Muntinlupa Matters: Addressing Informality in Metro Manila Part 2

INLAND STRATEGIES

P

POLLUTION

MANAGE POLLUTANTS LET WATER FLOW

S

STORMS

EDGE STRATEGIES

F

FISHERIES

CATCH POLLUTANTS ABSORB WATER

IN-WATER STRATEGIES TREAT POLLUTANTS PROTECT AGAINST WAVES

P

P

P

S

S

S

F

F

TRASH NETS

FLOATING ISLANDS

RETENTION PONDS

RETHINK DAMS

P S

S F

F

ARTIFICIAL REEFS

WASTEWATER AQUACULTURE

TREES

S

GREEN ROOF

P

P

S

S

RAIN GARDEN

PERMEABLE SURFACES

P

BAMBOO

P

MEANDER

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STUDENT PROJECTS

MARTINIKO ISLAND DESIGN PRINCIPLES

PROVIDE LIVELIHOODS

CLEAN WATER

CONNECT COMMUNITIES

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MARTINIKO ISLAND CAN BE A FOOD TOURISM DESTINATION, WITH A LARGE MIX OF SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS RANGING FROM THE UPSCALE TO SMALL OYSTER SHACKS ALONG THE WATERFRONT, WHERE PATRONS CAN EAT WHILE WATCHING THE PRODUCTION OF SEAFOOD PRODUCTS IN OYSTER FARMS AND LOCAL FISHERIES.

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STUDENT PROJECTS

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A LARGE, REGIONAL FISH MARKET WILL CELEBRATE THE INDUSTRY, PROVIDE A MARKETPLACE FOR LOCAL FISHERFOLK AND LARGE FISH FARMS, AND PROVIDE A TOURISM DESTINATION. A special function of Martiniko island will be to concentrate and strengthen the aquaculture industry of Laguna de Bay. Warehouses, processing centers, and post-catch production facilities (such as fish ball factories) will be concentrated near the interchange, where the overpass system may make land unattractive for residential or commercial development but is ideal for industrial uses that rely on quick access to markets.

A floodgate next to the interchange provides water access between the lake and channel during the dry season. During the wet season, the lake and channel economies can be integrated and consolidated on the island through a series of docks. Meanwhile, fish fry and

PROBLEM

fingerlings can be raised on-site in the coastal “braiding� system. A large, regional fish market serves the industry, provides a marketplace for local fisherfolk and large fish farm companies, and represents a local tourism destination. A fishery research center can work to boost productivity, and an education center can train fisherfolk in recently developed methods. The island can also be a food tourism destination, with a large mix of seafood restaurants ranging from the upscale to small oyster shacks along the waterfront, where patrons can eat while watching the production of seafood products in oyster farms and local fisheries.

OPPORTUNITY

Middlemen cut profits and efficiency in fishing economy. Half the variable costs for milkfish raising goes to fingerling purchase.

Consolidate fish lifecycle and aquaculture economy in new island.

Fry and fingerlings sometimes not available, leading to late and low stocking.

Increase sources of fry and fingerlings within Metro Manila.

Low quality of fish due to pollution leads to low prices.

Address pollution in the new channel and in the greater lake.

Low level of post-catch processing neglects economic opportunity.

Enhance economic output by processing a proportion of catch into more valuable products such as fish sticks and fish balls.

75% of Laguna de Bay fisherfolk (70% in Muntinlupa) lack any formal training.

Provide training opportunities in existing and new economic opportunities in aquaculture.

VIEW FROM EXISTING COASTLINE

A NEW CENTER FOR LAGUNA DE BAY’S FISHING ECONOMY

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH CENTER

AQUAPONICS

AQUACULTURE

TRAINING CENTER

OPERATIONS CENTER: HATCHERY, FISH SORTING,

SEAFOOD MARKET

DESCALING, CLEANING, CANNING, FREEZING, FISHBALL PROCESSING

SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS

LAKE FISH PENS OYSTER FARMS

CHANNEL AQUACULTURE

SCHEMATIC PLAN

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STUDENT PROJECTS

CIRCULATION

LANDSCAPE

LAND USE

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Photo: David Vega-Barachowitz

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STUDENT PROJECTS

RECOMMENDATIONS Observations

Recommendations

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In Muntinlupa, many ISF livelihoods are dependent on the fisheries within Laguna de Bay Lake where the fish population has been depleted.

•

•

Laguna de Bay Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the country, is fast becoming the most polluted waterbody in the region.

Consider existing ISF livelihoods associated with the Laguna de Bay Lake (fisheries and aquaculture) in all new projects, exploring the impacts of new infrastructure and development on the communities.

•

Land reclamation should not only consider development capacity, but should be planned with a strategy for sustainable development, responsive to the natural environment (hydrology, climate, topography, vegetation, and infrastructure).

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Consider and align with existing land uses, to create appropriate synergies with existing communities and the city, while also providing new barangay-level amenities.

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Establish and enforce a waste-management plan that reduces pollution for the city and Laguna de Bay.

•

•

Flooding from frequent storms is exacerbated by Metro Manila’s waste, pollution, and development patterns that interrupt and contaminate water systems.

Planned infrastructure projects, such as the C-6 six-lane expressway dike, are not coordinated with an overall framework strategy for community development and lack sufficient environmental planning.

•

Current land reclamation practices fail to consider the natural and built environment in its form and function.

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Create redundant flood control systems to ensure a more resilient future for Muntinlupa residents.

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Hydrology is not a significant factor in urban development at present.

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Create a hydrology strategy and open space network that helps address pollution and flooding. Tailor the size and dimensions of the C-6 islands to stream and riverway outlets along the mainland shoreline.

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Establish strong connectivity for vehicles and pedestrians with long term planning for future land development.

Opportunities •

Advances in technology and water cleaning practices can support dual purpose infrastructures that both provide access to water-dependent communities as well as contribute to a regional landscape strategy.

•

Systems approaches to urban development can create opportunities for large-scale, coordinated, and more effective open space, hydrology, circulation, and infrastructure outcomes.

•

The local impacts of water pollution can be addressed at a regional scale.

•

New development can capitalize on existing assets to achieve greater economic outcomes (Laguna de Bay Lake fisheries) if considered during the planning process.

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ENVIRONMENTAL ZONING: DIRECTING SETTLEMENT AND BUILDING CAPACITY ELLEN LOHE & DAVID ISAAK In the wake of a severe flood, the majority of Muntinlupa’s residents could lose shelter, employment, and community, with little to no access to finance or proof of legal existence within the city. This reality is further exacerbated by vulnerabilities such as uncertain land tenure, lack of credit, and a relatively high costburden for food and transportation that together accentuate the division between formal and informal following a disaster. Much of this inland flooding is preventable, as ecologically insensitive zoning has led to detrimental development practices over time.

This project envisions a new type of commercial development, one that reduces vulnerabilities by providing economic opportunities for informal settlers while limiting the adverse ecological impacts of commercial growth. Basing site selection on the intersection of issues related to flooding (flood plains, water flow, and topography) and the integration of surrounding socio-economic opportunities for ISF resettlement, new nodes are designated for a combination of commercial activities, community amenities, and open space. Located in the heart of new residential resettlement areas, these re-imagined “malls” provide access to employment, amenities, and retail, while also allowing for green spaces that reduce runoff and provide catchment, filtration, and recreation.

