APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project

Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families

in the Philippines
Hajar Seiyad, Cayra Tansey, Mena Uchendu-Wogu, Beiwen Wu, Amy Bilton, Sarah Haines

November 2023
The Reach Alliance was created in 2015 by the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs &
Public Policy, in partnership with Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth. Our global university network
now includes: Ashesi University, the University of Cape Town, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Singapore
Management University, University College London, University of Melbourne, University of Oxford, and
University of Toronto.

We express our gratitude and appreciation to those we met and interviewed for sharing their insights
and passions with us over the course of this project. These individuals from the following organizations
were instrumental and generously devoted their time to help us learn more about the Low-Rise Building
Project (listed alphabetically): Alliance of Peoples Organizations Along the Manggahan Floodway
(APOAMF), Ateneo de Manila University, Community Organizers Multiversity (COM), National Housing
Authority (NHA), Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), Technical University Berlin,
University of the Philippines Baguio, and Urban Poor Associates (UPA).

We also acknowledge our on-site research assistants, Luce Vida Sayson and Kloudene Salazar, who
provided invaluable assistance in coordinating and translating the interviews. Thank you to Klarene
Salazar for her early contributions to the project. We sincerely thank Drs. Sarah Haines and Amy Bilton
who provided countless hours of mentorship and guidance throughout the research process.

This research received approval from the Ethics Review Board at the University of Toronto. Interviews
conducted for this research were carried out virtually and in-person between April and May 2023.

MASTERCARD CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH

The Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable
economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center
leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data
insights, expertise, and technology, while administering the philanthropic
Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global
programs, and empower a community of thinkers, leaders, and doers on the
front lines of inclusive growth.
[Link]

MUNK SCHOOL OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS & PUBLIC POLICY

The Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University
of Toronto brings together passionate researchers, experts, and
students to address the needs of a rapidly changing world. Through
innovative teaching, collaborative research, and robust public
dialogue and debate, we are shaping the next generation of leaders
to tackle our most pressing global and domestic challenges.
[Link]

Note: Authors are listed alphabetically with the faculty mentors listed last.
Cover photo: Two of the first buildings built in Phase 1 of the Low-Rise Building Project
 Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................... 1

Context: Housing Access in Metro Manila..................................................................... 2

About the Intervention: APOAMF and LRBP................................................................. 4

Key Project Stakeholders .............................................................................................. 7

Key Success Factors ...................................................................................................... 7

Challenges Encountered..............................................................................................14

Lessons Learned...........................................................................................................17

Conclusion....................................................................................................................19

Executive Summary ISFs living in dangerous and crowded housing

conditions. Today many of them live in low-rise
In Metro Manila, Philippines, informal settler building units that they rate with high satisfaction,
families (ISFs) have been legally occupying land and they are no longer considered “informal.”
near the Manggahan Floodway (a waterway built
in 1986 to ease flooding impacts) since 1994, but The LRBP’s intervention succeeded as a result of
that changed after a typhoon in 2009 washed out the participatory and women-centred leadership
the informal houses, blocking the flood route. of the community, its strong cross-sectoral
The government decided to evict and relocate partnerships and networks, and the community’s
the communities to out-of-city settlements. built and inherent resilience. This study exhibits
Several groups opposed this relocation, including how community-driven solutions can be used
the Alliance of Peoples Organizations Along the to address social housing-related issues,
Manggahan Floodway (APOAMF), who led the emphasizing the need for ongoing engagement
development of the Low-Rise Building Project of ISFs in housing projects while highlighting
(LRBP). The APOAMF began as a group of the connection between poverty alleviation and
successful housing policy.

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 1
 Context: Housing Access
in Metro Manila
The contemporary urban planning and
development of Metro Manila is the result of a
complex mixture of geopolitical factors, including
colonialism, political power, globalization, and
natural disasters. This region’s history traces back
to Spanish colonization and Catholic missionaries,
who laid the foundation for the development
of the country’s cities and towns and caused
the migration of Indigenous peoples to larger
settlements. Among these, Manila emerged Figure 1. Informal settlement homes and shops along
as a significant administrative and trade centre the West Bank Road
because of its geographical proximity to the
Pacific Ocean. Today, these historical influences
continue to shape urban planning in the region,
alongside the growing impact of neoliberal
urbanism, which prioritizes privatization and
individualism over public planning.

The Hard to Reach: Informal

Settler Families
Although the Philippines is one of the most
urbanized developing countries in the world,
widespread poverty persists, with an estimated
18.1 per cent of the population living below the
national poverty line as of 2021.1 Roughly 30 per
cent of the country’s population lives in informal
settlements (also known as slums), which have
become more prevalent in recent years.2 Manila is
the most prominent overpopulated city in south-
east Asia, partly as a result of high poverty levels
in rural areas and uncontrolled migration to cities.

The region is home to a significant number of

informal settlers, with an estimated 2.4 million
people living in informal settlements, or over
500,000 informal settler families (ISFs).3 The Figure 2. Informal settlement structure damaged by fire

1 The World Bank in the Philippines,” The World Bank. 

2 “The Right to Life and the Right to Adequate Housing,” ATD Fourth World Philippines. 
3 Republic of the Philippines National Housing Authority. 

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 2
 Manggahan Floodway is one region where a urban centres for work, citing vast differences
high number of ISFs reside, attracted by the low in minimum wage between the provinces and
rental rates, nearby job market, and proximity Metro Manila. Consequently, there has been an
to business centres. Approximately 6,700 ISFs upsurge in ISFs in Metro Manila who come for
lived in the berm on both embankments of the jobs but cannot find affordable housing. The
Manggahan Floodway in 2009.4 These families city’s growth as a market-oriented metropolis has
often build their own housing structures out of exacerbated the number of ISFs by pushing out
materials they can source cheaply or for free in and stifling informal spaces, thereby underscoring
the surrounding area. Their houses are built close the urgency for social housing initiatives. To
together, creating unsafe housing conditions, tackle the housing crisis, the National Housing
and increasing the risk of fire. They are also easily Authority (NHA) was established in 1975 with a
damaged by typhoons and the resulting floods, vision to “lead in the provision of comprehensive
which are becoming more frequent with human- and well-planned human settlements for the
induced climate change. homeless, marginalized, and low-income families,
thereby improving their quality of life.”5 The NHA
has developed many housing projects but faces
History of Land and Housing barriers to providing adequate housing such as
The Metro Manila region has been grappling with lack of resources and land. This has led to many
a host of challenges including an exponential of the social housing projects being built outside
increase in population, public planning failures, of the metro region, sending ISFs back to the
and the diaspora’s role in urban spaces where rural areas they once left in hopes of better job
migration and transnationalism shape urban opportunities. However, the city’s growth is only
geographies. Many rural Filipinos are moving to one issue.

