WHAT WHAT IS URBAN DECAY? DECAY? Some of the most promising cities and towns have now turned into neglected wastelands that breed criminals and diseases. This is a phenomenon observed the world over and has various causes. Sociologists refer to this phenomenon as urban decay.
Urban decay, in simpler terms, is the gradual falling apart of a previously functional city or town. Urban decay may be caused by deindustrialization, economic breakdown, and failure of businesses, which in turn leads to increasing crime rates, growing unemployment, and rising poverty in the area. This condition is evident from abandoned buildings, overrun sewers, trash and rubble on the streets, and a desolate landscape. Another important reason for urban decay is the development, both economic and social, of some other area in close proximity, to which the population has migrated for better opportunities. Urban decay has no single cause, but is a result of interrelated social and economic conditions. n order to save our cities from this condition, we need to take care of not only our homes but also the world outside. This will ensure that the city, which might be slowly rotting away, is saved from decaying and a stable economic and social future is maintained for everyone.
A)URBAN BLIGHT ONGPIN STREET
!ntrance to "ngpin Street o# $laza %orenzo &uiz, &uiz, 'inondo (anila is a city of cities within a city. city. )i#erent eras and ethnic groups have given us districts with distinct *avours, from Spanish colonial order in ntramuros to the +ity 'eautiful- area built under the 'urnham $lan and more modern Americanised urban planning in (akati, uezon ity and /ort 'onifacio. A very special part of the city, and one that is at risk of being destroyed, is "ngpin Street in (anila0s (anila0s hinatown of 'inondo. The built form form in 'inondo is very dense and the area has been sub1ect to recent development interest for both retail and residentialpro1ects.There residentialpro1ects.There are no particularly p articularly remarkable buildings along "ngpin Street, but rather it is the fabric and rhythym of this area that sets it apart. 2loriously lively and winding, "ngpin Street feels a bit like 3456s 7ong 8ong and is a hidden gem for tourists that 9nd it. The street starts from the $laza %orenzo %orenzo &uiz and runs in a broad curve to the arriedo /ountain and Santa ruz church. Several estero crossings along the way break up the 1ourney. 1ourney.
The entrance from the $laza $laza %orenzo &uiz, &uiz, next to the church church of St %orenzo &uiz is tucked away and easily missed for people not familiar with the area. "n entering the street though, you are met with the thriving centre of (anila0s hinatown. There are are a number of restaurants restaurants and other businesses that are longstanding staples of (anila0s hinese community and shops spill bountifully out onto the street. ar tra:c is minimal compared compared to other parts of (anila, and and is slowed by the narrowness of the street and the level of activity. activity. $edestrians are king by necessity ; the footpaths are very narrow and interrupted by steps and sharp level changes, forcing forcing people to walk walk in the street. street. As with many of (anila0s backstreets, pedestrians, cyclists and even horse and carts are respected and given space by motorists. 'uildings that have 9ne
Salazar Street, of On!"n Street
The entrance from the $laza $laza %orenzo &uiz, &uiz, next to the church church of St %orenzo &uiz is tucked away and easily missed for people not familiar with the area. "n entering the street though, you are met with the thriving centre of (anila0s hinatown. There are are a number of restaurants restaurants and other businesses that are longstanding staples of (anila0s hinese community and shops spill bountifully out onto the street. ar tra:c is minimal compared compared to other parts of (anila, and and is slowed by the narrowness of the street and the level of activity. activity. $edestrians are king by necessity ; the footpaths are very narrow and interrupted by steps and sharp level changes, forcing forcing people to walk walk in the street. street. As with many of (anila0s backstreets, pedestrians, cyclists and even horse and carts are respected and given space by motorists. 'uildings that have 9ne
Salazar Street, of On!"n Street
Ol#er $%o!$ ne&t to t%e Ra'a#a Hotel, On!"n Street The area is also crossed crossed by many esteros, and the bridges that carry carry the street over them have been made into features that display the proud hinese heritage of the district.
The vibrancy and success of local businesses has attracted investment into the area, with the pressure for more residential and commercial *oorspace seeing several new buildings constructed. 7owever, the style of redevelopment is at odds
with what has made "ngpin Street a successful urban space. )ense, active street frontages that run to the property boundary have been replaced by wider and shallower retail space, or parking and driveways that cut the close connection between the street and activities within the buildings. A new building housing !ast =est 'ank and Security 'ank is a prime example of poor planning in this context. The building is set back further from the street than its neighbours to allow parking in front, breaking up the existing uniform street edge and interrupting pedestrian *ow. nstead of the narrow but deep shopfronts, two
wide retail tenancies housing the bank branches are set behind the row of parking. The podium levels are also used for car parking, so that there is no activity looking over the street from above. The building design is not appropriate for its context.