This project seeks to leverage commercial development to assist with the resettlement and upgrading of informal settlements, in turn increasing resilience from physical and socioeconomic vulnerabilities.

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STUDENT PROJECTS

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Vic Orellana Age 68 Vic Orellana is the Barangay administrator of Sucat. He is a retired electrical engineer who values the community resources in the area.

“In my neighborhood, people are open, know each other, and interact on a daily basis. We are not divided by walls like in the gated subdivisions.”

“THE MAIN LIVELIHOODS IN SUCAT IN THE PAST WERE FARMING IN THE RICE FIELDS AND FISHING IN THE LAKE.” 194

STUDENT PROJECTS

195

Hilda Ramirez Age 64 Hilda’s livelihood relies upon vibrant street life to sell her produce.

She benefits from street lights to sell vegetables later than most grocery stores would be open. She rarely has time for leisure activities and works from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM at night, with only a short afternoon siesta.

“I HAVE NO TIME FOR LEISURE. TO MAKE ENDS MEET, I SELL VEGETABLES UNTIL 10:00 PM SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.”

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STUDENT PROJECTS

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Eduardo Martinez Age 56 Eduardo’s occupation is flexible and adaptable. He sells food from bins and can modify his route should a flooding event occur.

He came from his rural community to the city over 15 years ago looking for better prospects. He has made a stable life for himself in Muntinlupa.

“SINCE I MOVED HERE IN 1998, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING HERE HAS TRIPLED.”

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STUDENT PROJECTS

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Theresa & Carlito Padua Age 62 & 65 Although not land owners themselves, Theresa and Carlito have built trust with their land owner over time and built a life for themselves and their family. In exchange for looking after a few hectares of land near the railway in Muntinlupa, they secured reduced rent and have been able to save money. They are both retired and receive a pension from the government. As a result, they have been able to invest in income-generating activities and raise chickens, perform basic mechanic repairs, and sell produce.

“WE’RE RETIRED AND WATCH AFTER THIS PROPERTY FOR THE LAND OWNERS.”

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STUDENT PROJECTS

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STUDENT PROJECTS

“I DROPPED OUT OF COLLEGE BECAUSE I COULDN’T AFFORD THE TUITION. I AM NOW WORKING 14 HOUR DAYS WITH THE HOPE OF GOING BACK TO SCHOOL SOON.”

Fhiemie Lozano Age 20 Fhiemie works in a small clothing shop in a Gillage near the highway. She travels for at least 30 minutes to and from work. She was a student a few months ago and is slowly adjusting to this new lifestyle. She is young and hopes for brighter opportunities to come.

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Marikor Age Unknown Marikor is unemployed and has lived next to the Alabang river for four years with her husband and young daughter. She is originally from Quezon Province, six hours to the south. She and her family could not find work there, so they moved to Manila for better paying jobs. She worked at an airbag manufacturing company in Santa Rosa Laguna (30 minutes away) until recently, when she ended her contract because it paid provincial wages. She knew that she could access better pay elsewhere. At her previous job, a free shuttle would pick her up and drive her to work. Her husband works in Pasay City (one hour away). He does not make much, but they are able to make ends meet. Their daughter is not in school yet, so she stays at home with her grandmother. Between floods, the family stores its belongings under the house. Unfortunately, because of their home’s location, there is rarely enough time to purchase food and water in preparation for storms. Despite flooding, Marikor’s family wants to stay where they are, because they are close with their neighbors. Since water flows toward the lake, homes upstream from Marikor are not affected.

“DURING STORMS, THE WATER CAN COME UP AS HIGH AS I AM POINTING, SO OUR FAMILY RAISED OUR HOUSE TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE THIS HEIGHT.” 204

STUDENT PROJECTS

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Susan Infante Age 63 Susan worked for many years as an administrative officer for Muntinlupa City. She is now retired. One of Susan’s concerns is the new C-6, a dike highway that the National Government plans to construct in Laguna de Bay, several hundred meters off the coast of Muntinlupa. Susan worries that there will not be enough room for fish pens if too much land is reclaimed. She tells us that local fishermen are already struggling to make ends meet. The government currently assists the community by restocking fish twice a year and controlling invasive species such as the Knife fish.

“THE PEOPLE HERE ARE HARD WORKING AND DOWN TO EARTH. WE LIVE VERY SIMPLE LIVES.”

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STUDENT PROJECTS

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Asunción Ramos Age 51 Asunción works as a clerk issuing business permits for Barangay Buli. Asunción’s family has lived in the same compound in Muntinlupa for five generations; the family constructs a new house following each marriage. Though Asunción does not travel far for work, all of her children attended universities in Manila City— a commute of around one hour. Distance is not an issue when it comes to education.

Unless there is an evacuation order, her family simply stays on the second floor of their home during floods. The worst flooding she can remember occurred in 2009 during Typhoon Ondoy. She reports that the water took nearly two months to fully subside.

“WE WILL ALWAYS FIND WAYS TO COPE.”

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STUDENT PROJECTS

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STUDENT PROJECTS

LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT: ECOLOGICAL VULNERABILITY Much of the new development in Muntinlupa is built in silos based on traditional zoning regulations, yet ignores larger natural systems. These developments reduce permeability, disrupt natural flows, and often do not contribute to meaningful public open space system.

HIGH GROUND_ _ _LOW GROUND

RIVER BUFFER

LOW FLOOD _ _ _ _ _ HIGH FLOOD

LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT

LACK OF OPEN SPACE

INFORMAL SETTLEMENT

+ large surface areas of impermeable parking lots accompany many of Muntinlupa’s malls

+ only 2.8% of Muntinlupa’s land use is open space

+ encroachment on narrow waterways by informal settlements

+ over 30 large parking lots

+ future development projections only raise this figure to 4%

+ lack of waste infrastructure forces residents to dump grey water and trash into adjacent water bodies

+ over 10% of land use is roadway + planned additions of major roadways including the 6-lane SLEx connector

+ large development projects are allowed up to a 70% development footprint with only 30% reserved for open space

+55% of Muntinlupa’s tributaries suffer from inadequate drainage due to encroachment and garbage

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RED BLUE GREEN 100M

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STUDENT PROJECTS

HOW CAN WE ENVISION AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY THAT INTEGRATES MIGRANTS, THE MIDDLE CLASS, AND COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE? INFORMALITY AT THE CROSSROADS OF A NEW FRONTIER Southwestern Muntinlupa has large expanse of vacant land that is owned and eyed for future development. It is some of the last untouched property in Metro Manila.

This area has lower land values as compared with parts of the city with higher concentrations of ISFs. Fortuitously, a major road is being built through this vacant stretch that will connect the more populous coastline with the developing suburbs. This road will also separate land to the south of the new roadway from an existing prison. The planned roadway has the potential to reconfigure this section of Muntinlupa and bring about new commercial, industrial, and residential development in the process.

