Urban Poor Associates
Encyclopedia
Urban Poor Associates (UPA) is a non-governmental organization
(NGO) registered with the Philippine
government. It was established in 1992. Since then it has educated over 285,000 families in housing rights matters and assisted 510 communities in eviction
crises. It has helped nearly 51,000 families, to relocate in-city, or at least remain as they were. It has been responsible for almost 600 stories that appeared in the Manila
dailies, 150 TV stories, and 850 radio interviews.
It is based at 25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, 1100 Quezon City
, Philippines.
The poor suffer greatly from inflation. In the first four months of 2005 prices of basic foods of the poor rose by 25%-30%. There are indications that the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of children under five years of age is rising. The IMR is held to be the best indicator of community overall well-being. Jobs are harder to find. The quality of public school education deteriorates.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO) registered with the Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
government. It was established in 1992. Since then it has educated over 285,000 families in housing rights matters and assisted 510 communities in eviction
Eviction
How you doing???? Eviction is the removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, eviction may also be known as unlawful detainer, summary possession, summary dispossess, forcible detainer, ejectment, and repossession, among other terms...
crises. It has helped nearly 51,000 families, to relocate in-city, or at least remain as they were. It has been responsible for almost 600 stories that appeared in the Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
dailies, 150 TV stories, and 850 radio interviews.
It is based at 25-A Mabuhay Street, Brgy. Central, 1100 Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, Philippines.
Goals
- No one shall be hungry or live in squalor unfit for human beings.
- All families shall have clean inexpensive water, sanitation, drainage, security of tenure and a decent house. Evictions will be a thing of the past.
- All will have access to health care, good schools and employment.
- No one shall feel powerless or left out.
- Families will help one another; community organizations will be vigorous; and urban poor people as a group will work for the common good.
- Those who have less in life shall have more in joy and solidarity.
- Religion will help educate and motivate people to work together for change.
Activities
- It educates poor people about their housing rights.
- It organizes people being evicted forcibly and illegally to resist in non-violent ways, for example, by going to court, seeking the help of prominent people, including church leaders, going in delegations to the mayor, using the media, or getting help in other ways.
- Once demolitions are stopped, UPA works to find permanent land and housing solutions for poor families, such as, in-city relocation and on-site upgrading.
- UPA engages in research and advocacy work. It monitors evictions and violations of the housing laws and produces annual reports, such as a demolition monitor. It researches such matters as the effects of evictions on women and children and on the economic life of the evicted families.
- It has a full-time media person to make sure poor people's matters are covered in the papers and on radio and TV. UPA has a one-hour award winning program each week on Radio VeritasDZRVRadio Veritas is an 24-hour Catholic AM station owned and operated by the Roman Catholic, Archdiocese of Manila through the Global Broadcasting System in the Philippines. The studio is located at Veritas Tower in EDSA corner West Avenue, Quezon City, and its transmitter is located at Barangay...
for this purpose. - UPA heads a poor people’s water campaign that helps very poor communities get inexpensive, piped water. This saves families PPhilippine pesoThe peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
100-200 a month since without piped water, they pay two to three times the legal rate to itinerant water vendors or better-off neighbors. - UPA works with the priestsPriesthood (Catholic Church)The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
of St. Joseph’s Vicariate, Quezon City to discover how urban parishes can serve their urban poor parishioners. It is also beginning similar work with the priests of the Vicariate of Sto. Niño in downtown Manila. - UPA works very closely with LOCOA, an Asian Community Organization network, and Eviction Watch, an Asia-wide anti-eviction service.
- UPA has initiated the St. Thomas More Law Center.
- UPA operates throughout the Philippines. It has established Quick Reaction Teams in MindanaoMindanaoMindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, BicolBicol RegionThe Bicol Region or Bicolandia is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines. Its regional center is Legazpi City...
and the VisayasVisayasThe Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
to educate the poor about housing rights and eviction and to help them cope with eviction problems. It coordinates the teams and provides staff development sessions.