>ew building under construction with !ast =est 'ank branch ; car parking out the front is at odds with the rest of the street, and the wide retail spaces reduce the diversity of the frontage.
The podium level is used for car parking and presents a blank wall to the street. f podium car parking is unavoidable, it could be set back further in the building envelope to allow other uses at the front of the building, and the number of car parks reduced. (andarin S?uare is another building with an inappropriate fa@ade dominated by driveway and blank walls.
(andarin S?uare ; driveways and parking dominate, with shops set well back from the street. The blank wall of the podium level destroys the vibrancy of the street. The nearby &amada 7otel is also a newer development, but its design ties in better with the existing "ngpin Street rhythym. t is built to the street without parking in front, the shopfronts are narrower, and while vehicle access to the basement is via an entrance on "ngpin Street, the entrance is not overly wide.
&amada 7otel ; the car park entrance is more discrete, shop fronts are built to the boundary and the second storey window connects activity within the building to the street outside. >one of this is to say that "ngpin Street should not be the site of redevelopment. 'ut the vision for "ngpin Street ought to be to retain the features that make it so special and speak of its history as a pedestrian
3. buildings should be built to the front boundary, with no set
!steros could be cleaned up and become pedestrian links and provide opportunities for retail and restaurants
f buildings with signi9cant parking continue to be constructed, the resulting induced tra:c would cause "ngpin Street to seize up with congestion. There is simply no space for more vehicular tra:c than current levels. "ngpin Street is a special part of (anila, and although it does not have many historic buildings left, its long history as the centre of (anila0s hinatown Eone of the oldest in the worldF is alive today in the rhythym and activity that makes this street so fascinating. This character is at risk of destruction if more development of the type seen recently is permitted to continue. >ew development should be of a scale and character to 9t in with the existing streetscape, or otherwise would be better located in di#erent parts of hinatown such as around the $laza %orenzo &uiz where space and character are more suited to large
B)IN(ORAL SETTLERS
S*UATTER IN THE +ERNACULAR •
I$-ater < Tagalog version of s?uatter referring to a physically disorganized collection of shelters made of light and often visually unappealing materials where poor people reside.
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E$tero < >arrower than sewers and associated with bad smell.
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E$"n"ta < &efers to alleys that hold only one person at a time.
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Loo.an < (eaning inner areas where houses are built so close to each other and often in a manner not visible to the general view of the city. Daat/#aatan < /or areas that are fre?uently *ooded.
AGNITUDE O( IN(ORAL SETTLERS IN ETRO ANILA
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Slums can be found in HC5 communities, located in all the cities and municipalities of (etro (anila. They account for some C.HG million people living in the most depressed areas of the metropolis. They are usually located along rivers and creeks, in garbage dumps, along railroad tracks, under bridges, and beside factories and other industrial establishments. Slums located next to mansions in aIuent residential areas are not uncommon. The settlement pattern of the urban poor is generally dispersed, with houses located wherever there is space to occupy.
SUARY 0LGU1$ an# NGA1$)
THE NUBER O( IN(ORAL SETTLERS IN ETRO ANILA BY CITY AND UNICIPALITY
BINONDO1$ IN(ORAL SETTLERS
The case with 'inondo is that the informal settlers occupied beside !stero de la &eina. (aking it one of the dirtiest canal in the country. They 9lled the area with di#erent kinds of waste and human excrement. The ity of (anila conducted lots of clearing operations and tried to relocate the people residing in the said location. 'ut they 1ust keep on coming back, now they can still be seen living a dangerous and unhealthy life on the !stero.