Is there an opportunity to reimagine an inclusive community with income-generating activities that build upon existing skills and help families improve their lives?

How can we envision an inclusive community that integrates migrants, the middle class, and commercial enterprise?

A significant public and private commitment would need to be made in order to preserve a sizable lot of this land for a visionary, new type of mixed-use development.

THE SLEX CONNECTOR HIGHWAY: DEVELOPMENT AS USUAL

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A SERIES OF STRICT CORRIDOR CONTROLS CAN HELP MAINTAIN ECOLOGICAL HEALTH ALONG CRUCIAL WATER BODIES. This project focuses on the four main tributaries that originate in Muntinlupa’s southwest and flow to the lakeshore. Rather than creating a master plan for the entire area, the design recommends the adoption of a series of strict corridor controls that can help maintain ecological health along these crucial water bodies.

The guidelines for these corridors are generated by first looking at the larger natural systems: water flow, topography, and infrastructure. These systems determine where the corridor bands should be wider or narrower based on the need for catchment areas or treatment. They respond to large scale infrastructure such as the new SLEx highway running east west through the site. The bands are then assigned program both in response to adjacent development conditions - such as residential development - as well as through consideration of programmatic uses that are productive in wet and dry conditions.

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STUDENT PROJECTS

NATURAL SYSTEMS: WATER FLOW + TOPOGRAPHY + INFRASTRUCTURE

ADJACENCY: RESPONSE TO ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT LEVELS + PERMEABILITY

PROGRAM: PRODUCTIVE IN BOTH FLOOD + DRY CONDITIONS

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COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT The proposal for commercial development along these tributary corridors focuses on a community-center style mall development that uses water as its focal point both to generate economic value and to maintain ecological health.

Commercial sites are located in flat areas along major roads where existing residential development provides a strong consumer base. The guidelines propose a broken down massing that reduces the overall building footprint and paved surface, orienting the site around and over the water using pilotis to maintain open space for water treatment, retention, and recreation.

In the dry season, the commercial center has uses that include retail, plaza space, a community center, and recreation areas. In flood conditions, large amounts of open space on the site and programs that include rain gardens and catchment zones help to reduce flooding by retaining water and mitigating run off. Additionally, community space is repurposed during flooding events to act as evacuation space for the local community.

+ MAJOR ROAD

+ ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT

OPEN GROUND FLOOR PROVIDES COMMUNITY SPACES AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF FILTRATION BY WETLAND

+ RETAIL, COMMUNITY SPACE, EVACUATION RAINY SEASON ABSORBED BY RAIN GARDENS

RAINY SEASON AIDS IRRIGATION

HEAVY FLOODING - LIFTED BUILDINGS PROVIDE EVACUATION CTRS HEAVY FLOODING CAPTURED BY RICE PADDIES

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STUDENT PROJECTS

Plaza

Evacuation Center Community Center

C

Sports Field

Retail

O

M

M

Health Clinic

U

N

IT

Y

Roof Garden

Soft Edge/Retention

Rain Garden

R SU

F

AC

E Permeable Paving

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RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT The proposal for residential development along these tributary corridors focuses on a mid-rise courtyard typology that provides amenities to residents while mitigating flooding and treating grey water and storm water.

Residential sites are located in steeper areas and build off of existing residential communities that are already growing in Muntinlupa’s southwest. The guidelines propose a mid-rise, bar-building courtyard massing that allows for flexibility in density and potential for future growth. The buildings are clustered along a system of wetlands that act both to treat and retain water as well as to provide open space and recreation amenities for residents.

During the dry season, the wetland performs by cleaning grey water from the residential buildings, helping to reduce pollution and drainage issues. In flood conditions, the wetlands, retention ponds, and residential courtyards provide catchment to protect homes from flooding.

+ STEEP TOPO

+ ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT

GREY WATER FILTRATION BY WETLAND

+ GREY WATER AND CATCHMENT RAINY SEASON MEDIATED BY WETLAND

HEAVY FLOODING CAPTURED BY RETENTION POND

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STUDENT PROJECTS

Neighborhood Center

AM

EN

IT

Y

Public Playground

Private Courtyard

Recreation Path

Roof Garden

Retention Pond

Subsurface Wetland

R U S

C FA

E

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AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT The proposal for agricultural development along these tributary corridors focuses on creating a holistic system in which local farmers can grow, irrigate, process, and store their products in order to capture the full economic value of the agricultural process.

Crops are grown adjacent to the rivers, where the water can be harnessed for irrigation purposes. A narrow wetland buffer ensures that water used for irrigation is clean and that agricultural runoff does not pollute the surrounding water sources. Agricultural sites are located in large, flat areas that are mostly vacant and of low priority for development. This keeps the cost of land relatively low and therefore allows it to be economically viable for farming. The guidelines propose flood resistant crops such as rice to ensure that the agriculture is able

to perform even after flood events and helps protect neighboring development from flooding.

In the dry season, the crops are irrigated by the rivers.

Crop growth is complimented by adjacent production areas, which centralize processing and storage. The proposal also includes training centers to provide community members access to continued education about best practices for economically sustainable agriculture. In flood conditions, rice paddies help absorb storm water and are able to resume growth after the storm subsides, unharmed.

+ FLAT TOPO

+ ADJACENT VACANCY

GREY WATER FILTRATION BY WETLAND

AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF FILTRATION BY WETLAND

+ IRRIGATION AND RETENTION RAINY SEASON MEDIATED BY WETLAND

RAINY SEASON AIDS IRRIGATION

HEAVY FLOODING CAPTURED BY RETENTION POND

HEAVY FLOODING CAPTURED BY RICE PADDIES

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STUDENT PROJECTS

Rice Paddies Training Center Warehouse Processing Center

O PR

D

UC

O TI

N

Retaining Terrace Irrigation Channel

Subsurface Wetland

R U S

C FA

E

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AGRICULTURE-BASED COMMERCIAL + RESIDENTIAL CLUSTERS

CROPS

AGRICULTURE

This scheme envisions a local economy that incentivizes diverse income groups with planned agriculture and ecological strategies that protect waterways and vegetation from pollution using seasonal crop rotations. By developing dense clusters along major roads, agricultural land is reserved along streams and rivers. These clusters balance a variety of uses, provide agriculture-based livelihoods, reduce food costs for ISFs and other local residents, and connect the skills of informal migrants from the countryside to a formal and codependent economic cycle.

1.83

3.25

Percent (%)

Percent (%)

1.12

2013

2014

0.002 2013

2014

*The crops sub-sector in the Philippines grew at double the pace of the agricultural sector as a whole. Crops added thousands of new jobs and supported over half of the industry.

CIRCULATION FILTER STRIP AGRICULTURE FILTER STRIP

CODEPENDENCE SUPPORTS SMART GROWTH By creating productive uses of land along waterways that take into consideration seasonal water flow and crop values, once abused land may be reconceived as a public good. If the importance of the land alongside waterways is elevated due to agricultural practices and associated employment, this creates a dependency that can protect this land and promote environmental and community health.

