until now, there are still reports that many criminals still go in the area to disappear from the eyes of the police. Many times that the village is search by police because of some residents from nearby villages mistakenly reported a wrong person suspected as criminal.

Residents from other villages do not want to go inside Palanca because of their fear that people there will harrass them and extort.

Security Issues

The Palanca Village, as tagged by people from the nearby villages, was a haven for criminals. Since the foundation of Palanca Village Homeowners Association, their actions revolve around the security problems. They do not want to have security guards like other subdivision because first of all they cannot afford to hire a security agency. So they decided to have a “ronda system”. During night, men from their households voluntarily guard the entrances specially the old and narrow path to make sure no one from the outside will come in uninvited, but visitors were welcomed after much interrogation.

Environmental Issues

In 1986, the Institute for Primary Health Care (IPHC), a Davao-based NGO, visited Palanca with the aim of implementing a primary health care program. They held workshops and seminars. At the top of their list was the construction of sanitary latrines in their homes. Most houses only had an “Antipolo system” while some households would only have “flying saucers.

One of the problems that they found out was that their site is classified as not habitable. During the land acquisition, the National Home Mortgage and Financing Corporation (NHMFC) almost did not approve their request to loan because of this environmental problem. The site was not habitable because the land is swampy, located near danger zone and below sea level.

Today, there are still areas inside Palanca which are swampy. These areas can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes which is unhealthy for children.

Economic Issues

During the land acquisition, the livelihoods of the settlers were much affected because much of their earnings went to the payment for the land. 300 pesos monthly would be raised by each tenant to purchase the land. That is why the development of many houses in Palanca is slow because they need money for improvements.

Majority of the livelihood of the settlers are in construction such carpenters, masons and welders. Some are vegetable vendors in Bangkerohan market. Teenagers were recruited to perform in Japan and gain money.

Quality of Pedestrian Spaces

Fig.4: The entrance to Palanca

This is the old entrance of the village when Morales Village did not give the right of way to the Palanca residents.

It only serves people. The only vehicle that can pass thru this is by using bicycle. The vehicles, such as motor bike and cars, use the Morales entrance.

Fig.5: One of the streets in Palanca

There are no visible street signs. The road itself is not enough for two vehicles to pass thru. There is also no path walks for pedestrians. And during fire, fire vehicles would have difficulty reaching their subject. The only concrete road that extend to around 10 meters from the Morales entrance delineate the entrances to the subdivision

Fig.6: The pathway to Palanca

Quality of Security

Fig.7: This area had witnessed already many crime scenes like murder, attempted rape and gang war.

My first Feature is the work of Santiago Calatrava :”Torre_Turning_Torso”