The demolition of the community of Guatemala Street, Makati, Metro Manila

When mediation fails and the interest in money wins

My intention with this entry is to support the struggle of that particular community and all the other countless communities threatened by forced evictions and demolitions. The demolition and forced eviction happened yesterday is what happens when investors do not care for peoples lives, politicians do not care for their humanitarian mandate and residents are not properly informed about their Human Rights... 

Two of my coworkers and I went to the site as part of Urban Poor Associate’s (UPA) work to monitor forced evictions as well as the crisis intervention program. Reason for the forced eviction and demolition of the community, consisting out of 300 families (even tho some of the corrupt press argues only 50 families) is exclusive gentrification, affecting heavily the city of Makati. In that particular neighborhood urban planners consider to construct a sports arena for 100.000.000 Pesos (a bit more than 1.5 Mio Euro).

The scenery I witnessed was completely new for me and many of the pictures I’ve seen I still try to emotionally figure.

When we entered the neighborhood we already ran into families, which, according to the threat of the local government, voluntarily self-demolished their homes, -some of those urban poor people living there already for more than 20 years!

the future of the "returner"

By doing so the government promises people could choose between a) becoming relocated, b) getting non-recurring financial aid (20.000P, which is about 330 Euro) or c) moving back into the rural areas. Those refusing to demolish their constructions would get forcedly evicted and end up with nothing. However, those families we ran into, which followed the illegal instructions from the government- ended up with nothing anyways- only themselves and their wives, husbands, sisters and brothers, boys, girls and babies with the few things they call possessions, forced to live in the gutters of Metro Manila since the relocation site is not ready yet and according to people who moved there and returned is “a giant cemetery for the living dead”!

With bulldozers against Human Rights

graffiti supporting the struggle

We walked around the corner into the street where the houses and the community used to be and what I saw reminded me on a civil war: heavy equipment and teargas from the police forces on the one side, barricades, stones and Molotovs from the informal settlers, mostly man, on the other side who tried to protect what they call home and which is their livelihood and community, -which is all they have! As a matter of fact some residents did just not do anything- they followed their daily routine, cooked food or talked to the neighbors. Perhaps they didn’t realize what will happen, or they just couldn’t believe what was about to happen. So the wife of the Peoples Organizations president, whom was already hiding because of fear getting beaten up by the governmental forces, asked one of my coworkers: “What should I do now? Should I stay or should I pack?” Well, she answered bitter: “You should slowly start to pack, there is only one way how the day will end for you and your community.”

From “Community Organizing in the Danger Zones of Pasay City and Metro Manila”:

In all cases of evictions, extreme cases of violence always erupted. Gunshots fired by un-uniformed policemen, teargas fired on people trying to block the demolition crew, people being clubbed with baton and truncheons by policemen and demolition crew, and the women, the elderly and children getting hurt in the scuffles.

After all the smoke cleared, people were practically left homeless on the streets. From the experiences of the accounted demolition cases, people stayed on the streets from one-week to two months as they were still looking for money to rent-out places, asking relatives or friends for a temporary stay, or in some few exceptional cases, were waiting to be transferred to some very far relocation sites that were promised by the government. 

Why the situation escalated, the people lost all they have and violence erupted might be depending on the perspective: greedy investors, corrupt politicians, weak community organizations, conflicts between NGOs involved or “false” mediation. What is clear: at the end of the day the struggle of the people was lost, and the powerful governmental authorities will have defeated the urban poor, causing suffer and another step down into further poverty…

not knowing yet that she will have to sleep in the gutters of Makati tonight