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STUDENT PROJECTS

MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT + AGRO-TOURISM

AGRICULTURE + WORKFORCE TRAINING

At the heart of the community is a shared open space with mixed-use development surrounding a two-acre market. The market functions as the most active area on the site with organic produce from the surrounding agricultural fields that is sold to area consumers.

The site is also zoned for light industrial land use (purple above) to allow for food production and luxury organics manufacturing.

With over 80 acres of productive agriculture, the site is capable of generating over $4,000,000 annually of produce alone.1 Peri-urban agriculture can be used as a live/work example of building basic business, accounting, and marketing skills for employment in other industries throughout the wider metropolitan area.

1 Urban Homestead (2014) “Facts and Stats” urbanhomestead. org

DOWNTOWN MANILA MUNTINLUPA

ACCESS FOR LOCAL CONSUMERS & REGIONAL EXPORTS

CIRCULATION PLAN FOR PROPOSED SITE CALAMBA

Metro Manila’s status quo for neighborhood development is to create an exclusive circulation network bounded by gates and guards. In this proposed community there is no exclusive road access. The opposite is proposed here. Roads connect surrounding communities and encourage cross-community circulation from cars, bikes and pedestrians. Within the site, there are also residential/commercial roadways (light red) for internal circulation and connecting streets around the most heavily populated clusters (dark red).

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NEW DEVELOPMENT CLUSTER

PUBLIC MARKET

NEW DEVELOPMENT CLUSTER

NEW DEVELOPMENT CLUSTER

WORKFORCE TRAINING

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STUDENT PROJECTS

AGRICULTURE

PUBLIC REALM

FILTER STRIP/GRASSES

EDU./TRAINING

ORCHARD

CONNECTED ECONOMIES

NEW DEVELOPMENT CLUSTER

EXISTING DEVELOPMENT

URBAN AGRICULTURE FOR GROWTH

500 METERS

LOCAL AND REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY

INCLUSIVE GROWTH

// Strengthen connections to surrounding communities // Provide employment and basic infrastructure for lowTO CAPTURE AS and economies through vehicular and pedestrian income and informal communities to thrive.

MUCH PROFIT AS networks.

POSSIBLE OUT OF THE// Capitalize on agro-tourism,LOCAL ORGANIC and organic farming AG-VALUE CHAIN, MARKETS ANDresidents AGRO// Take advantage of the direct vehicular access to the practices to attract middle and high income MANUFACTURING TOURISM USED TO north for shipping locally grown produce to the high and consumers.

AND REGIONAL ATTRACT VILLAGE demand centers of Metro Manila.

TO CAPTURE AS MUCH PROFIT AS POSSIBLE OUT OF THE AG-VALUE CHAIN, MANUFACTURING AND REGIONAL SHIPPING FACILITIES LOCATED ON SITE FOR PROCESSING LUXURY ORGANICS AND AG PRODUCTS

HIGH VALUE

PROCESSING

RESIDENTS AND METRO-AREA TO TO SHOP IN A FORMAL, LOCAL INTEGRATED ECONOMY

LOCAL ORGANIC MARKETS AND AGROTOURISM USED TO ATTRACT VILLAGE RESIDENTS AND METRO-AREA TO TO SHOP IN A FORMAL, LOCAL INTEGRATED ECONOMY

ORGANIC

MARKETS

A PRODUCTIVE, INCLUSIVE VALUE CHAIN TRAINING AND ON-SITE PROCESSING TO ENCOURAGE WEALTH ACCUMULATION

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STUDENT PROJECTS

RETAIL

SHIPPING FACILITIES LOCATED ON SITE FOR PROCESSING LUXURY ORGANICS AND AG PRODUCTS

BY CREATING PRODUCTIVE // Rotate a variety of crops to maintain healthy soils USES OF LAND ALONG and biodiversity.

WATERWAYS THAT TAKE INTO // Use grassy buffers and ‘filter strips’ on at least 1/16th CONSIDERATION SEASONAL of land area to absorb and breakdown pollutants from roadways and communities.

WATER FLOW AND CROP SKILLS TRAINING IN BUSINESS, MARKETING VALUES, ONCE ABUSED LAND AND FINANCE USING THE AGRICULTURE MAY BE RECONCEIVED AS A VALUE ADDED TO VALUE CHAIN AS A EXISTING SKILLS TO PUBLIC GOOD. LIVE/WORKING LAB. OFF SET EXPENSES NATURAL SYSTEMS PROTECTION

AND ALLOW FOR SAVINGS EDUCATION AND INVESTMENTS IN INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITES

SKILLS TRAINING IN BUSINESS, MARKETING AND FINANCE USING THE AGRICULTURE VALUE CHAIN AS A LIVE/WORKING LAB.

VALUE ADDED TO EXISTING SKILLS TO OFF SET EXPENSES AND ALLOW FOR SAVINGS EDUCATION AND INVESTMENTS IN INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITES

AGRICULTURE

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RECOMMENDATIONS Observations

Recommendations

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Principles of inclusive growth are not explicit in a comprehensive city plan, leaving ISFs with limited opportunities for economic stability or upward mobility within Muntinlupa City.

•

Reimagine and diversify land use designations so that they respond to natural, economic, and social realities.

•

•

Existing land use policies contribute to neighborhoods that are divided and fragmented, characterized by private roads, gates, and guards.

These policies do not foster shared benefits in both formal and informal sectors.

Integrate economic planning with zoning to create live/work opportunities for diverse income groups, including ISFs, connecting land use and in-migration to formal jobs in agriculture, light industrial food production, organics manufacturing, markets, training and educational facilities, and worker housing.

•

Basic infrastructure is lacking for low-income and informal communities.

•

Utilize vacant land in the city to create inclusive growth for the informal sector.

•

A significant segment of the local economy is characterized by informal transactions, which limit many residents from accessing the benefits of the formal economy such as money lending and land tenure.

•

Evaluate and utilize vacant land based on cost, ecological sensitivity, and agricultural value to create a local and regional economic strategy for short-term and long-term benefits, including:

•

ISFs spend more than 60% of their income on food.

Opportunities •

Ecologically sensitive land is often also less expensive, providing unmet opportunities for ISFs to gain land tenure.

•

Migrants familiar with agricultural practices have skills that can reduce the family food cost-burden, reduce the overall cost of food, and potentially increase the quality of fresh produce for the region, by growing locally.

•

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Agricultural land use can capitalize on resource and water rich land, responding to seasonal water flow, vegetation, use, and topography, and creating productive and performative landscapes.

STUDENT PROJECTS

•

Improved regulatory controls on development;

•

Ecologically sensitive land utilization; and

•

An Integrated approach to formal and informal economies that reduces the cost of food for low, middle, and high income residents and supports new economic activity.

•

Utilize natural systems as a means of reducing pollution, connecting people, and creating places.

•

Strengthen connections to surrounding communities through vehicular and pedestrian networks.

Photo: David Vega-Barachowitz

229

DISTINCTLY FILIPINO: LOCAL LANDMAKING AND DEVELOPMENT DAVID VEGA-BARACHOWITZ & SHANIKA HETTIGE This project, entitled Manila Exchange, projects a framework for the anticipated expansion of Muntinlupa, using the planned C-6 Dike Expressway as an opportunity to establish a new paradigm for urban development. The “exchange” of private capital for public infrastructure is here recapitulated as an chance to experiment with new forms of social housing, open space, and land reclamation, while challenging the normative approach to development and built form.

