KAANTABAY SA KAUSWAGAN (PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT)

     The Naga Kaantabay sa Kauswagan (Partners in Development) Program is a social amelioration program primarily designed to empower the urban poor.  It is a mass housing and poverty alleviation program that aims to reduce poverty, manage the effects of urbanization and uplift the quality of life in urban areas. 

     Anchored on the belief that the urban poor is a vital sector in  Naga's quest for total development, the Kaantabay addresses the sector's 2 main problems—

     (1) the absence of security of land tenure, and

     (2) the lack of basic infrastructure and facilities in their communities.

     In response to these major problems, the program focuses on two main components:

     (1) land acquisition which provides a sense of permanence to the urban poor's occupancy of a property, and

     (2) urban upgrading which provides decency, ease and comfort to daily life in the blighted areas.

     By institutionalizing a functional mechanism for permanently settling land tenurial problems between landowners and land occupants; elevating living conditions of the urban poor through on-site area upgrading projects for blighted urban poor communities; establishing intra-city relocation sites for victims in extreme cases involving eviction and demolition; and providing them livelihood opportunities by introducing a livelihood component to the program, the Naga Kaantabay sa Kauswagan was able to  shape new strategies in cushioning the negative impacts of urbanization.

     These strategies include accessing various modes of land acquisition like direct purchase, land swapping, land sharing, community mortgage and resettlement; and institutionalizing a separate window catering specifically to urban poor clients at the lending arm of the local government.

     They are augmented by support program components which include community organizing, done in partnership with non-government organizations (NGOs); and auxiliary services like land surveys, legal aid and relocation assistance utilizing government personnel and equipment.

Beneficiaries

     The squatters and the slum dwellers are the main partner-beneficiaries of the program. They are those who "illegally" occupy  private and government properties,  and whose living conditions are characterized by congestion, squalor, filth and obvious lack of basic facilities and services.

     Before Kaantabay came into being, Naga was grappling with a serious urban poor problem which is characteristic of any other rapidly urbanizing city in the Philippines, even the world over.

     A bitter fruit of urbanization, the obtaining situation in Naga then was distinguished by adversarial relationship and frequent animosity between the city government, the urban poor and private landowners. Cases of squatter eviction and ejection were rampant, and demolitions were commonplace.

     The problem had been worsening over time. In magnitude alone, around 5,000 of Naga's 19,500 households in 1990 were classified as squatters and slum dwellers, almost double the figure in 1980. Not only the absolute number but also their share in the total population had risen. In 1980, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported that only 14.6 percent of households in Naga were squatters; at the program's inception in 1989, they already accounted for 25 percent of the total.

Objectives

In the short term, the program aims to:

• To provide permanent solutions to all land tenurial problems involving the urban poor;

• To uplift the living condition of urban poor residents in the city;

• To eradicate arbitrary ejection and minimize the incidence of eviction/demolition; and

• To explore alternative modes of land acquisition.

In the long term:

• To empower the urban poor sector in Naga City by providing homelots, basic infrastructure and services, as well as livelihood opportunities to all in need;

• To strengthen the urban poor sector and heighten their participation in  local governance; and

• To integrate the urban poor in the mainstream of development and make then more productive members of society.

Implementation and Partnerships

      The Kaantabay program is facilitated mainly by the Urban Poor Affairs Office (UPAO) of the Naga City Government, an office dedicated solely for urban poor concerns. The UPAO was created by the 2-year old administration of Mayor Jesse M. Robredo after 9 urban poor organizations brought their plight to the national government’s attention during a visit to Naga by then President Corazon Aquino late in 1987.

     The program has adopted 2 approaches to facilitate land acquisition or homelot ownership. These are:  

• On-Site Development. This is basically aimed at facilitating transfer of land ownership from government and private owners to those who are currently occupying the land. The different modes are:

• Off-Site Development. This focuses on the establishment of safety nets primarily for victims of eviction and demolition, and for those who want to own their homelot. The various modes are:

     The success of the Naga Kaantabay sa Kauswagan Program is anchored on the following strategies:

• The adoption of a "partner-beneficiary" perspective in dealing with clients. This approach sees the urban poor both as program partner and beneficiary, compelling them to actively participate in every step of problem resolution.

