Access to Land and Location of Informal Settlements in Tacioban City, Philippines

Abstract

Grow th o f informal settlements is a common characieristic o f the towns
and cities o f most developing countries. Slums and squatter settlements are the
dominant forms o f informal settlements. Land is very limited and urban land is
scarcer. Access to land i.s one o f the most difficult factors fo r the urban poor and
inaccessibility to land mostly contributes to squatting on vacant urban lands. The
Philippines is rapidly urbanizing and its urban development is severely featured by
the continuous and rapid rise o f informal settlements. Informal settlement problem is
considered a national malady in the Philippines. Informal settlements are growing
mostly in vacant government lands along coasts, riverbanks and creeLs in the
Philippines. This paper tries to relate between access to land and location o f
informal settlements in the conte.xt o f Tacioban Cit}>, Philippines. Tacioban City is a
provincial capital and a rapidly growing urban center due to its role in terms o f
economy, politics, administration and culture. Informal settlements exist all over the
City o f Tacioban. Most o f the informal settlements are located along shorelines and
riverbanks, which are designated as danger areas. Informal settlers find their shelter
illegally occupying publicly and privately owned lands. Informed settlements located
in danger areas are developed mostly in public lands and are within the city proper
and near the central business district (CBD). Informal settlements located in danger
and non-danger areas are characterized by poor housing, lack o f tenure, inadequate
basic services, underdeveloped basic infrastructure and inadequate income. The
paper intends to present the implications o f location in informal settlements in
Tacioban City, Philippines.