In the space between the existing lakeshore and planned expressway, a series of flexible armatures form a network of formal and informal spaces, knitting together the fabric of a polarized city, while preparing for its inevitable and continued growth. The proposal consists of five main strategies.

Barangays Armatures: This proposal effectively extends each barangay to accommodate approximately10,000-20,000 additional residents. The physical and institutional framework of the barangay extends into the area between the C-6 and the existing lakeshore.

Flood Management: Along with the dike, a network of floodgates serves as both a functional element as well as a celebrated open space along the lake shore.

At each floodgate, a pier and public space, as well as an expanded marina, is designed to retain water and lessen the impact of flooding.

Permeable Network: By creating a framework for transportation that allows for the seamless flow of vehicles and transportation services, Manila Exchange facilitates access and ensures that communities are more resilient in emergency situations.

Open space: Selective relocation of communities and structures along the waterways and lakeshore opens up the opportunity for a citywide open space network. This network is anchored by a series of soft infrastructures

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STUDENT PROJECTS

and edges with native plantings that create new access and recreational corridors in and around Muntinlupa. The open space network follows the dike’s edge and borders the lakeshore and waterways, while creating a series of inland retention ponds and landscapes. Filinvest City, the largest vacant commercial complex in the city (much of which is currently used as a makeshift park) is in turn re-conceptualized as a massive multi-functional park and flood retention system. The park raises the land value of surrounding development, while increasing the flood system’s robustness and reducing the potential for commercial redundancy in the public-private partnership (P3).

Indigenous land forms: Indigenous landmaking practices, especially the lowland pilapil or rice paddy dike, can inform the construction and expansion of future urban armatures in the area currently reserved for future land-making via the P3. These landmaking practices can be adapted to modern construction techniques with a mixture of settlement typologies. Fish ponds, rice paddies and other local economic structures may be fostered and preserved through this proposal, ensuring that the local fisherfolk can maintain their livelihood while contributing to a cleaner Laguna Lake in the long term.

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George Tinney Age 60 When George moved to Cupang 42 years ago, he built his house next to a baseball field along the shores of Laguna de Bay. Back then, his family could drink the water. Today, George’s house is surrounded by water and is only accessible via boat or on foot along a series of precariously connected logs. George believes the water rose because nearby factories were constructed in the 1970s.

George experiences flooding around three times per year. In the worst storm events, the 17 families that live in the area go to the local evacuation center. If flooding is minor, those who can’t swim retreat to land while George and other older fishermen stay, despite the fact that houses get washed away every few years.

“THERE USED TO BE OTHER FAMILIES HERE, BUT THEY MOVED AWAY BECAUSE OF THE RISING WATER. WE DECIDED TO STAY BECAUSE WE GREW UP FISHING.” 232

STUDENT PROJECTS

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Jocelyn Mendez Age 30 Jocelyn has lived in Buli since she was eight years old. To make ends meet, Jocelyn sells banana fritters in front of her house, her husband sells corn in Parañaque, and her father works as a fisherman.

Jocelyn and her family live in a stilted house along the lakeshore.

During flooding events, water levels rise up to eight feet. They evacuate once every two years due to flooding. Despite this, she does not want to move, as her family would lose their main source of income.

“WORK IS IN THE WATER. THE WATER IS REALLY IMPORTANT.”

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Virginia Soriano Age 45 Virginia Soriano is a janitress in Makati. She prizes proximity to public transit, good schooling for her children, and having access to food. Virginia has lived in Sucat for 22 years.

She lives in a two story concrete house in an informal community along the lakeshore of Laguna de Bay, where floods can trap her family on the second floor.

“THE NEIGHBORS HELP EACH OTHER DURING FLOODS BY BUILDING TEMPORARY BRIDGES TO PASS THROUGH TO THE MAIN ROAD”

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Resureccion Desplon Age 65 Resureccion moved to Muntinlupa so that she could earn income to help support her family. She and her husband send their extra money from fishing and construction to support their grandchildren’s education. They live a few meters from the water’s edge and do not expect to be able to stay in this location permanently because of the risk of severe flooding.

“WORKING IN MANILA ALLOWS US TO SEND MONEY HOME SO THAT OUR TWO CHILDREN CAN GO TO COLLEGE.”

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Myla Francia Age Unknown Myla Francia came to Muntinlupa from the province of Samar and lives in the informal settlement of Daang Hari. In exchange for her son’s scholarship, she sweeps the church of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal every Friday.

“I CAME TO MANILA SO THAT MY CHILDREN COULD GET A BETTER EDUCATION. IT TAKES THEM 1 HOUR TO COMMUTE TO SCHOOL EACH WAY.”

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Marcello Geremillo Age 70 “I was born here, am a retired well builder, and I own this lot and house. When it flooded last time, it went up four feet. We went to the evacuation center in the school, although we usually just repair the house and stay here. We make makeshift bridges to get from place to place, and before the flood we stock up on food and repair the house to prepare. I have no interest in moving, especially since I own this property and rent some units to neighbors. I would like to elevate the house though. When I worked, I made pumps and wells for groundwater. Groundwater is free, but it’s less popular now that the official water utility has come in. Fishing is not so popular anymore; my only relative here who fishes is my nephew After every typhoon, new people move to Cupang, but generally they leave quickly for better areas that are closer to schools and major roads.”

“AFTER EACH TYPHOON, NEW PEOPLE MOVE TO CUPANG, BUT THEY LEAVE QUICKLY FOR BETTER AREAS THAT ARE CLOSER TO SCHOOLS AND MAJOR ROADS.” 242

STUDENT PROJECTS

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Jhary Ann Ramos Age 24 Jhary Ann moved from Novatas to Cupang in 2007 to live with her husband. Here, she primarily works as a public school teacher.

Since moving to Cupang, her family has only needed to evacuate once due to flooding. Jhary feels extremely safe, especially because her bedroom is on the third floor.

“I’VE ONLY EXPERIENCED FLOODING ONCE. I’M NOT AFRAID OF FLOODS BECAUSE I LIVE ON THE THIRD FLOOR.” 245

Jonnel Arnaiz Age 23 Jonnel Arnaiz has been a security Guard at the Church of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal for one year.

Originally from a rural province, he today lives in a barracks in the gated Posadas Village.

“I PREFER LIVING IN A GATED COMMUNITY BECAUSE I THINK IT IS SAFER THERE”

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STUDENT PROJECTS

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Ronalyn Valenzuela Age 14 Ronalyn Valenzuela is a high school student who works at her cousin’s roadside snack stand on Manuel Quezon road.

“I LIKE THAT EVERYTHING IN THE BARANGAY IS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE.”

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Jason Medina Age 35 Jason Medina is an IT Engineer who runs a local bike shop out of his own garage. He lives in the Don Juan subdivision of Sucat. He has lived in the area for his entire life.