T%"$ "$ t%e Soler Street Br"#e2 T%e3 4or'e# an "n4or'al %o5$"n 6o''5n"t3 o4 t%e"r o-n2
T%e ot%er $"#e o4 t%e Soler Street Br"#e2 Yo5 6an1t reall3 $ee t%e -ater -"t% all t%o$e tra$% 7oat"n "n t%e 6anal2
T%e re# 'arer "n#"6ate$ t%e $%ant3 lo6at"on$ o4 t%e "n4or'al $ettler$ "n Soler Street2
T%"$ "$ e"$"6 Street Br"#e an# t%ere1$ onl3 a %an#45l o4 t%e' re$"#"n %ere2 T%e31re 'o$tl3 $treet 8en#or$ t%at $ell$ 6"arette$, 6an#"e$ an# ener3 #r"n$ to t%e 'all$ e'!lo3ee$2
T%e re# 'arer "n#"6ate$ t%e $%ant3 lo6at"on$ o4 t%e "n4or'al $ettler$ "n e"$"6 Street2
C)+AGRANCIES
+AGRANTS IN THE PHILIPPINES
(y global issue is homelessness and my country is the $hilippines. There are some examples of the relationship between unemployment in C66J and homeless people in C66H in the $hilippines. "ne example is that when there were 3,666 homeless people, there were D,666 unemployed people. Another example is when there were 3,466 homeless people, there were D,5H6 unemployed people. Then when there were G,KH6 homeless people, there were G,666 unemployed people. >ext, when there were 5,4H6 homeless people, there were 5,D66 unemployed people. Another one is, when there were 5,G66 homeless people, there were K,4H6 unemployed people. Then, when there were 566 homeless people, there were 5,H66 unemployed people. >ext, when there were G,4H6 homeless people, there were D,GH6 unemployed people. "ne more example is that when there were 4,D66 homeless people, there were 5,H66 unemployed people. E2ood =orks, nc.F
Those are some of the examples in the $hilippines between the rate of unemployment and homeless people. n half of these examples the unemployment rate is higher and in the other half of these examples the homelessness rate is higher. As more people become poor, more people become increasingly at risk of homelessness. $eople can become homeless for a variety of reasons. "ne reason may be because the person may have come from a poor family living in an already impoverished area. Another reason is because of poverty, which is a common reason as to why people become homeless. The poverty rate and the number in poverty increased across all types of families married
domestic violence, physical or mental illness, addiction, transition into adulthood, and relational strains. Up to half of homeless women and children are victims of domestic violence. Must recently, the number of $hilippians with no health insurance has been reported at over H6 million. About C5L of people who experience homelessness nationwide arementally ill E)epartment of 7ousing and Urban )evelopmentF.
This compares to 5L of the country0s general population ESubstance Abuse and (ental 7ealth Services AdministrationF. (ental illness often makes people who su#er from it unable to work N if they0re unable to work they0re not making any money which means they0ll eventually run out of money and not have any for shelter and maybe not even enough to buy food or clothing. Those are some of the many reasons as to why people become homeless. 7omelessness has always been a problem. 7omelessness is a problem because to live you don0t need a home but everyone should have the right to feel protected and be protected and to live in a safe environment with friends and family and to have ample food and water. =e can help to end the problem of homelessness around the world in many ways. "ne way to end homelessness would be to start an organization with all of your family and friends and post your organization on a website and create many ads for it and publish it in newspapers and magazines all across the world and get people to donate food, water, clothing, and money for homeless people all across the world. (y organization is called =orld Oision and if you would like to participate in helping the homeless, you could consider looking up soup kitchens around your area or look up homeless organizations and see if any of them would let you actively participate in things.
+AGRANTS IN ETRO ANILA
=! have seen them in the streets of (etro (anila. They catch our attention in a few seconds but we ?uickly shake them out of our thoughts as we go to our destinations. They are the homeless street dwellers in the city. =e might wonder why they are without shelters and why they are in the crowded city. The usual image is them sleeping in their karitons, below the bridges and *yover, and in covered sidewalks and pavements. There are also other homeless that are seen less in the streets. They live in cemeteries, abandoned structures and shanties in the clogged waterways of the city. 7ow many exactly are the homeless in (etro (anilaP t is di:cult to have an accurate number because their population is in a constant *ux. The best estimate is that there maybe G,666 to H,666 homeless street families in (etro (anila. Studies
show that homeless are categorized into transient, episodic and chronic. The transitionally homeless have the least time spent in being homeless. They still have desires to extricate themselves from this condition. The episodic type have been homeless longer and a push could tip them in one direction or the other. The chronically homeless are the ones who have been in the streets a long time. They may have no realistic hopes for the future and could have accepted homelessness as a +chosen- lifestyle. =hy would persons and families end up without sheltersP &ecently, robust research evidence has emerged indicating that homelessness is the outcome of dynamic interactions between individualistic reasons and structural changes. Adverse events in the lives of individuals, when coinciding with certain structural factors, could result in individuals with their families becoming homeless. Structural reasons are due to income povertyB inade?uate social service coverageB and inaccessible housing markets. ndividualistic reasons are personal characteristics of homeless persons and suggest that homelessness is a conse?uence of personal problems. "ften cited are loss of income and livelihood, family feud, house demolition and disaster. /or instance, poverty and total loss of livelihood coupled with family feud pushes families toward homelessness.