Some events
- 1992 - UPA made the first ever report on demolitions in Metro ManilaMetro ManilaMetropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
. It found about 100,000 people were evicted every year during the administration of President Corazon AquinoCorazon AquinoMaria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
(1986-1992). This figure has remained fairly constant since. Over twenty people were killed and hundreds injured in violent evictions during those early years. As a result UPA formed its eviction crisis intervention work. - 1993 - Violence in evictions reached new heights during the administration of President Fidel V. RamosFidel V. RamosFidel "Eddie" Valdez Ramos , popularly known as FVR, was the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. During his six years in office, Ramos was widely credited and admired by many for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy.Prior to his election as...
. It began with urban poor people driven by tear gas and riot police from the Smokey MountainSmokey MountainSmokey Mountain was a Filipino singing group formed by musical director, composer, conductor Ryan Cayabyab and executive producer Judd Berlin...
landfillLandfillA landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
. One man was killed. Distant relocation began again under Ramos. There had been no relocation sites opened under President Aquino. - 1994 - Publication of Ano ang Gagawin Kung May Demolisyon? Over 15,000 copies have been distributed. It is a manual helping poor people deal with eviction.
- 1995 - UPA sent a team of housing experts to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural RightsUnited Nations Economic and Social CouncilThe Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
in GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
to contest the government’s housing report. The Committee wrote a strong letter to the Philippine government urging it to do better in matters of eviction and relocation, and to concentrate on slum upgradingSlum upgradingSlum upgrading consists of physical, social, economic, organizational and environmental improvements to slums undertaken cooperatively and locally among citizens, community groups, businesses and local authorities.The main objective of slum upgrading is to alleviate the poor living standards of...
rather than expensive housing. - 1997 - UPA invited an old friend, the actor Martin SheenMartin SheenRamón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
, to visit Manila and head a campaign called "A More Humane City." Sheen visited urban poor areas, appeared on the major TV talk shows, met NGOs and government officials. He urged the people to remember, "A people united can never be defeated." - 2000 - UPA began work on the Pasig RiverPasig RiverThe Pasig River is a river in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for , it is lined by Metro Manila on each side...
in collaboration with the government and Asian Development BankAsian Development BankThe Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 22 August 1966 to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia...
(ADB). UPA works in several river communities including Parola, Baseco and Pineda. - 2001 - UPA’s radio program “Buhay Maralita” had the greatest number of listeners in its Saturday timeslot. It was nominated for a Catholic Mass Media Award, the most prestigious award in the field.
- 2002 - UPA took a leading role in advocating for the government land proclamation program. It has also done research on the proclamations.
- 2003 - UPA works to bring land tenure security to 19,000 urban poor families in the University of the PhilippinesUniversity of the PhilippinesThe ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
. - 2004 - UPA has arranged a series of consultations among Quezon City officials, the University of the Philippines and the 19,000 urban poor families living on the campus which hopefully will lead to land tenure security for the poor and the best educational use of the campus for the University.
- 2005 - UPA along with Community Organizers of the Philippine Enterprise and CO Multiversity have helped form the April 30 Working Group, a coalition of 45 urban poor group in Metro Manila who work on land tenure security, evictions, basic services, proclamations, and other matters for the poor. UPA with Task Force on Housing Rights along the Railways conducted surveys and took part in congressional hearing regarding North and South Rail. The Economic and Social Rights Legal Advocacy Center, SALIGAN, St. Thomas More Law Center filed test cases in court against violators of Section 28 of UDHA.
Current Problems
The landless urban poor in Metro Manila number close to 5 million men, women and children (about 800,000 families). Recent studies show average family income per month in the poorer slums is about P6,500.00.The poor suffer greatly from inflation. In the first four months of 2005 prices of basic foods of the poor rose by 25%-30%. There are indications that the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of children under five years of age is rising. The IMR is held to be the best indicator of community overall well-being. Jobs are harder to find. The quality of public school education deteriorates.
“Ensuring a suitable home for everyone is demanded by the respect owed to every human being and, therefore is a measure of civilization and the condition of a peaceful fraternal society.”
-Pope John Paul II Angelus Address June 16, 1996