Jason values the convenience of Muntinlupa, which, he says, is easily accessible by rail and by bike, as well as close to the airport.

He fears the consequences of climate change and the relative lack of concern that many area residents have expressed towards its dangers.

“WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, THIS PLACE IS GOING TO BE LIKE WATERWORLD.”

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MANILA EXCHANGE

Manila Exchange challenges the conventional relationship between large scale infrastructure development, high-end commercial and residential real estate, and neighborhood form. Based on a cultural and typological analysis of formal and informal settlements, indigenous landmaking, and transportation infrastructures, this project seeks to develop and propose a large scale framework that can accommodate future in-migration, while acknowledging the financial model of private-public exchange as a necessary partnership in the continued development of Metro Manila.

This project hinges on several critical building blocks, including: 1. The extension of the barangay unit into the area between the C-6 expressway and the existing lakeshore; 2. A flood management system that preserves access to Laguna de Bay; 3. A permeable transportation network; 4. And a large scale open space/recreation network which also serves as a flood management system.

Barangay Armatures

Flood Management

Permeable Network

Open Space

1

2

3

4

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FILINVEST CITY

PEOPLE’S PARK

FORMAL AND CULTURAL ANALYSIS FOCUSED ON FOUR SITES WITHIN MUNTINLUPA THAT WERE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONTRASTS EVIDENT THROUGHOUT THE LANDSCAPE.

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SITIO PLAYA

SUCAT INTERCHANGE

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SITIO PLAYA

Informal settlements in Metro Manila are often situated along areas that are extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, such as flooding, earthquakes, and landslides.

These vulnerabilities not only present a persistent and costly problem for local governments, but also lie at the core of the housing crisis in Metro Manila. Buffer zones and easements serve a dual role. They are intended to protect the well-being of citizens and settlers, yet can also serve as a justification for their removal or demolition, in some cases to clear the way for new development that can boost local revenues and curb blight.

Sitio Playa is an organized informal community consisting of three clusters - A, B, and C - which extends from Manuel L. Quezon road and into the existing lake. Houses have been adapted to rising water levels, gathering spaces are multi-functional, and residents are an integral part of the local economy.

Google Maps 2015

Source: Google Maps 2015

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PEOPLE’S PARK

CHURCH

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The People’s Park of Sucat serves as a gathering space for the community and an important center of barangay recreational and institutional life. The park was created using rubble waste from the construction of the Southern Luzon expressway as building material. A previous captain of Barangay Sucat had planned for this land to be developed as a private, commercial development for hotels. Instead, the community banded together to lobby for a park and then worked together to build it to help reduce construction costs. Maintenance has become a community effort. There is a fund set aside to pay those who assist with gardening and other tasks at the People’s Park.

HEALTH CENTER

BASKETBALL COURT

BARANGAY HALL

Sources: Adriana Akers, David Vega-Barachowitz

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BARANGAY ARMATURE

FLOOD MANAGEMENT

THE PROPOSAL CONSISTS OF FOUR ESSENTIAL STRATEGIES THAT TOGETHER ENGENDER A NEW PARADIGM FOR URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN METRO MANILA.

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STUDENT PROJECTS

PERMEABLE NETWORK

OPEN SPACE

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BARANGAY ARMATURES The project’s design emphasizes a physical as well as social connection to the existing Barangays. Infrastructure, open spaces, and housing weave in and out of the existing city, seamlessly extending its fabric, while remediating its environmental degradation.

Two types of extensions emerge. The first consists of social housing and neighborhood institutions, while the second is composed of private, often commercial, development clustered around major interchanges.

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INFRASTRUCTURE Private-public development concentrates at each of the two proposed major interchanges, at Sucat and Filinvest City, where it naturally wants to locate, given trends in Metro Manila. In the areas in between these interchanges, a proposed network of streets governs the expansion of the barangay fabric.

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STUDENT PROJECTS

OPEN SPACE The proposed open space network recognizes and builds upon the existing interim use of Filinvest City as an urban park. Waterways that are currently home to esteros emerge here as part of a large scale open space network.

The outer edges of the dike expressway are designed to help control the floodwater and reconstitute the lake, while also serving as a regional greenway.

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A SEQUENCE OF INTERNAL RETENTION PONDS IS DESIGNED TO HANDLE LARGER STORM EVENTS, IN CASE THE WATER BREACHES THE MAIN DIKE.

FLOOD MANAGEMENT Flood gates allow for the flow of water in and out of the extension, ensuring that water quality remains high and that access for fishing and recreation is preserved.

A sequence of internal retention ponds is designed to handle larger storm events, in case the water breaches the main dike. Soft edges that use native plantings are intended to prevent the inundation of homes and communities by floodwaters.

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BARANGAY EXTENSION The extension of the social and physical fabric of the barangay is central to the proposal. Each new barangay is transformed by a series of physical and institutional interventions. These interventions begin with a series of land bridges that create physical connections to the existing city. Land is perforated by waterways to permit water flow and open space access. Fish ponds and wet/ dry buffer zones straddle these waterways, preserving a

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STUDENT PROJECTS

strong local economy, while also providing a floodable area between homes and water.

The social and institutional fabric of the barangay celebrates the diversity of uses that can be present within a single settlement, from wet markets and sari-saris to schools and local community gathering spaces.

THE SOCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FABRIC OF THE BARANGAY CELEBRATES A DIVERSITY OF USES, FROM WET MARKETS AND SARI-SARIS TO SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES.

Barangay Fabric/Mixed Use

100 M

Sari-Saris/ Commerce Wet/Dry Land Embankments Public/Institutional Space Fish Harvesting

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Connectivity and Development

Open Space

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Flood Management

Barangay Armature

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SECTION DIAGRAMS

Edge Conditions Native plantings treat water and form riparian buffers along the edge of open spaces.

Existing Barangay

Waterway

Fish Harvesting

Sponge Land Buffer

Barangay Extension & Pilapil

Barangay Section 10 m

Site Section

Filinvest City

30 m

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SM Mall

The social life of the old barangay is restaged in the new barangay extensions. These developments celebrate the formal and typological diversity of existing settlement patterns, while taking advantage of the customization and informal construction process anchored by the infrastructural development of the pilapil.

Household Section

THE PROPOSAL CELEBRATES THE FORMAL AND TYPOLOGICAL DIVERSITY OF EXISTING SETTLEMENT PATTERNS.

5m

Fish Harvesting

Waterway

New Development

C-6 Expressway Dike

Soft Edge Condition

Fisherfolk

Manila Exchange

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PILAPIL INDIGENOUS TYPOLOGIES

Sources: Google Maps 2015

TYPOLOGIES Through the proposal, a series of new typologies emerge, ranging from the family unit to the scale of a major development. All of these components become functional parts of the new landscape and urban area, participating in the environmental, social, and physical fabric of the city’s extension.

FISH HARVESTING PONDS Fish ponds are a prevalent part of the Southeast Asian landscape and are common throughout Metro Manila. They provide local fisherman with a secondary economic resource as well as a substantial food source when combined with rice production.

FAMILY UNIT & FISH POND The extended family unit serves as a building block for urbanization and the first stage of the framework for development..