Figure 3a. Informal settlements along the west bank of Figure 3b. Presidential Proclamation 458 — Manggahan,
the Manggahan Floodway, Proclamation Site Floodway (Pasig, Cainta, Taytay Embankment), 70,000
Families (Source: People’s Plan Approach — Urban Poor
Action Committee presentation, 17)

4 Mylene Rivera, “Manggahan Floodway: In-City Resettlement for Informal Settler Families,” Housing and Urban Development
Coordinating Council, 2016.
5 Republic of the Philippines National Housing Authority. 

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 3
 With the increase in climate change events such their land and housing rights under the emerging
as tropical storms and floods, many governments policies. The eviction plan involved moving
are reassessing their infrastructure plans, land settlers to distant relocation sites outside of
use policies, and zoning regulations to reflect the Metro Manila because developers sought any
influence of the climate change crisis on land and available high-market-value in-city locations.
housing. Sustainable and urban development However, these distant relocation sites are far
strategies are essential to address the challenges from job opportunities and often lack access to
posed by rapid urbanization, climate change, and basic services and community amenities. Many
social inequality in the country.6 One tool that community groups and NGOs began to organize
the Philippines government has used to address and mobilize to fight for the land and housing
some of the housing challenges is proclamations, rights of the communities at risk of eviction/
which designate specific parcels of urban land for evacuation.
public housing.

The Floodway’s Role About the Intervention:

in Urban Housing
APOAMF and LRBP
In 1994, the Philippines government responded
to a backlog in social housing by converting
agricultural land along the Manggahan Floodway Alliance of Peoples Organizations
to a designated social housing settlement area Along the Manggahan Floodway
through Proclamation 458, the presidential policy (APOAMF)
that reserved certain parcels of land along the
When threatened by evictions after Typhoon
Manggahan Floodway for this purpose. Low-
Ketsana, 11 community organizations in
income settlers quickly filled these regions and
three barangays (neighbourhoods) along the
constructed their homes along the floodway
Manggahan Floodway formed an alliance called
(Figures 3a & 3b). The proclamation was later
APOAMF (pronounced apo-amf). APOAMF
amended to include additional portions of the
mobilized to fight for the housing and land use
berm slopes of the east and west floodway.
rights of the informal settler families (ISFs) who
In 2009, Typhoon Ketsana devastated the city, lived in the community. Primarily led by the
wiping out many of the residences along the women who were managing their homes while
floodway and blocking flood routes with debris. their husbands worked in the city, APOAMF
The government and the public blamed the coordinated community action to oppose the
floodway settlers for the blockages and set out forced evictions. The organization quickly grew
to evict their communities. Executive Order 854 to 900 members representing nearly 3,000 ISFs
declared the floodway a dangerous area and and put on community workshops to brainstorm
ordered immediate relocation, overriding the plans to address their issues. The community-led
previous proclamation. work was recognized by other nongovernmental
organizations in the housing space, and they
The sudden relocation plan, marked by eviction were soon joined by Community Organizers
and demolition notices, sparked concern and Multiversity (COM) for support in organizing and
stress among the community who were unsure of government negotiations. With regular meetings

6 Arnisson Andre Ortega and Evangeline Katigbak, “The Urban Geographies of Philippine Transnationalism,” Current History 121, no.
836 (2022): 237–42.

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 4
 and support from COM, APOAMF recognized the
need to develop a “People’s Plan” that allowed
them to stay on their land, or at very least within
the city. Thirteen years later, APOAMF has nearly
3,000 members.

APOAMF operates as a community-led alliance.

Central to their mandate was the co-created
People’s Plan, which involved a multi-step
iterative process (Figure 4). Initially, a community
workshop informed the community members
about the plan and allowed them to design Figure 5. Research team with APOAMF leadership and
their dream community. The second phase residents during a site visit
of the process involved searching for and
acquiring potential land. With the support of APOAMF adapted and decided to explore the
Technical Assistance Organization-Pilipinas option of near-site and in-city relocation to
(TAO-Pilipinas), a women-led, nonprofit, expedite the approval process. With support
nongovernment association that assists urban from COM, they conducted land research and
and rural poor communities in the physical eventually found a two-hectare plot of land
planning, development, and management owned by the Metro Manila Development
of their communities, APOAMF developed a Authority (MMDA), which would go on to gain
site development plan for housing units along approval as an appropriate relocation site. The
the floodway. This plan was supported by the next phase of the process involved creating a
community members and later presented at a financial plan, preparing a site development
stakeholder forum involving the World Bank plan, and conducting architectural and
and other agencies such as the Department of engineering design with the assistance of the
Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the NHA’s technical team and a private engineer-
National Housing Authority (NHA). Despite architect. After negotiations between APOAMF
the community’s enthusiastic planning and and NHA, a final agreement was reached
presentation, the government remained regarding the housing design, the People’s Plan
unwilling to accommodate the People’s Plan finally entered the implementation phase, and
for on-site relocation. work on the LRBP began.

COMMUNITY LAND PERSPECTIVE COMMUNITY PUBLIC PEOPLE’S PLAN GOVERNMENT

VISIONING RESEARCH HOUSING DESIGN VALIDATION PRESENTATION NEGOTIATION REJECTION

COMMUNITY LAND COMMUNITY PUBLIC PEOPLE’S PLAN PEOPLE’S PLAN

UNDERTAKING
RE-ASSESSMENT RESEARCH PLANNING PRESENTATION NEGOTIATION IMPLEMENTATION

Figure 4. People’s Plan process (adapted from APOAMF’s presentation about its experience in community organizing
and engagement with government agencies)

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 5
 Low-Rise Building Project (LRBP) partially constructed but are suspended because
of unresolved contractor issues. The remaining
Through years of negotiation, mobilization, and
two buildings have not yet started construction.
organizing efforts by APOAMF and their NGO
partners, the LRBP was created as a solution for Within the APOAMF, the LRBP has its own
safe in-city housing. The NHA administers the leadership and building management structure to
LRBP and oversees the construction process, oversee day-to-day life in the housing complex.
but the People’s Plan outlines steps to secure This structure includes an elected board of
the community’s ample and fair influence on the directors, a community administrator, a unit-
project’s execution. The apartment-style structures holding representative from each building, a unit-
are located just across the floodway from their holding leader from each floor, and 10 volunteer
original settlement site and house 60 families per committees. These committees oversee auditing,
building, with each family inhabiting a 24-square- disaster risk reduction, events, finance, grievance,
metre unit. The goal is to have 15 buildings with livelihood, maintenance, parking, peace and
900 units over three move-in phases (see Table 1). order, and welfare.

