There is too much double talk in the Executive Order to vacate the so-called danger areas. While there are plans for constructing an economic housing project in the so-called danger areas, the drive from the side of government to make the urban poor do a “voluntary” dismantling of their own homes with Calauan, Laguna as the relocation site, is all at once a response to housing the poor that has never been well thought of. For tax payers to be treated with little seriousness when their long-term well-being is at stake is the lowest level of service that a government can do to its poor citizens.

Take for instance this scene at City Hall. The meeting was supposed to be a local inter-agency committee meeting where the voices of the residents affected by a particular government plan had to be listened to. But in this instance, people from the LGU, including people from the Human Rights Commission were telling the people that the local inter-agency committee is composed of representatives of government agencies concerned with housing. The people had to assert their rights as stipulated in the Local Government Code: That they are a stakeholder in the Local Inter-Agency Committee.

Information is power. Organized effort is power. If the people of Manggahan Floodway didn’t act in an organized manner in asserting their rights every step of the way, they would have joined the ranks of those who could be easily cowed and ignored.

Another instance when the residents of Manggahan Floodway tackled an issue related to the threat of demolition from the local government was the manner they got the Manila Water to reconnect the water connection of the families whose water service was cut. The Manila Water’s argument for disconnecting the water facility was because they (the people) would be demolished anyway. Again, the power of information and organization took a front seat. The people mobilized to Manila Water to question why the topic of demolition which is not within Manila Water’s mandate needed to be used against the people. With an understanding of the flow of authority of the Manila Water and Sewerage System to its concessionaires, the people were able to sort out their issue with Manila Water.The water service was reconnected after the mobilization to Manila Water.