The proposal integrates housing with productive local economies and infrastructure.

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PILAPIL (ARMATURE) The urban armature, or pilapil, represents an indigenous landmaking practice as well an opportunity for rethinking conventional land reclamation practices in Metro Manila.

A raised embankment, the armature serves as a conduit for future growth and urban expansion.

FUNCTIONAL GREENBELT The functional “Greenbelt,” based on a popular mall in Makati, is integrated into a functional open space system at projected future interchanges. Commercial development funds public infrastructure construction, while becoming part of a large scale water cleaning system.

A SERIES OF NEW TYPOLOGIES EMERGE, RANGING FROM THE FAMILY UNIT TO THE SCALE OF A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT.

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ESTEROS

MEGA-MALLS

MAKESHIFT OPEN SPACE

Esteros, informally settled flood channels and small estuaries leading to Laguna de Bay, are often blamed for the failure of existing flood management systems and pumping stations, due to over crowding and pollution.

Malls have been found to contribute heavily to the flooding, creating major chokepoints for floodwaters at key channels.

60% of Filinvest City remains unbuilt or unoccupied. Land is currently utilized mainly for recreation due to the lack of open space in the area.

TOLL ROADS

VACANT LAND

IMPERMEABILITY

Underutilized land is held by key political families and their real estate ventures, in many cases, awaiting future real estate development.

Congestion on the major highways is caused in part by an impermeable road network, a problem exacerbated by exclusive subdivisions and impenetrable, overbuilt informal areas.

While the SLEx tollway is the fastest route from Muntinlupa to the Makati CBD and Metro Manila, much of the population cannot afford the toll and instead relies on jeepneys along the service roads.

FILINVEST CITY

SUCAT INTERCHANGE

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INFORMALITY

INDUSTRY

Informality clusters in marginal areas that others do not find desirable, such as no-build zones, industrial fringe areas, and highway underpasses.

Industrial waste is a key contributor to the increasing contamination of the Laguna de Bay’s waters.

STUDENT PROJECTS

Wet Market

Cooking

Subsistence Fishing

Local Fish Production

SUBSISTENCE FISHING

WET MARKETS

ARMATURES

Fourteen percent of the fisheries in the Laguna de Bay are local or subsistence based, often anchored by small local groups with small nets and catches.

Wet markets on local streets serve as both a livelihood for many as well as an affordable community resource. Many depend on income from these informal markets for survival and their presence is a hallmark of Manila streetlife.

In some cases, when lobbied for, community leaders of informal settlements have achieved the provision of services such as electricity and infrastructural upgrades such as the conversion of bamboo walks to concrete.

MIXED USES

BASKETBALL PLAZA

HEALTH CENTER

Though zoned residential, the informal settlement Sitio Playa contains a rich mixture of productive activities, community gathering spaces and small, sarisari stores.

Basketball, a favorite Filipino pastime, is a fixture of the Filipino forum. Building courts are a prized ribbon-cutting opportunity for politicians as well as a much used community asset.

Barangay centers often have local health clinics rather than traditional hospitals. These are critical to the health of the community and its citizens.

SITIO PLAYA

BARANGAY HALL

CHURCH

Decentralization and a strong tradition of local government has made the Barangay the unit of first response for surrounding communities, while simultaneously frustrating efforts at regional coordination.

The Church plays a critical role as both a voice of the people, a community organization, and an evacuation center. The Philippines is a heavily Catholic nation.

PEOPLE’S PARK

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COMMUNITY FOCAL POINTS, SUCH AS BASKETBALL COURTS AND HEALTH CENTERS, ARE RESTAGED ON THE MADE LAND, WHILE PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGED GROWTH.

THE BARANGAY UNIT The plan physically extends the barangay unit into the land between the expressway and the lake shore. Community focal points, such as basketball courts and health centers, are restaged on the made land, while providing a framework for managed growth.

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RAISING LAND VALUE

STEPPED EMBANKMENTS

PERMEABILITY

By redesigning the unused land around Festival Mall in Filinvest city as a park with functional retention ponds and other pervious surfaces, development nearby can benefit from a new landscape structure around which real estate can flourish.

A tiered soft edge network creates buffer zones throughout the plan and are being incorporated along the original lakeshore for additional flood hazard mitigation.

The dike expressway is perforated with floodgatebridges that allow the flow of water into a series of inlets, which help maintain the natural ecology of the lake and rivers.

It is supplemented by a porous greenway that runs from the C-6 to Filinvest City.

EXTEND THE MRT

PILAPIL

ANTICIPATORY HOUSING

The C-6 should not only incorporate express tollways that speed up traffic through the NCR but also consider opportunities for extending light rail systems and jeepney routes.

Traditional FIlipino rice paddy dikes, or pilapil, form a series of armatures within the new land area. They create a subsistence farming system around which crops and fish are cultivated, boosting micro economies.

Overpopulation has been of rising concern in Metro Manila for decades, resulting in an immense housing shortage. The proposal meets some of these needs and limits the negatives of the drawbacks of distant relocation projects.

FLOODGATE MARINAS

FUNCTIONAL GREENBELTS

Extensions on the eastern wall of the dike become gateway spaces for Muntinlupa’s residents to access the country’s largest lake and as a docking and launching point for fisherfolk.

Large scale developments such as malls and luxury residential buildings are oriented to incorporate open space, waterways, and a true green beltway.

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MANILA EXCHANGE

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Commercial Interchange

Floodgate Marina

Barangay Extension

Estuarial Riparian Buffer

FIlinvest City Park and Lagoon

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RECOMMENDATIONS Observations •

The C-6 expressway dike and other planned infrastructure and reclamation projects do not effectively integrate with the existing city fabric, environment, nor informal communities in holistic ways.

•

Conventional private development creates exclusive environments with city-wide costs and implications.

Opportunities •

New projects offer opportunities to create contextually-sensitive forms of urbanism.

•

Existing formal, informal, and indigenous land-making patterns can combine to form new and distinct forms of urban development.

•

Learning from the ingenuity present in ISF communities along Laguna de Bay lakeshore presents a chance to understand and borrow from a variety of resilient and low ecological impact strategies for future development frameworks.

Recommendations

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•

Analyze existing formal and informal development patterns and indigenous land-making processes and integrate innovations from each into new and more resilient developments.

•

Establish public-private partnerships to ensure equitable and sustainable city projects within a larger strategic framework for the city and region.

•

Investigate multiple scales of urban development from barangay to City, Metro, and the greater National Capital Region. Concentrate large-scale development with maximum access to inland roadways to reduce traffic congestion on existing and proposed highways.

•

Preserve existing stream and river corridors along the mainland to provide proper water flow during storm events and support a comprehensive flood management system.

•

Plan transportation networks with efficient, safe, and option-rich mobility.

STUDENT PROJECTS

Photo: Arianna Salazar Miranda

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CONCLUSION

05

Photo: David Vega-Barachowitz

CONCLUSION In his 2013 article “The Ideology of the Dual City: The Modernist Ethic in the Corporate Development of Makati City, Metro Manila,” Marco Garrido describes the evolution of Metro Manila as a “dual city,” in which “rich and poor live cheek by jowl but worlds apart.”1 To any outsider, especially one from United States, Manila’s dialectic between rich and poor, slum and subdivision, and formal and informal presents a complex and overwhelming societal tapestry.