Construction of the climate-resilient buildings

began in 2013, with the first two buildings
officially opening for the most vulnerable families
in 2015. As of spring 2023, 586 families have
moved into units across 10 buildings. Despite
the original mobilization’s successful project
approval, the project is not yet complete and
mobilization efforts continue to prioritize joint
dialogues between APOAMF, affiliated NGOs,
government agencies, and other stakeholders. Figure 6. The Manggahan Low-Rise Building Project
Out of the five incomplete buildings, three are (LRBP) as seen from the neighbouring NHA office

Table 1. Phases and status of the Low-Rise Building Project

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3

Total number of buildings 2 6 7

Status of buildings Completed Completed • 2 Completed

• 3 Under construction
• 2 Not started

Number of storeys per building 5

Number of units per floor 12

Number of units per building 60

Average unit size (m2) 24

Number of beneficiaries (ISFs) 120 360 420

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 6
 Key Project Stakeholders with how to manage their building and manage
interpersonal relationships with stakeholders,
In Manila, informal settler families (ISFs) have including the NHA.
often needed to autonomously organize and
develop their own networks, despite local laws THE GOVERNMENT PARTNER: NATIONAL
that should protect them. Community networks HOUSING AUTHORITY (NHA)
give credence to local advocacy movements The NHA is the government arm for housing
and provide incentives for families to undertake development responsible for implementing
collective action to obtain property rights.7 social housing programs, particularly for the
Networks allow residents and community leaders lowest-income people (30% of the population).
to work with government officers to identify It is mandated to implement housing programs
problems, set priorities, and develop solutions. for affected families living in dangerous areas in
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are also Metro Manila. The APOAMF–NHA partnership
prominent actors at the local level, and they are began with tension as they opposed each other’s
known to form coalitions and partnerships with relocation plans at the negotiating table. Over
other grassroots to increase their numbers, merge time, through ample negotiation, compromise,
their platforms, and gain more attention. and relationship building, they finalized plans for
the formal LRBP partnership between APOAMF
NGO SUPPORT: COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS and the NHA. NHA administers the housing units’
MULTIVERSITY (COM) construction and collects monthly fees, while
The APOAMF-COM partnership involves the community oversees the maintenance of the
community organizing and training community estate. Today, APOAMF and the NHA have a close
members who wish to secure housing and resist professional relationship as project partners, and
government evictions. Through grassroots the NHA office neighbours the LRBP residence site.
organizing, APOAMF contacted Community
Organizers Multiversity (COM), who helped
shape them into a well-organized alliance.
COM supports ISFs by assigning each affected Key Success Factors
community, such as APOAMF, a community
The APOAMF began as a group of informal settler
organizer (CO) who is employed by COM.
families (ISFs) living in dangerous and crowded
When APOAMF had yet to secure housing, the
housing conditions. Today many of them live in
CO trained community members to identify
low-rise building units that they rate with high
their issues, set up committees to spur more
satisfaction (87% satisfaction according to this
mobilization, create an action plan for further
study’s demographic survey), and they are no
developing their People’s Plan, assist with
longer considered “informal.” This transition is
land research, and conduct workshops on how
largely the result of community-led grassroots
communities can resist evictions while still living
mobilization. Several things made this community
in informal settlements. Through this multi-year
mobilization successful: leadership, management,
process, APOAMF had three COs assist them
decision making, partnerships, and resilience.
in their fight to gain Low-Rise Building Project
There were also external circumstances that
(LRBP) approval. Now that the one-time ISFs are
supported their success.
residents living in the LRBP, COM assists members

7 Toru Nakanishi, “Hidden Community Development among the Urban Poor: Informal Settlers in Metro Manila, Policy and Society,”
Policy and Society 25, no. 4 (2006): 37-61; Gavin Shatkin, Collective Action and Urban Poverty Alleviation (London: Routledge, 2007).

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 7
 Leadership, Management, and opportunities for people to step forward and
get involved if they were not already. Because
Decision Making
these committees include topics such as auditing
When asked why they believed the fight to secure and finance, which are highly technical, they
housing was successful, several interviewees noted also helped to up-skill residents. We heard from
the leadership of APOAMF and of the newly committee leaders that while they were unsure
formed Low-Rise Building Project (LRBP) commun- of their abilities to take on these technical and
ity. They said the leadership structure provided challenging roles, they were encouraged, uplifted,
the opportunity for participation while strongly and trained by the other leaders and the COs and
upholding clear parameters for the work. Many now find themselves excelling in their roles.
became emotional when talking about the leaders
themselves, referring to the resilience, dedication,
and power of the women at the forefront. Board Members

LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE
APOAMF’s leadership structure encompasses Council Members
both hierarchical and horizontal components.
Council meetings bring together council leaders,
executive directors, board members, building
representatives, and floor leaders (Figure 7). Committee Heads Building Leaders
By fostering participatory decision making
within their planning process, the APOAMF
Floor Leaders
leadership created an environment where diverse
perspectives were valued and considered. At
Figure 7. Organization structure of the (APOAMF-PASIG)
afternoon meetings, women-led consultations
board and council members
with government stakeholders, inclusive dialogue,
and democratic discussions among committees
allowed members to deliberate upon concerns. WOMEN-CENTRED LEADERSHIP
This participatory approach fostered a strong Women play a crucial role in APOAMF’s
sense of ownership of the building process among leadership. Over 70 per cent of council members
the residents and allowed APOAMF leadership to are women, including the president, and they
proceed with their newly empowered negotiating make up at least half of all other roles. Their
skillset. These skills are essential for advocating for resilience is clearly seen and appreciated by the
social housing rights in the Philippines (or perhaps majority of the community. However, women-
anywhere), navigating complex NHA building centred leadership is not unique to the APOAMF.
standards and requirements, and reinforcing In the Philippines context, women often step
commitment to the housing specifications into advocacy leadership positions because their
outlined in their People’s Plan. husbands are occupied with work and lack time
for active engagement. While this is how women
After moving into the LRBP, they formed internal
typically initiate their leadership roles, women
committees. Predominantly spearheaded by
leaders are often more empowered in civic
the women in the community, this managerial
activities and possess better interpersonal skills
structure ensured that every community member
than men, especially when it comes to advocacy
had an active role in shaping their living
and conflict navigation with the government.
experiences within the residences and provided
Women leaders contribute to resolving the

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 8
 community’s struggle through various acts, across sectors (Figure 9), networks maintained,
including leading and organizing community stakeholders involved, and locals mobilized for
events and demonstrations, engaging in internal over a decade.
and external dialogue, and emotionally nurturing
their community to persist in their struggle.
Interviewees shared how the women leaders are
“really forceful, not aggressive, but forceful and
passionate in making their point.” They articulate
their thoughts fearlessly which “works in their
favour to get things done.”

