The Urban Poverty Morphology Project: RS-GIS Applications for Metro-Manila, Philippines

We present outputs and directions of the four-tiered project, the Urban Poverty Morphology Series (UPM), which applies remote sensing and geographic information systems (RS-GIS) to map poverty areas at various scales. The ultimate research direction is towards finding ways to better integrate poor communities and informal livelihood into the urban ecosystem. A key factor in this transformation is socio-economic cohesion and interdependence wherein the mutual attraction of multi-scale economies, of the informal and formal kind, is reinforced.

The first phase of the project (UPM I) aims to understand the spatial dimensions of poverty in an urban setting and determine the major attractors and catalysts for their development within Metro-Manila. Emphasis was placed on digital image processing to determine the location, spread and clustering of poverty sites. Findings reveal that informal settlements around Metro-Manila are situated primarily near socio-economic attractors, within available vacant spaces, including easements along waterways and sidewalks. We also found out that most informal settlements are located in areas along public transportation routes and with utilities.

In the second stage (UPM II), we undertook a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of a major slum resettlement located Northeast of Manila. The SEA incorporated geospatial modeling techniques to determine risks and the potential vulnerability of the community. Our results show that the resettlement area is not a suitable site for slum relocation because of its high risk to natural hazards as well as the absence of potential livelihood sources and affordable and reliable public transport. Our findings reiterate the value of proper planning through the application of RS-GIS in order for in-fill social housing and resettlement options to work.

The third tier of activities (UPM III) involved multi-temporal poverty mapping in three scales (i.e. National, regional and local). At the regional scale, we determined spatial distribution and growth of poverty sites using SPOT XS 1997 and 2000, the latter aggregated with derived shanty footprints. Informal settlements in Metro-Manila were found to be expanding and densifying. Patterns of expansion are noted along the extreme North, East and South of Metro-Manila, with settlements appearing spatially constant at the central part or urban core of Manila .

For the fourth part of the UPM series (UPM IV), we propose mapping and profiling of major informal livelihood hubs along networks of markets in Metro-Manila. The objective is to study market-based attractors of informal livelihood at various scales and to analyze spatial relations with urban poverty sites.

Other recommendations are:

• Formulation of suitability criteria for siting via GIS urban poor land and housing within and/ or outside the metropolis

• Location and designation of occupied and/ or vacant lots large enough to accommodate socialized housing, prioritizing in-city rehabilitation and resettlement

• Development, completion and updating of a poverty alleviation decision-support system (PADSS)

• For resettlement areas already or still to be located outside the metropolis, priority improvement of accessibility and nearby employment

• Formulation of policies and action plans for the better integration of the marginalized into the urban ecosystem