Residents of Zapote 3 in Bacoor, Cavite faced a demolition team set to displace several households to construct the proposed Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Zapote Station, in the early morning of Nov. 15.
The demolition team was joined by personnel from the Office of the Mayor of Bacoor and armed security guards hired by the city government, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan - Cavite reported. The team, however, could not even provide a court order for demolition or a notice that justified their arrival.
The LRT-1 Cavite Extension Program is a two-phase public-private partnership project by Light Rail Manila Corp., aiming to cut travel time from northern Metro Manila to Southern Tagalog. Phase 1 concluded with the newly opened stations in Parañaque City, while Phase 2 will start construction by 2026 in Cavite and Las Piñas City.
Multiple lives and livelihoods were identified as “at risk” and “to be demolished” because of their placement and proximity to the LRT-1 tracks’ right of way. The sudden planned eviction of Zapote 3 residents, whose livelihoods mainly revolve around fisheries, could uproot their way of living and force them to forge a new one in an unfamiliar location, away from the coasts they know.
As for the promised relocation of the management for the community, plans are still uncertain due to the lack of information on the site’s distance from Zapote 3 and the lack of communication from the Bacoor government with the residents.
Multiple fires have also razed the area, with the most recent happening last September 20. Residents have been led to believe that these fires were not an accident, but rather a tactic to uproot communities for the construction of various projects like the LRT-1 Cavite Extension program and other reclamation projects.
The displacement of many urban communities has often been succeeded by the construction of private infrastructure projects, urban poor group Kadamay Chair Mimi Doringo told the Collegian. Despite the lack of coverage, Doringo asserts that there is always an urban poor community affected by different forms of demolition.
“Kahit ang pribatisasyon, komersyalisasyon, [at] reklamasyon ng mga palengke, lahat yan ay porma ng pagpapalayas—paalis don sa kabuhayan at katiyakan sa paninirahan ng mga tao,” Doringo stated.
As of now, demolitions of urban residential areas under the Marcos administration have increased to approximately 14,634 since 2022. From January to March, there have also been 2,424 reported fires displacing urban poor communities in areas designated for infrastructure projects, Kadamay reports.
This current magnitude of funding allocated for infrastructure projects under the Marcos administration’s Build Better More program and the privatization of public services may adversely affect Filipinos, even those not directly targeted by demolitions. Private-imposed fares for public transportation could cause a significant shift in a Filipino’s budget.
Private companies place the government’s transportation departments in a gridlock to either approve their proposed fare hikes or deduct the amount of the hike from public funds instead, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan argues.
Zapote 3 residents, at the moment, remain in the area despite news of the demolition team returning last Nov. 19. Since then, no updates have been made regarding further negotiations on the relocation plan.
“Kung magkakaroon ng proyekto ng mga pamahalaan, kailangan talagang magkaroon ng maayos na konsultahan as in maayos yung totoo at hindi lang naman gawa-gawa,” Doringo said. ●