Women leaders also adapted and learned, as

evidenced by their acquisition of knowledge
on housing rights and land searches, their skills
in brainstorming problem-solving solutions
with assistance from their community partners,
and their mastery of technologies like Zoom
to enable them to actively participate in virtual
meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The
strong cohesion among them can be attributed
to their long-standing familiarity and shared
history along the Manggahan Floodway. In Figure 8. Researchers interviewing an APOAMF woman
interviews, many APOAMF leaders mentioned leader in the LRBP office with help from a local research
assistant and translator
how they willingly sacrifice their time with their
families to contribute to their community’s
struggle, recognizing that it is not solely for APOAMF–COM PARTNERSHIP
their own benefit but for the greater good of The APOAMF–COM partnership has been integral
the entire organization. While gender inequality to the LRBP’s existence. Many people we spoke
remains prevalent in global leadership and with emphasized the important role that COM
decision making, this is not the case in APOAMF played in assisting APOAMF. One noted that just
where women’s involvement has reshaped the when they were “feeling like they had no more
community. Some interviewees mentioned that hope, COM came in and educated them on their
women leaders are so focused on resolving rights.” COM utilizes a proven five-step process to
issues and concerns for the community that they help urban poor communities secure and maintain
sometimes fail to consider how those issues housing within the city. The process involves
affect them individually as a vulnerable sector. integration, investigation, role play, mobilization
for action, and strengthening the organization.
COM has learned to leverage their community
Partnerships networks (e.g., Partnership of Philippine Support
With support from local NGOs, COM, TAO- Service Agencies or PHILSSA) to ensure the
Pilipinas, as well as the NHA, the APOAMF community’s People’s Plan is progressing. This
spearheaded the creation and implementation involves organizing various training workshops
of their in-city housing relocation project, the for community members (e.g., advocacy, conflict
LRBP. Critical to the success of this safe housing resolution, housing-related law), as well as hiring
solution are the myriad of partnerships formed professionals (e.g., lawyers) to support internal

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 9
 processes. Many residents of the LRBP we spoke land, made possible by the fact this land along
with expressed their immense pleasure with the the embankment is included in Proclamation No.
outcome of their joint advocacy efforts to gain 458. The NHA was also instrumental when it came
safe housing in the city. There was a resounding to the design of the buildings. An NHA technical
sense of gratitude for COM’s support, including team was formed to discuss with APOAMF the
“genuine admiration for [their] work and their housing plans and site design, which was reduced
approach to community organizing [which] truly from 49 proposed buildings down to 17 and
embodies a people-centred approach.” now the current 15-building plan. Both NHA and
APOAMF agreed on the final housing design,
APOAMF–NHA PARTNERSHIP symbolizing a shared commitment to the LRBP’s
Many community residents described how support success and building maintenance.
from local governments in community endeavours
is crucial to the smooth implementation of a As one NHA representative said, NHA’s initial
public housing project. The NHA was already a role they envisioned for themselves in this
key contact for the LRBP because they manage partnership was “securing the land because the
social housing projects, but when APOAMF land was still part of the government.” NHA also
identified the two-hectare government-owned sought to provide residents with “community
plot of land as a potential relocation site, the role empowerment, livelihood assistance, and other
of the NHA in securing that land became critical. programs to adapt to life in a low-rise building
This instigated coordination and engagement setting,” which is considerably different than the
between the NHA and MMDA in securing the “landed” buildings typical of the Philippines.

PARTNERSHIP ECOSYSTEM
ISFs NGOs Government Academia

APOAMF COM NHA U. of Philippines

College of Architecture

UPAC MMDA Ateneo de

Manila University

TAO-Pilipinas PCUP

Figure 9. Key project stakeholders (NGOs, government, and academic)

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 10
 The NHA and APOAMF also worked together to meetings, and communication and conflict-
update the National Estate Management Manual resolution skills when running estate management.
for low-rise buildings that is being piloted in the
PHILSSA (Partnership of Philippine Support
LRBP and may be used for other NHA-supported
Service Agencies) is another network of NGOs
housing projects throughout the region.
engaged in urban poverty-focused development
NETWORKS AND CIVIL SOCIETY work that APOAMF belongs to. PHILSSA’s
ORGANIZATIONS network currently has 72 member NGOs across
Urban Poor Associates (UPA), a sister organization the Philippines engaged in varied fields of
to COM, has been helping urban poor development service and aims to strengthen
communities across the Philippines for over 30 members’ capacities on good NGO governance,
years. They help communities and residents enhance the sustainability of the network and
similar to the APOAMF residents to fight for members in terms of finances, leadership, and
safe in-city relocation after eviction. Much of other capacities, and build multistakeholder
their work centres on advocacy and articulating partnership models for delivering integrated
to government stakeholders the multifaceted social services for poor communities.
housing issues that urban poor communities
PHILSSA and its supporters contributed
face. Similar to COM, they assist communities
significantly to appointing reform-minded
with creating their own People’s Plans to ensure
officials in the Presidential Commission for the
community participation is “baked” into housing
Urban Poor (PCUP) and Social Housing Finance
resettlement decisions. UPA has fostered many
Corporation (SHFC). The PCUP recommended
networks and partners, like COM and the
the allotment of an additional PHP 1.26 billion
government, media relations to amplify their
(approximately USD 22,000,000) through the
message, as well as subject matter experts like
NHA for social housing projects identified by
architects and scientists to consult with as needed.
civil society groups and announced another PHP
Our conversation with UPA staff and its founder 10 billion (approximately USD 180,000,000) by
shed light on the intricate networks within the President Aquino in September 2011 as part
Philippines that work in the human settlement of the government economic stimulus package
and urban poor advocacy spaces. Specifically, aimed at addressing informal settlements in high-
they mention a network of other NGO and risk areas of Metro Manila.8
government agencies that they call an “urban
cluster,” the media, academic institutions, and PARTNERSHIPS SPURRED GREATER
experts in architecture, geology, and earth and COMMUNITY SUPPORT
building sciences. These supporting networks The vulnerabilities of urban poor people are well-
are brought in when a community is fighting for documented. Many people live in high-density
safe housing and the right to use parcels of land, neighbourhoods in close quarters which makes
and they also help with capacity building for them vulnerable to heat stress and transmittable
community members to learn about negotiation diseases. With limited access to health services
skills for interacting with various external partners, and low health-seeking behaviours, residents
facilitation skills when leading internal team also struggle with low daily income and unstable,

8 “Institutionalising Local and National Partnerships to Address Urban Poverty and Homelessness in the Philippines,” GTF222
Partnership of Philippine Support Service Agencies, Fourth Annual Report Web Update. 