Apart from structural and individualistic factors that push them to homelessness, they opt to stay in the city because the place provides them a means to survive on a daily basis. n (etro (anila, ma1ority of homeless interviewed cited economic reasons in staying in the city. These are odd 1obs like vending, car park attendants, pedicab drivers, recycling scavenged materials, helpers in public markets, and many sort of ephemeral 1obs combined sometimes with begging for food and loose change. )aily cash income ranges from a hundred to $D66 a day but it can go as high as $H66 to $566. Almost half have been chronically homeless for more than eight to 36 years. There might actually be some tangible bene9ts to being homeless from the point of view of not having stable and permanent income. 'eing homeless frees them of certain household obligations like the maintenance cost of homes Eutilities and rentalF. They may also feel unobligated in terms of the normal responsibilities to their families as they already lead atypical and abnormal lives. t gives them a certain sense of *exibility in looking for opportunities around the city. "nce hope and change for a better life are abandoned, once daily survival and working in ephemeral 1obs becomes a habit, then homelessness becomes the only economic option, and they are here to stay in the city. n response to these challenges, the )epartment of Social =elfare and )evelopment has designed the (odi9ed onditional ash Transfer for 7omeless Street /amilies
who were not covered by the regular conditional cash
+AGRANTS IN BINONDO
"n a trip to 'inondo, there are a number of things you will notice immediately including the tra:c, the very narrow streets, how people seem to be everywhere, and poverty. 0ve seen some of these things during a trip to 'inondo. =hile it was essentially a food trip of 'inondo0s gastronomic o#erings , also took the chance to take photos of 'inondo0s streets. =hat 0ve seen is a combination of chaos Ewhich isn0t always a bad thingF, nostalgia, poverty, and compassion, on top of the other things 0ve discussed in other posts.
CHAOS AND PO+ERTY
'inondo has some of the most chaotic streets in (anila. The reason mostly is its narrow streets, streets of a bygone era, which are now unable to accommodate the hundreds of vehicles that pass by them every day. Then there0s poverty. At $laza de 'inondo, you0ll 9nd throngs of homeless people and their children. t0s a heartbreaking sight.
8ids playing with confetti from a wedding outside the 'inondo hurch. "ne of the other typical sights in 'inondo;poverty.
/amily passing time at the $laza de 'inondo, (anila. "ne of the other typical sights in 'inondo;poverty.
2irl playing with a calachuchi *ower. "ne of the other typical sights in 'inondo; poverty.
(AOUS ONGPIN
REAL LI(E BINONDO
D) DILAPIDATING SETTLEENTS, STRUCTURES, BUILDINGS
THE ABANDONED HOUSE O( HENERAL ANTONIO LUNA
There0s an old house nestled in the San >icolas district of (anila that looks like an ordinary old house at 9rst glance. This house has capiz windows, wooden walls at the top *oor, and a large front door typical of the +bahay na bato- of the Spanish era.
The old house is actually the birthplace of 2eneral Antonio %una. Unfortunately, 1ust like other historical houses in our country, 2eneral Antonio %una0s birthplace is in great disrepair. The roof is about to fall o# and the windows have missing capiz shells.
2eneral %una0s house looked bad on the outside and shudder to think how worse it is in the inside.
Another sad fact is that the front of 2eneral %una0s birthplace became a tambakan, parking lot, and even a sleeping place of 'inondo0s homeless.
EL HOGAR (ILIPINO
C"r6a 343G Lo6at"on9 33K Muan %una Street cor (uelle dela ndustria, 'inondo, (anila H"$tor39 This classic example of the 'eaux
and TO productions such as the movie (ano $o and the music video for 'amboos hit song 7allelu1ah.
CAPITOL THEATER
C"r6a9 34D6s Lo6at"on9 CGH !scolta Street, 'inondo, (anila H"$tor39 'uilt in the 34D6s by architect Muan >akpil, this Art )eco 1ewel once mounted on its balcony wall a mural by /ilipino modernist Oitorio !dades. The building is designed with a generously lighted commercial block, tail ended by spire< like towers, with its =estern tower dominated by an !gyptian
was an attempt to convert the theater into a restaurant with a performing art stage, but that didnt work as well. The theater is now closed, while a portion is now used by a downmarket eatery.
