Making a real difference
THE urban poor is as quintessential to urbanization as vices. Yet, while there have been major attempts to crack down on vices, the urban poor remain poor. In many places because they are a fountain of votes that can make or break a local government official, in other instances because the problem is just too difficult to solve, politicians would rather settle for photo opportunities showing them hand out donations rather than get to the root and provide lasting solutions.
Davao City is among the very few cities in the country that is experiencing an unprecedented boom, such that even residents are getting dizzy from all the developments sprouting around them. The boom is providing more opportunities and benefits to those who can reap these opportunities and benefits. Sadly, very little is within the reach of the urban poor. No matter how long and hard local officials may argue, we need only to look at the composition of our population to know that a third or even more are living in informal settlements and surviving on very little income, worse, barely able to eat.
But should this always be the case?
Why couldn’t a boom translate to better opportunities and living standards for all, bar none?
A paper from the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) took note of this as well and pointed out pioneering approaches by federations and networks of “slum/ shack/homeless people” that run savings groups that also go into building and improving homes and addressing sanitation.
These federations, the briefing paper reads, had also reached out to partner with local governments to address urban poverty at a city scale. Through this partnership, the scope by which programs actually address poverty and inequality is increased.
“This collaboration also addresses two other inequalities: in low-income group’s voice and influence within local government, and in the support available to such groups to address deprivation directly, especially where local governments fail to do so,” reads the report, “A Future Urban Poor Groups Want” (http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/17155IIED.pdf).
Today’s issue starts the monthly in-depth reports Sun.Star Davao comes up with, this time training our eyes on sanitation or the lack of it. The stories tell the situation as it is and no amount of whitewashing and cover-ups will hide the stink in these urban settlements.
At the root of the programs are the savings components, but at the very base is one thing that is very difficult for us to access – the database. A clear census of the informal settlers within our slums, how many they are and where in particular are they, and what they really need.
Without knowing these basic information, we can only see the buildings rising up and the sprawling subdivisions along the highway. For once, let us all shed off the belief that by admitting that these many are actually going to sleep hungry is an admission that our local government and national government agencies are not doing anything. Let us simply get the facts and address the facts as they are. Giving lugaw is a happy reprieve even for us, who are gainfully employed, but this will never lead us to a better future. Rather, this will only lead us to longer lines for free lugaw.