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 11
 intermittent paid work.9 However, ISFs make After the devastating impacts of Typhoon Ketsana
up for their lack of financial and physical capital in 2009, APOAMF remained steadfast in their
through their abundance of solidarity networks. efforts to secure safe housing and economic
The LRBP and its close-knit community members opportunities in Manila. When framed as the fight
exemplify two forms of social capital. Abundant for their lives, it is unsurprising that residents
bonding capital involves social relations based on of the LRBP were as resilient and dedicated to
trust within one’s community where members feel community organizing as they were. A major
comfortable engaging in borrowing and lending driver of their commitment was the renewed
money among each other, as well as having sense of hope they got from having so many local
informal babysitters and referral to employment networks, NGOs, and community partners they
and income opportunities. Linking capital could tap for help with resisting evictions, staging
connects the members of communities to other demonstrations in front of the mayor’s office,
forms of support and institutions that others may negotiating with the NHA, teaching them how to
not know about.10 run their estates once they moved into the LRBP,
and much more.
The ISFs who moved into the LRBP have
relationships with each other beyond simply
being neighbours. Better-off households help Resilience
those who are worse off during emergencies, Collaborating with various NGOs and local
such as buying food on credit at sari-saris government, the community embarked on a
(local convenience stores on the ground floor journey to design and develop a social housing
of the buildings), and pooling resources when proposal that reflected their desired living
needed. Community organizations may find it demands. From their first-hand experience
easier to help the urban poor when they are facing the challenges posed by climate change,
as well organized as the LRBP residents whose including the threat of eviction from their
community organizations have been known homes, they strategically proposed architectural
to connect the urban poor to NGOs, local designs for residential apartment buildings
government units, churches, and more. with components that were resilient in the
face of flood, fire, and earthquake, and that
The process of structured organizing and
maintained geotechnical stability. The buildings
community partnerships laid the foundation for the
that currently house ISFs from the Manggahan
local government to be able to rely on local partners
Floodway stand five floors tall on land adjacent
who were advocating for safe housing. As local
to the floodway’s east bank, elevated above
organizations and networks built up their influence,
typical flood waters. The 10 buildings on the
and became more organized internally and more
project’s land allotment have reduced the
recognized publicly via their demonstrations and
residents’ vulnerability to extreme flooding
advocacy efforts, they were able to provide more
resulting from climate-change-induced weather,
services and spearhead action after presenting
typhoons, earthquakes, and fire outbreaks.
ideas to local government departments.

9 Anna Marie Karaos, “Urban Poor Vulnerabilities, Solidarity Networks, and Pathways to Resilience,” National Resilience Council
COVID-19 Webinar, May 2020. 
10 Emma Porio, “Vulnerability, Adaptation, and Resilience to Floods and Climate Change-Related Risks among Marginal, Riverine
Communities in Metro Manila,” Asian Journal of Social Science 39, no. 4 (2011): 425–45; Ricardo Abad, “Social Capital in the
Philippines: Results from a National Survey,” Philippine Sociological Review 53 (2005): 1–57.

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 12
 Figure 10. Treetops outside of Metro Manila with the city and Manila Bay on the horizon

While the buildings, which were primarily designed The climate-resilient housing features within the
by the NHA, did not prioritize climate resiliency LRBP buildings recognize the community’s power
in their plans, the community became climate of social learning. The APOAMF actively sought
resilient through site selection and vastly improved knowledge and expertise from the University of
housing. Families were able to create functional Philippines’ College of Architecture to understand
areas that served their needs within their new units. the merits and disadvantages of cantilevered
For example, most residents creatively repurpose housing on an embankment as a sustainable
their units into living spaces, laundry areas, home housing solution to flooding. They engaged with
offices, and even small shops exemplifying their other relevant stakeholders to access information
resourcefulness and adaptability. on disaster-resistant housing features such as
replacing timber (wood) structural frames with
With support from their leadership, the LRBP materials made of reinforced steel and in-situ
residents also demanded that critical housing concrete and found what was most important
amenities like adequate water supply, access to demand in their social housing proposal to
to reliable internet connection, stable power, the NHA. Leveraging this knowledge, they built
and electricity supply be provided to serve their internal committees that oversaw development
community needs. The active maintenance of community living spaces, planning, design
structure put in place by the leaders played a co-creation, communication, and construction
crucial role in ensuring the proper functioning of administration of the LRBP, all of which was
every essential amenity serving the community. enshrined within their People’s Plan and
Appointed building representatives and floor subsequently shared with government.
leaders promptly addressed community issues
and escalated them as needed. The community’s Aside from technically demonstrating housing
advocacy for specific features within the buildings resilience, APOAMF has also shown deep
and their success in achieving them demonstrated community resilience and dedication to their
their proactive approach to improving their cause. Leaders’ and other project stakeholders’
living conditions. For example, they insisted on dedication to this project over the past 13 years
larger hallways than what the NHA had initially comes from a passion for housing justice and
proposed. This attention to detail and advocacy an unbreakable commitment to collective well-
resulted in a housing structure that was suitable to being. They have fostered their resilience by being
control traffic and established unobstructed flow vulnerable with each other, earning and giving
in shared spaces which improved temperature trust, establishing effective lines of communication,
regulation and emergency preparedness. sharing a collective vision, and developing leaders

