DAVAO CITY, Philippines -Nonoy Teves let out a deep sigh as he looked at the plot of land where his house once stood. At 78-year old and still working as a trisikad driver, his house was among the many that were demolished in 2001 to give way to Davao City’s Coastal Road construction.
Designed to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity in Davao, the project has its downside, including the uprooting and lack of security for communities such as Barangay Bucana, one of Davao’s most populated barangays.
Survival has been part of life of urban poor community dwellers such as Nonoy. But the struggle was much harder after the demolition.
He used to have a room-for-rent business before the demolition which earned a daily income of ?1,000. But now he drives a trisikad where he earns ?400 a day. Such loss brings uncertainties that he sent his children to live in a safer community.
Nonoy had to rebuild his house in the next purok using spare wood he salvaged from his previous house. “I used what I could save from the demolition. I salvaged what I could. Now my house is smaller, just enough for me,” he said.
Another resident, Emily Caser also chose to bring her eight children to a safer community after the demolition.
Unable to feed her children due to unemployment, she had no choice but to send them to stay with their father while she remained at her parents’ house in Bucana.
“Some of my children had to leave because I couldn’t keep them in school anymore. Life here became too difficult. It was safer for them to be away,” said Emily, dismayed by the effects of displacement on her family.
Walled in from livelihood
The Coastal Road, intended to alleviate the city’s growing traffic, has jeopardized the livelihood of Bucana’s fisherfolk community, as the bridge constructed in their coast blocked their access to the seas.
“The bridge was built too low. When the tide rises, we can’t pass through. We have to wait hours just to get our boats back in. Sometimes, we’re forced to stop fishing early, even if we haven’t caught enough,” said Arnolfo Lapenas, 59-years old, who has been fishing in these seas for three decades.
The access to the sea becames limited in the day as they must schedule their fishing trips based on the tides.
They usually leave home at 2 am and return around 6 am, sacrificing sleep to catch food for the day. With no power to alter the bridge’s design, they have to make do with the current situation.
Alexis Clenista, a fellow fisherman, echoed Arnolfo’s frustrations, saying, “It probably cost billions already, so maybe it’s too late to change anything. But if they could’ve just raised the bridge a little higher, even just one level, we wouldn’t be struggling like this.”
Difficult choice to stay
With a deep connection to their land and the sea, moving away is difficult for these Bucana dwellers. Like others, Nonoy and Emily chose to stay, living near their demolished homes.
But with rumors of more demolition, they fear being displaced for the second time.
“We’ve been here since the beginning. This place has always been home to us. We made our lives here,” said Alexis.
He disapproved of relocating away from Bucana, as he relies on fishing as a primary livelihood.
“We don’t want to be pushed far away to the mountains. That’s not where we belong.”
As no official relocation plans have been finalized, the residents of Bucana are left wondering what lies ahead. Meanwhile, families like Emily’s continue to stretch meals, fishers like Arnolfo and Alexis chase the tides, and men like Nonoy hang on to what little income they can muster.
“We don’t know what’s next,” Emily said, “We just want a place to live. That’s all.” (davaotoday.com)
coastal road, davao city