• To maximize scarce resources, the program adopts the "strategy of focus" that delimits program coverage only to the urban poor sector in Naga and the homelot as core of the assistance package for each household. Client identification is facilitated by a single criterion: presence of a land tenure problem. Where there is such a problem, the program responds. For where there is a tenurial issue, there is also urban blight.

Over the past 6 years, the program also chose to prioritize land tenure concerns over shelter. This stemmed from the fact that while 72 percent of Naga residents own their house, only 44 percent actually own their homelots. But with land tenurial issues expected to be resolved soon, the program is now beginning to set its sights on addressing shelter needs.

• A policy of dealing only with urban poor organizations, not individuals. This compels interested applicants to take the initiative in organizing themselves, thus facilitating community organizing and ensuring that the urban poor has a voice in policy-making.

     There are basically three sectors which help the city government and its urban poor partner-beneficiaries attain the program objectives. These are the property owners, both religious and private landowners selling their properties, national government agencies which provide assistance in financing and developing relocation sites, and NGOs that specialize in the social preparation of beneficiaries and community organizing.

     Indirectly, the program is supported by 3 other city government departments— the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), the City Engineer's Office (CEO), and the Public Employment Service Office (Metro PESO). The CPDO and CEO provide infrastructure support. Metro PESO takes care of the livelihood component of the program.

     The Urban Poor Federation-- composed of 70 urban poor associations-- is amply represented in the Sangguniang Panlungsod, the City Development Council, and the Housing and Urban Development Board, the city's main policy-setting body on housing matters.

Innovative features

     Beyond sheer numbers, Kaantabay sa Kauswagan's single most important achievement to date is the institutionalization of a tri-partite mechanism that effectively addresses pressing problems of the urban poor sector. This mechanism brings together (1) government agencies, (2) urban poor associations and their allied NGOs, and (3) private landowners to solve standing tenurial problems with finality. Today, all land problems involving the urban poor in Naga go through this mechanism.

     Through its land acquisition component, the program makes possible the transfer of ownership of private properties to current occupants, contributing to a secure future for the urban poor.  Landowners, on the other hand, are ensured with a mutually acceptable solution to long-standing tenurial problems involving their properties, and benefit from the city government's infrastructure improvement projects. Arising from these positive gains, Naga becomes a more livable, equitable and sustainable city for its people, including both urban poor and the landowning sectors.

     In terms of impact, the program's success can be measured by the following:

• Land acquisition and resettlement. As of December 31, 2001, a total of 41 on-site and off-site development projects had covered a total of 6,940 urban poor households, which represents 27 percent of the entire population of the city. The figure is roughly 500 families shy of the 7,400 low-income Naga households which, according to Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates, live below poverty line.

Also, doing more with the resources allocated under the program, Kaantabay registered a 305% increase in beneficiaries between 1994 and 2001.  During the same period, the total land area distributed to these beneficiaries increased by 174%—from only 32.3 hectares in 1994 to 88.5 last year. 

• Urban upgrading. The program facilitated the renewal of 27 blighted urban poor communities in Naga, where millions of pesos worth of basic infrastructure like pathways, drainage canals, shallow wells, public faucets, street lights and multipurpose pavements were provided and/or upgraded.

• Institutional. From only 9 in 1989, there are now more than 70 urban poor associations in Naga today, belonging to a citywide federation. They are represented in various policy-making bodies including the Housing and Urban Development Board.

Updates

Bayadnihan Program

     For urban poor beneficiaries who are having difficulties settling their amortization payments, the city government recently launched the Bayadnihan Program. This is a work-for-pay scheme adopted by the City Council. It enables beneficiaries to settle their lot amortizations, whether current or past due, through participation in the implementation of the city’s infrastructure projects, their maintenance, or by rendering frontline services.

     Allowable work that beneficiaries or their family members can get involved in are:

• Construction of city government infrastructure projects;

• Maintenance of existing government infrastructure such as buildings, drainage systems, water supply systems, electrical installations, city streets and sports facilities;

• Cleaning and beautification of public facilities such as city streets, parks, plazas, playgrounds and street islands;

• Garbage collection and disposal; and

• Other frontline services as may be determined by the City Mayor