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 13
 from within. Much of this is captured in the spirit favoured in-city relocation after flooding disasters,
of the People’s Plan, which has proven itself an historically played a pivotal role in resolving their
excellent tool for project longevity. housing issues. President Benigno’s government
relocation plan for ISFs living along identified
danger zones was approved in 2011. This
Supporting Circumstances included relocation to safe, decent, and affordable
The APOAMF has successfully mobilized resettlement sites supported by a PHP 50 billion
through their leadership, use of partnerships, (approximately USD 900,000,000) budget
and resilience, but certain external conditions allocated to provide homes for around 104,000
also made this project possible. Increasing ISFs, of which 60,000 were living along waterways.
urbanization in Manila has generated an intensive Given APOAMF’s strong working relationship with
urban landscape of high-rise buildings and the Aquino administration, along with the support
large, unplanned, and often illegal settlements. of COM and UPA, the financial commitment
A common structural issue that the urban poor marked a historic shift away from previous top-
advocacy organizations in Manila face when down approaches that prioritized traditional
fighting to defend their housing rights is the lack off-site relocations. This funding also came at an
of available land. Although in-city relocation is opportune time as APOAMF was beginning their
often expensive and plagued by land and urban People’s Plan process — it was key to getting the
developers vying for space, ensuring that the NHA to approve and administer the project.
community was relocated in the city allowed ISFs
to access their livelihood and basic services. This
is why the APOAMF’s People’s Plan included a
phase dedicated to land research to survey the Challenges Encountered
availability of land for resettlement. APOAMF
community members’ survey revealed that the Despite the Low-Rise Building Project’s (LRBP’s)
vacant plot adjacent to the current NHA site was success, the Alliance of Peoples Organizations
designated land meant for public housing and Along the Manggahan Floodway (APOAMF)
was mere steps from the existing Manggahan faces external challenges related to People’s Plan
Floodway settlement area. Property lines were diversions and internal challenges related to the
ascertained through negotiations with the De- community’s future leadership.
partment of Natural Resources (DNR) and Google
Earth helped people to complete maps. Both the People’s Plan Diversions
land’s location and the fact that it was designated Our interviews identified three major challenges to
for social housing significantly contributed to the project’s success that are external to the Alliance
APOAMF’s successful relocation strategy. Many of Peoples Organizations Along the Manggahan
stakeholders noted these two factors as defining Floodway (APOAMF) operations: government
elements in the relocation’s success. overreach in the People’s Plan, the buildings’
substandard quality, and delays in construction.
Political allies, such as former President Benigno
“Noynoy” Aquino III, were also critical in the
GOVERNMENT OVERREACH
process of developing in-city, low-rise buildings for
Participation and inclusion of community members
the APOAMF. Whether the political administration
in the decision-making and implementation
in power supported or rejected community
processes of the People’s Plan are relevant to
People’s Plans, or whether administrations
the LRBP’s success. However, our interviews

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 14
 consistently indicated that the unexpected and in implementing climate-resiliency measures.
undesired nature of the government’s contribution Further, the building’s structural integrity may
has surpassed the initially defined boundaries not endure earthquakes despite being built to
for their involvement. The LRBP’s ownership is withstand 10-magnitude earthquakes: there were
attributed to the community members, although cracks in the units following a 4.6-magnitude
there have been reports that the National Housing earthquake. Contractors also left various issues,
Authority (NHA) has asserted ownership and such as leaking pipes, water pressure problems,
demonstrated limited acknowledgement of the and blockages in the sewage system. A recurring
People’s Plan in the absence of APOAMF. problem was the flooding on the fifth floor caused
by water seepage through a damaged roof during
In some of the first buildings, the NHA had the rainy season.
greater control, resulting in limited community
input in the design and management structures. Residents on higher floors experience weak and
For example, the beneficiaries lacked the slow water flow because two or more buildings
autonomy to select their own contractors and relied on the same water source, leading to
check the quality of the buildings, which we insufficient water pressure. There were electricity-
heard was a typical process for other People’s related issues in the first phase, including the
Plan projects in the city. The government, installation of the wrong electricity lines. The
through the bids and awards committee, held sewage-treatment plant failed to pass quality tests,
ultimate decision-making power and granted the resulting in unpleasant odours and health issues,
work to contractors who had unresolved quality particularly for residents living close to the sewage
issues on other projects. Some of the winning system. Despite the improvement in quality of
contractors subcontracted work to other parties life from the informal settlement conditions, and
at lower costs, leading to poor quality and slow the fact that residents rated their satisfaction with
construction progress. their living conditions highly in comparison, these
quality issues are still substantial.
When government administrations change,
the project faces continuity problems: previous CONSTRUCTION DELAYS
commitments made to APOAMF were sometimes The construction on the remaining five buildings
overlooked, necessitating renegotiations. Another has been significantly delayed. The need for
threat to the project’s success is land ownership, a robust electrical grid to provide appropriate
which remains under NHA control. Residents capacity in power and energy supply and
occupy the land based on a user agreement. substandard construction practices have
Their duration of occupancy, ranging from 30 to contributed to these delays. The COVID-19
50 years, depends on the NHA’s assessment of pandemic also played a role in disrupting the
each building’s status. Considering some of the project, causing setbacks and disruptions.
quality issues with the current buildings, the useful Additionally, challenges related to project
occupancy may be on the shorter end of the timelines, lack of details, and communication
range, leaving questions for the LRBP occupants gaps have hindered the construction process
about what will happen when this time is up. even with a sufficient budget. These delays
leave three of the 15 total buildings in the mid-
BUILDING QUALITY state of construction, with two buildings still
The substandard construction practices pose not started. Residents who are set to move into
significant challenges to the project. Because of these incomplete buildings have been waiting for
budget constraints, there were limited choices housing now for nearly a decade. They continue

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 15
 to face threats of eviction and the demolition of look different from the leadership needs in a
their homes along the floodway. newly established low-rise building community.
Given the tension between unchanging leadership
and an evolving community structure, certain
issues have arisen.

For example, some community members believe

the unchanging leadership excludes those who
are not part of the team that has developed
strong bonds over the years of shared challenges
they faced during the housing struggle. Although
the leadership team does not intend for their
comraderies to be exclusive, some community
members feel left out. Others are interested in
disbanding the structure of the APOAMF and
redesigning a new structure and leadership
team to suit the new community’s needs. Others
observe that the leadership’s current structure
is overly hierarchical, where youth or other
nonleadership members feel like they must defer
to the board when speaking about the community
or the LRBP.

People are adjusting to a new way of living, with

more rules and expectations than they experienced
in the informal settlement. These stressors and
Figure 11. One of three unfinished buildings in the tensions occasionally lead to intercommunity
LRBP complex fighting, including posting grievances online.
Despite these tensions, the community has
effective conflict-management processes and
A New Era of Leadership internal conflict is said to be lower now in the LRBP
While the dedication and perseverance of the than in the prior informal settlement. Community
leadership team was crucial to the project’s organizers, such as Community Organizers
success, the community still faces some Multiversity (COM), also help manage conflict
challenges with leadership, internal conflict, and and work to remind the community that they are
management. The leadership team, particularly stronger when they are united.
the board of directors, has been fairly consistent
Acknowledging the concerns that leadership
since the APOAMF’s inception, with many of the
has not changed over the course of the project,
key leadership roles filled by women who were on
we uncovered some of the challenges that the
the front lines of mobilization along the East Bank
leaders face in fulfilling their roles. Leading
Road over a decade ago. One official election
the community through mobilization, fighting
for leadership occurred in 2019, but subsequent
evictions, negotiations, and moving over to the
elections have since been pushed back because
new site has been exhausting for the leaders,
of COVID-19 and other barriers. The leadership
but they persevere because of their dedication
required during the days of eviction, negotiation,
to the well-being of their families, friends, and
and mobilization in an informal settlement may