IDES O:RACCA
C"r6a9 34DH Lo6at"on9 orner of ( de Santos and /olgueras Streets, 'inondo, (anila H"$tor39 naugurated in 34DH by a )r sidro de Santos, the original plan for the building was to be a cold storage. t is said that )r de Santos0s 2erman sonational Abaca orporation and the >ational ooperatives, while the lower *oors were leased to shop owners. 'ut what 9res, wars and earth?uakes could not destroy, time and neglect have. W%at "t "$ no- Still used as an o:ce building, a number of its tenants have
organized themselves into an association and are battling against time and bureaucracy to have the building declared a historical landmark, so that the building can be restored to its original beauty.
CHACO
C"r6a9 34C6s Lo6at"on9 orner of uintin $aredes and )asmarias Streets, 'inondo, (anila H"$tor39 "riginally known as haco, after prominent hinese businessman (ariano Uy haco who commissioned the building to house his hardware 9rm. =hen he went back to hina in 3436, he turned over his business to his son Uy Oet, who transformed the company from a general hardware store to direct importer and distributor of tools and machinery. Uy Oet later went on to become a leader in the hinese community, sitting on the board of a number of community and business organizations. t was he who hired architect Andres %una de San $edro to design the current building.
W%at "t "$ no-9 $hiltrust 'ank, although the buildings future is in doubt as its internal framework is rusting from the inside. 7owever the bank has been using the buildings facade as a design template for its branches.
HSBC 0A;A HAILTON)
C"r6a9 34C3 Lo6at"on9 33H Muan %una Street, 'inondo, (anila H"$tor39 'uilt in 34C3 by American businessman "scar ampbell and designed by American architect 27 7ayward, this buildings claim to fame is that it once housed the (anila o:ce of the 7ong 8ong and Shanghai 'ank, which recently celebrated 3CH years of operation in the $hilippines. The bank moved out sometime in the 34J6s, after which another 9nancial institution took over the lease. W%at "t "$ no-9 Abandoned.
E) LAC;ING COUNITY +ABRANCY The city of (anila, $hilippines has a local version of hinatown. This is historically referred to as 'inondo. t has become the melting pot of almost all the commercial endeavors of both hinese and /ilipino merchants, alike especially during the American "ccupation in the country. 7owever, due to the numerous atrocities of the Second =orld =ar a lot of the *ourishing business establishments in this place had been unfortunately wrecked. Therefore, some of the most notable business 9rms in 'inondo had to be transferred to a much more peaceful and progressive hub for business, which was no other than but (akati, the second to none 9nancial capital of the $hilippine &epublic. Though many entrepreneurs of today are not so familiar with 'inondo, (anila, they are positively asserting the undeniable reality that this particular part of (anila is a self;made center point of 9nancial prosperity and mixed cultural heritage of the $inoys and the Tsinoys. The succeeding sections of this article will beautifully chronicle and trace back the humble beginnings of 'inondo, until she had blossomed into a new breed of business climate and an enlightening avenue of struggling but economically sound business people, like the hinese. =hat an Rou /ind in 'inondoP $eople from all walks of life, can always 9nd a second home in 'inondo. /rom the pages of its inspiring ancestry, it can be clearly perceived that her inherent beauty and charm lies in between her un?uestionable historical role and integrity in fashioning the $hilippines0 commercial principles and economic awakening. Also, the so
BINONDO IS SLOWLY EBRACING ODERNITY "n our way to "ngpin Street, we had a good laugh when we spotted some business signs that advertise attache cases, pomade, to harmonicas. 7owever, we ?uickly realized that these signs to be a testament to the city0s longevity. 8nown as the oldest hinatown in the world, 'inondo has been in existence since 3H4G.
T%"$ !%oto "$ o4 a .5$"ne$$ $"n o4 t%e ol#e$t .oo$tore "n an"la2
Po!5lar re4re$%'ent$ %ano5t *5"6/Sna6 ee!$ "t$ or""nal $"n #e$!"te a"n"n !o!5lar"t3 a'on all o8er t%e -orl#2
'ut time has indeed changed 'inondo, at least in its structures. Some of 'inondo0s famous eateries has updated their interiors, giving out a modern vibe. =e even spotted a /rench
'inondo managed to pay homage to its past thanks to the use of festive colors like ube violet and vibrant reds in almost every establishment.
B"non#o1$ -el6o'e ar6 "$ no- #-ar4e# .3 $e8eral $3$6ra!er$ t%at l"ne# 5! On!"n Street2
A 6%ar'$ $tore 5t"l"ze$ t%e 6olor$ o4 "t$ -are$ to #e6orate "t$ 4a6a#e2