Throughout the course of the site visits and the subsequent analysis and design, students consistently questioned their own positionality as planners and designers participating in the unequal development of a sprawling mega-city. What is the role of the planner and designer at the intersection between underrepresented communities and global capital? How does MIT, as an institution, justify and rationalize its work both to its direct clients and sponsors (the World Bank, ACM Holdings, etc.) as well as to the informal communities that have been the focus of the studio? How have western models of urbanization and modernity influenced the development of this fractured and stratified landscape?

Over the course of the semester, students asked these questions of themselves repeatedly, and the contradictions inherent to the landscape of Muntinlupa manifested themselves in the propositions set forth by the studio teams. While all of the teams grappled with the interdisciplinarity of the project - synthesizing mobility, housing, and environmental praxes - teams differed in the scale of their proposals and their physical reshaping of the formal/informal dichotomy.

Among the critical differences in approach among the students was how each teams dealt with relocation and rehabilitation. While some (i.e. Intelligent Infrastructure) advocated for in-situ redevelopment and upgrading through the introduction of new technologies and infrastructures, others (i.e. Manila Exchange, Martiniko Island) accepted development as an inevitable consequence of modernization, yet sought to introduce a better paradigm for future development.

1 Marco Garrido. “The Ideology of the Dual City: The Modernist Ethic in the Corporate Development of Makati City, Metro Manila.”

International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 37.1 (2013): 182.

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CONCLUSION

THE ANSWER TO RESILIENCY DOES NOT LIE IN A PROFUSION OF ISLANDS WITHIN ISLANDS OR THE BUILDING OF WALLS BETWEEN RICH AND POOR OR WET AND DRY. In both instances, however, students introduced a critique of the relationship between informality and vulnerability, and highlighted the necessity of leveraging private capital for the creation of affordable housing and environmental remediation. Despite the wide range of physical proposals set forth, many of the teams arrived at the similar conclusions in their understanding of the “dual city” as a condition of Muntinlupa. Among the most notable themes that crystallized at the end of the studio were:

LEVERAGE PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

•

Every proposal dealt to some degree with the potential to leverage private sector development for the creation of affordable housing and other community benefits.

LEGITIMIZE THE INFORMAL

•

All of the teams agreed that it was important to legitimize informal housing and economies in Muntinlupa to help ISFs fully participate and reap the benefits of the formal economy.

DESIGN FOR FLUX AND TEMPORALITY

•

The consideration of temporality was paramount in the studio proposals. Teams offered solutions sensitive to both wet and dry conditions, as well as to fluctuating populations and economic conditions.

These three themes reflect the major principles outlined in the Introduction of this report.

1. Socioeconomic: Support a share economy, connect formal and informal 2. Environment Work with nature, not against it 3. Development: Break down silos Ultimately, the answer to resiliency does not lie in a profusion of islands within islands or the building of walls between rich and poor or wet and dry. Resiliency in the context of Muntinlupa demands a transcendence of the dominant impulse to wall-off, keep-out, and subdivide.

Both sides of the “dual city” are fueled by interdependent motives. The intractable problem of informality, in turn, cannot be “solved” without also addressing what Garrido calls a “network of elite spaces, with proliferating citadels (e.g. gated subdivisions, luxury condominiums, high-rise office buildings) linked to spaces of elite consumption (e.g. exclusive malls, recreational areas that are fenced-in or simply forbidding to the poor) through toll-highways

and flyovers and equipped with high-technology telecommunications, power and water infrastructures that hardly extend into the public city.”2 Together, these themes stress the need for planners, designers, and policymakers in Metro Manila to think holistically about both the root causes of in-migration and to reconsider the conventional relocation paradigm.

Though it may not be sufficient to simply upgrade informal settlements as the influx of migrants only continues to grow in scale, it is critical that planners, developers, and residents in Muntinlupa and Metro Manila appreciate the value of informality from a social and economic perspective--especially understanding the tight-knit community networks that make this way of living appealing to new migrants. Policies must aim to rethink existing economic and development silos.

Only with an integrated approach that interweaves environmental, economic, and social factors into resilient strategies, can communities form a greater capacity to thrive.

2 Garrido, 182.

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Photo: Dennis Diaz

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CONCLUSION

CREDITS Over the course of the semester, MIT benefited from the collaboration of numerous organizations, NGOs, and individuals. This rare level of access to policymakers, local actors, and residents proved fruitful for those participating in the studio and contributed to a series of thoughtful and well-informed proposals. The following people and organizations made important contributions to the work featured in this report.

MIT URBAN PLANNING STUDENTS

UP ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS

1. Adriana Akers (DUSP)

1. Gino Abrera

2. Shanika Hettige (GSD)

2. Dennis Diaz

3. David Isaak (DUSP)

3. Joana Dungca

4. Oz Johnson (DUSP)

4. Godesil Lejarde

5. Haley Way Jordahl (DUSP)

5. Dylan Melgazo

6. Ellen Lohe (DUSP)

6. Glenn Orbon

7. Lily Anne Perkins-High (DUSP)

7. Brian Sabido

8. David Vega-Barachowitz (DUSP)

8. Richie Tumambing

FACULTY

Faculty Adviser: Mike Tomeldan

1. Mary Anne Ocampo 2. Stephen F. Gray

UP SURP STUDENTS

3. Fadi Masoud

1. Annlouise Genevieve M. Castro 2. Francis Edison A. Corpuz

TEACHING ASSISTANT

3. Ryan James Nicholai L. Dizon

1. Arianna Salazar Miranda (DUSP)

4. Nicasio B. Jr. Espina 5. Angelica N. Francisco

RESEARCH ASSISTANT 1. Adriana Akers (DUSP) 2. Ethan October Lay-Sleeper (DUSP)

6. Josue O. Mirabite 7. Thess Khaz S. Raza

3. David Vega-Barachowitz (DUSP) 4. Sneha Mandhan (DUSP)

LOCAL NGOs Homeless People’s Federation Philippines, Inc. (HPFP)

THE WORLD BANK Yan Zhang, Senior Urban Economist Makiko Watanabe, Senior Social Development Specialist

Technical Assistance Movement for People and Environment, Inc. (TAMPEI) Muntinlupa Development Foundation (MDF) Bukluran

PARTNERS MIT International Science and Technology Iniatiave (MISTI) MIT SA+P MIT DUSP MIT Office of the Dean of Graduate Education Sasaki Associates

LOCAL PARTNERS The University of the Philippines (UP) Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Urban Poor Affairs Office (UPAO) Muntinlupa City Planning and Development Office (CPDO)

LOCAL SPONSORS

Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA)

Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Inc. ACM Holdings

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture + Planning Department of Urban Studies and Planning 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 Site Planning Studio Spring 2015 Graphic Design: Michael Tavilla in collaboration with Mary Anne Ocampo and Stephen F. Gray ISBN: 978-0-9979934-0-0

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CONCLUSION