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 16
 neighbours. We heard from many that being a paid jobs. This has led to some leaders feeling
community leader puts a significant strain on stuck because they cannot find successors, yet
their family lives and their ability to manage and they refuse to give up or turn their back on the
care for their own homes. Moving into LRBP community that they have served for over a decade.
housing has presented a new set of challenges
for these leaders: building management. Given
cost constraints, the leadership chose to take on
the management of the buildings themselves, Lessons Learned
including security, maintenance, utilities, parking,
Throughout the development and implementation
and finance through various committees. Many of
of the Low-Rise Building Project (LRBP), the
them did not have this experience prior to moving
community’s leadership, partnerships, and
into the LRBP so they face a massive learning
resilience appear to be key features that helped
curve and upskilling.
them mobilize from the bottom up to realize their
One community member noted that when they do housing rights. Sustained support for bottom-up
not have those skills and “rely on outside technical community-led interventions, with a steadfast
workers,” it is “not sustainable for the community” focus on community resilience, will be paramount
over the long term. For example, when the cost in the future. We propose four lessons for other
of outside expertise became prohibitive, some communities or policymakers that aim to create
community members “joined seminars to try to sustainable, safe, and accessible housing initiatives.
educate themselves on how to handle sewage
waste treatment.” While there has been great
Recognize community-driven
success in some areas of estate management, such
as maintaining the water utility account, it is still a
solutions in response to
large and unfamiliar burden on the leaders. nationwide issues
Multiple interviewees described how issues within
Although the leadership team’s roles and
the Metro Manila housing system were systemic,
responsibilities are growing, there is also a
multifaceted, and complex. Moving forward from
perception among some that APOAMF is
historic urban planning decisions, an influx of
unwilling to invite in new leaders to share the
private development, and lack of land availability
workload. Many leaders we spoke to shared
will not occur overnight. However, the LRBP and
how they were tired and wanted to step back
community grassroots organizing demonstrate
from their intensive roles, but that they could not
that practical change can be realized when
find appropriate successors. Some community
community members co-develop concrete
members articulate a desire to lead or have a
housing solutions with local governments that
leadership title but are unwilling to put in the
are tailored to their needs and respectful of
required work. One leader described how even
their ways of living. APOAMF demonstrates
active members of their committee often did not
the power of the people, especially when
contribute what was asked of them.
marginalized community members come together
Since these leadership roles are not well-paid in a participatory process to develop alternative
positions (typically earning only a small monthly housing solutions to eviction. At the centre of the
stipend and relying primarily on volunteer hours), People’s Plan was knowing their rights to both
it’s challenging to recruit skilled and effective housing and land, as well as the commitment to
successors, particularly youth in the community remain in their city after flooding disasters. While
who prefer to go outside the LRBP to find higher- the LRBP does not fix problems with the housing

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 17
 systems in Manila for the urban poor, it effectively This may involve advocating for maintenance and
sets a precedent that informal settler families repairs and access to basic services and utilities,
(ISFs) can take care of themselves and their as well as addressing any issues related to tenure
homes by advocating for themselves, forming security. By actively participating in ongoing
coalitions, and partnering with the government. negotiations with the government, ISFs can
work toward maximizing their housing rights and
creating sustainable communities.
Engage in ongoing negotiations
with the government during
all project phases to maximize Social mobilization and poverty-
housing rights alleviation strategies contribute
to the success and scalability of
People we interviewed indicated the importance
of continued negotiation and mobilization with housing interventions
the government during the construction phase For housing security to be successful, especially
and after move-in to maximize housing rights in rapidly developing cities across Asia, social
and effective building management. Several mobilization and poverty alleviation must be
interviewees indicated that ISFs’ needs changed an integral part of the efforts taken by the
both before and after moving the LRBP, which affected urban poor community. For example, a
had a negative impact on the community’s unity. community-driven development program in Bihar,
For example, they were considered informal India, called JEEViKA, empowered women and
settlers, so they solely focused on securing a the poor by providing them with various forms of
place to stay; however, after moving into the new financial support, including job opportunities, and
locations, some people’s priorities shifted toward skills training, which, in turn, contributed to their
improving their living conditions, while others living situations and helped them mobilize against
became satisfied with their current situation and corruption and improve governance.11 This was
did not wish to pursue further changes. It’s crucial similar to the situation in Metro Manila, where the
to inform the ISFs that their rights and needs availability of land is scarce, housing has become
should be continuously assessed and addressed very expensive, and the government has a limited
to foster a sense of trust and ensure active budget to support public housing projects.
participation in election and leadership events. Even the housing alternatives designed for the
low-income ISFs are often not within municipal
During the construction phase, it is important budgets. Thus, social mobilization and a focus
to maintain open communication with the
on employment and poverty alleviation, as in the
government to address any potential issues or
case of Bihar, demonstrates that it is a shared
concerns that may arise. This includes discussions
responsibility between the government, NGOs,
on land ownership, the selection of constructors,
and the affected urban poor community itself to
the quality of construction, adherence to building
develop plans focusing on empowerment, skills
codes and regulations, and the adaptation of
development, and the redistribution of resources
building structures to meet the beneficiaries’
to empower them to address their housing needs
needs. After people move in, negotiations continue
and bring the urban social housing projects into
to be essential in safeguarding housing rights.
the range of affordability.

11 Rajiv Verma, Saurabh Gupta, and Regina Birner, “Can Grassroots Mobilization of the Poorest Reduce Corruption? A Tale of
Governance Reforms and Struggle Against Petty Corruption in Bihar, India,” Development and Change 48, no. 2 (2017): 339–63.

