Slum encounter
A Filipino-British post-graduate student gets inspired by the urban poor in Pasay
by Renee Corteling
“I had no expectations of what my experience would be exploring human settlements, but the whole encounter gave me great inspiration to widen my experience…”
In a way, my meeting with TAO-Pilipinas was serendipity. I am currently a post graduate architecture student in Portsmouth University in the United Kingdom. My particular area of interest is the philosophical analysis of architecture. But I am greatly aware that I need a more hands onexperience with building construction for the community. The Philippines for me seemed a good place to start. I had decided that for my final dissertation I would travel to Manila and explore the unknown world of the slum lands. I am very aware of the mass poverty and poor housing in the world through journals, lectures and media but this was an opportunity for me to gain a deeper understanding and more personal interaction with the communities I could possibly design for. Being in the Philippines to visit these communities to gain primary research for my dissertation was going to be a life changing experience.
Now it may have been my naivete, but I did think that I could simply walk into these communities and observe from the sidelines, covertly researching without being a bother to anyone. Luckily reality met me in the form of University of the Philippines professor Romeo Santos, who suggested that I get in contact with TAO-Pilipinas. He talked to me of a workshop that a group of students from Taiwan University had participated in. Unfortunately I missed the initial field trip, but he told me TAO-Pilipinas would be a good first port of call and I found myself in contact with the head of research, architect Faith Varona.
I had no expectations of what my experience would be exploring human settlements, but the whole encounter gave me great inspiration to widen my experience from just working in a practice to getting more involved with deprived communities (my future dissertation will look if deprivation is the right word to associate with those in slum lands).
TAO-Pilipinas gave me the opportunity to visit a community in Pasay City. I met with a local organization known as the St. Hannibal Empowerment Center (SHEC) which worked with the urban poor settlements located along a creek in Pasay. The local priests running the organization were incredibly informative and welcoming. They talked to me kindly of the current situation affecting the local community and how the Empowerment Center tried to have a positive influence, teaching life skills to the locals so they can be self-sufficient. I visited the new homes funded by SHEC and Habitat being built by the local community. Most importantly, I got to meet the local people themselves.
I spent one particular morning with the children, where they showed off their vocal abilities by singing beautiful carols in preparation for Christmas. Afterwards, the children joined a drawing activity where I asked the children: If they could have anything for their communities what would it be? The results were very insightful. Some of the children drew sections of what they wanted their homes to be; the strong family tie was evident. There were also drawings of mobile phones, cars and most promising drawings of their dreams to graduate from high school. I found the entire experience very fulfilling, and found the children’s perspective to be an important one.
Unfortunately my time in Pasay City was limited, but in my short time in the Philippines I was able to form a great relationship with TAO-Pilipinas. I was also able to attend numerous lectures at the University of the Philippines; attend a conference with the former president of the Philippines speaking about the current situation in Mindanao; and gain insight into local building regulations by attending a conference on BP 220 (the socialized housing law) in Makati City.
Despite my jam-packed schedule the most interesting and inspiring time was when I was with TAO-Pilipinas. I know that some time in the future after I have finished my postgraduate studies, I want to volunteer a year working with the organization. As a group of professionals their impact on communities is clearly seen. The organization had a very positive and rewarding effect on me.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Corteling is a graduate student in architecture in Portsmouth University in the UK. She is half Filipino and has been visiting Manila since she was a child. She has decided to study urban poor settlements in Pasay City for her final dissertation. She likes to travel and has a great passion for surfing. She found the local community in Pasay incredibly inspirational and looks forwards to returning to Manila to volunteer for TAO-Pilipinas.
Volunteer Stories | rp | 05 February 2009 |