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 18
 Informal settler families have Conclusion
knowledge and lived experience
The success of APOAMF’s Low-Rise Building
to contribute to improving Project offers a replicable framework for
housing outcomes and should not mobilizing housing rights initiatives in
be overlooked marginalized urban communities throughout
Manila, with the potential for wider
The APOAMF was determined to integrate
implementation across the Philippines and
the knowledge gained from living as climate
the greater Southeast Asia region. However,
adaptation leaders on the Manggahan Floodway
persistent challenges pose risks to interventions
into their People’s Plan — which they presented
aimed at supporting hard-to-reach populations
to their government partners. The resulting
in Metro Manila. This case study serves as
completion of their LRBP showcased how ISFs can
a powerful reminder of the pivotal role that
remain resolute in organizing and mobilizing over
community-led initiatives, participatory decision-
time to shift government policies in their favour. By
making processes, and collaborative partnerships
scaling up such knowledge and experience from
among community organizations, NGOs, and
the LRBP, communities can build their capacity to
government agencies play in shaping successful
understand their rights, respond to unfavourable
urban planning and development endeavours.
political acts toward them, forge partnerships
The report also underscores the significance
that enhance their resiliency, and achieve
of addressing issues related to land tenure
communal security. Research by Padawangi
and ownership faced by ISFs residing in these
and Douglass found that collaborative efforts
settlements. Tackling these challenges is not
between communities, government agencies,
only essential for achieving sustainable urban
and NGOs were necessary to effectively address
development goals but also for specifically
the significant problem of chronic urban flooding
reducing inequalities, establishing resilient cities
in Jakarta, Indonesia.12 Examples of such co-
and communities, and effectively implementing
productive approaches in Jakarta and participatory
climate adaptation.
processes in the LRBP in Metro Manila confirm and
recognize the importance of lived experiences,
partnerships, and inclusion in building community
resilience to climate-induced disasters.

12 Rita Padawangi and Mike Douglass, “Water, Water Everywhere: Toward Participatory Solutions to Chronic Urban Flooding in Jakarta,”
Pacific Affairs 88, no. 3 (2015): 517–50.

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 19
 Research Team
Hajar Seiyad completed her undergraduate degree studies at the University of Toronto
Scarborough with a double major in mental health studies and political science. She is an
avid qualitative researcher involved in initiatives focused on subjective well-being, patient-
centred practice and policy, health equity, and knowledge mobilization. As a former
member of the University of Toronto’s Sustainable Development Goals Student Advisory
Council and a current member of the university’s Inlight Student Mental Health Research
Initiative, Hajar is passionate about amplifying student voices and building an equitable
future for all, by all. She currently works as a research associate with the University of
British Columbia investigating national youth access to contraception.

Cayra Tansey is a graduate of the MSc Sustainability Management program at the

University of Toronto Mississauga and holds a bachelor of commerce degree from the
University of Victoria. She has conducted research on the role of social enterprises in
building community resilience and is passionate about helping communities understand
and adapt to climate change, socially and physically. She is also interested in how
traditional and nontraditional businesses can contribute to a sustainable society through
systems change. Cayra works at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) management consultancy
contributing to climate and sustainability projects. Previously, she worked with BCG’s
Centre for Canada’s Future on climate research and as a sustainable development analyst at
an Indigenous social and environmental consulting firm called Two Worlds Consulting.

Mena Uchendu-Wogu is an MSc Sustainability Management candidate at the Institute for

Management and Innovation with over four years of multidisciplinary design experience
in green buildings, resiliency infrastructure, and SDGs research. His academic research
and professional design portfolio focus on developing inclusive solutions for marginalized
populations and dismantling the cycles of disadvantage in underserved communities.
Mena worked on the Sustainability team at RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust where he
supported their sovereign ESG strategy and contributed toward developing their social
impact assessment framework. Mena is an award-winning architect with global recognition
for green architecture from the Architecture MasterPrize 2021, DNA Paris Design Awards
2023, and the Nigerian Institute of Architects. He holds a bachelor of science degree in
architecture from the University of Nigeria.

Beiwen Wu is a PhD candidate in epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
She grew up in Nanjing, China, and came to North America in 2012 for her postsecondary
education. Prior to pursuing her PhD, she completed her MSPH in human nutrition at the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and worked as a research dietitian
at the Johns Hopkins ProHealth Clinical Research Unit. In this role, she was involved in
intervention studies examining the effects of dietary components on health outcomes
related to chronic diseases. Her doctoral research focuses on investigating the associations
between comprehensive lipid profiles and lung cancer risk, utilizing data from the UK
Biobank and publicly available genome-wide association studies. While the Reach
experience is different from her usual research, she is highly motivated to step out of her
comfort zone and acquire skills in qualitative research and knowledge translation on a
global scale as she strongly believes these skills are vital for promoting health equity.

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 20
 Amy Bilton is an associate professor in mechanical engineering and the director
of the cross-disciplinary Centre for Global Engineering (CGEN) at the University of
Toronto. Her research group, the Water and Energy Research Lab (WERL), focuses on
developing innovative water and energy technologies that are geared toward global
development. She has worked with industry and NGOs around the world, most notably
in India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Mexico, and Nicaragua. She has published over 30 peer-
reviewed journal articles in top journals such as Science Advances, Nature Sustainability,
Environmental Science, and World Development. She completed her PhD and MS in
aeronautics and astronautics at MIT and her BASc in engineering science (aerospace) from
the University of Toronto. Amy received the prestigious Engineers Canada Young Engineer
Achievement Award for her contributions toward engineering for global development.

Sarah Haines is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering
at the University of Toronto. Her interdisciplinary research group, the Indoor Microbiology
and Environmental Exposures (IMEE), integrates building science, engineering, and
microbiology to analyze the impact the built environment has on human health. She
uses cutting-edge microbiology techniques such as next-generation sequencing,
metatranscriptomics, and bioinformatics to determine the relationship between the indoor
microbiome and indoor environmental quality. Linking to climate change, her research
explores the impact of weatherization and extreme weather events on indoor air quality,
particularly in low-socioeconomic communities who may be at a higher risk for respiratory
diseases. Recently she partnered with multiple Indigenous communities across Canada to
co-develop solutions for housing self-sufficiency and sustainability. She completed for PhD
and MASc in environmental science and her BASc in environmental engineering from The
Ohio State University.

Founded at the University of Toronto in 2015, with support from the Mastercard Center for
Inclusive Growth, the Reach Alliance has since scaled to seven other leading universities
around the world. As a student-led, faculty-mentored, research and leadership initiative,
Reach’s unique approach uncovers how and why certain programs are successful (or not)
in getting to some of the world’s hardly reached populations. Research teams, comprised
of top students and faculty from across disciplines, spend nine to twelve months
investigating each case study. Once the data collection process is complete, teams write
case reports that are published and disseminated across the Reach Alliance’s diverse
network of policymakers, practitioners, academics, and business leaders.

Inspired by the United Nations’ call to eliminate global poverty by 2030 as part of a set of Sus-
tainable Development Goals (SDGs), our mission is to pursue the full achievement of the SDGs
by equipping and empowering the next generation of global leaders to create knowledge and
inspire action on reaching the hardest to reach.

APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-Driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines 21
 Published by the Reach Alliance, November 2023
Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy | University of Toronto

[Link] |   @ReachAllianceTO  TheReachAlliance