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Manila is  the capital of the Philippines situated in Luzon, one of the main islands of the country. It is within the National Capital Region or also known as Metro Manila. As the country’s capital, it is also the cultural, social, economic, and political center of the Philippines (Salita, 2022).

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Manila is surrounded by multiple landmarks such as the Pampanga River, Sierra Madre, Laguna de Bay, and the Bataan Peninsula (Salita, 2022).  It is comprised of 16 cities, which is split into 897 barangays, and 1 municipality (n.a., n.d.).

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People residing in Manila are mostly Filipinos. Among residents, minorities include the Chinese community. In terms of religion, the majority of its people observe a Roman Catholic faith (Salita, 2022).

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Manila is known as the trade and finance center of the country. Its economics include manufacturing and production. As the trade center of the Philippines, it constantly receives imports and exports goods (Salita, 2022).

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Manila was originally named "Maynilad" which was rooted from the plant nilad (Salita, 2022).

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Brief Discussion and Findings
It is the role of the State to ensure quality education among students. It is part of their rights which is imperative to be upheld. However, this was compromised with the abrupt shift from the “normal” mode of learning and into an alternative mode of learning brought about by the pandemic. Our current situation has accentuated the education gaps present within the educational system. The disparity among students became more pronounced. Accessibility to necessary resources and gadgets was dependent on many factors. The present setup has affected not only their education but their mental health as well (Magsambol, 2021).

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🔎 Addressing the Concern ︱Gadget Got It!

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🔎 Addressing the Concern ︱Gadget Got It!

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Inarguably, the shift of learning has affected both students and teachers. It showed that despite the advancement of modern technology, not everyone was adept in utilizing it due to several factors. Safeguarding access to quality education is one of the duties of the State. The rights of the youth, as the so-called “pag-asa ng bayan”, should be preserved.

Technological Advancement
In hopes of alleviating concerns regarding online learning, the government of Manila collaborated with Globe Business last July 2020. To secure Manileños’ right to quality education, the city of Manila gave away 110,000 tablets and 11,000 laptops with Globe sim cards and pocket WiFis respectively. These were sent to both students and teachers of public schools (n.a. , 2020).  Through this, educators and learners would have increased access to the internet. This is also of big help to people who do not have the necessary gadgets for online classes as both students and educators struggle with obtaining these due to its cost. Not everyone can readily purchase laptops or tablets. However, this may also be disadvantageous to some people depending on the area they reside in. Despite having gadgets and WiFi, their signal may be weak thereby affecting their access to the internet.

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🏠 Socioeconomic Inequality and Sitio San Roque

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🏠 Socioeconomic Inequality and Sitio San Roque

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Brief Discussion and Findings
The socioeconomic divide between classes, more specifically between the formal and informal sectors, is evident in Manila. An example of this is the case of Sitio San Roque, one of the informal settlements of the country located in Quezon City. This is rooted from the joint venture of the National Housing Authority and Ayala Land in 2008. Consequently, residents have been expressing their opposition regarding the project. Ever since, they have been experiencing forced evictions and demolitions. Undeniably, the State has put its focus on Metro Manila infrastructure and development. However, this also led to the State’s deliberate exclusion of the informal sector in their envisioned commercial and urban development. They were put on the sidelines and were often stigmatized (Collantes, 2021).

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🔎 Addressing the Concern ︱Tindig ng Masa!

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🔎 Addressing the Concern ︱Tindig ng Masa!

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Housing and inclusion are some of the rights of citizens. Expression of dissent should be permitted and not prohibited by the State. This concern is important to address since it violates their human rights. They are taxpayers and residents, thus they should be included in the development plans of the government. Development should be inclusive and not selective. In addition to this, compensations should be sustainable for their economic survival. While it may be true that they are provided with relocation sites, the location assigned to them is remote from job opportunities and social services thus resulting in an unsustainable living.

Technological Advancement
To address the government’s lack of action with regards to their concerns, residents of Sitio San Roque plead for the support and approval of their devised community development plan together with the Save San Roque Alliance. Within this is a draft of their proposed housing scheme for the community conducive to their economic survival (Ramos, 2019). The community partnered with various professionals that would guide them in formulating the community development plan. This strengthens the exercise of their rights in terms of decision making as people empowerment and inclusion embodies a progressive state. Approval of this would yield true development for everyone as this will be able to address their concerns effectively. However, despite successfully gaining dialogue with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, residents continue to experience inequality especially during this pandemic.

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City Profile. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://manila.gov.ph/city-profile/

Collantes, C.F. (2021). “Unforgotten” informal communities and the COVID-19 pandemic: Sitio San Roque under Metro Manila’s lockdown. International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, 14(13), 279-292. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-09-2020-0073

DENR-ERDB Brings Back Nilad Mangrove to Manila. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.denr.gov.ph/index.php/news-events/photo-releases/2137-denr-erdb-brings-back-nilad-mangrove-to-manila

Flores, D. (2020). A decade of barricading: Sitio San Roque emerges as hope for urban activism. Retrieved from https://www.tinigngplaridel.net/2020/a-decade-of-barricading-sitio-san-roque-emerges-as-hope-for-urban-activism/

Magsambol, B.(2021). Distance learning in the Philippines: A year of hits and misses. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/distance-learning-philippines-assessment-2020-2021/

Manila Government, Globe Business assist public schools with data plans for online learning. (2020). Retrieved from https://globalnation.inquirer.net/189762/manila-government-globe-business-assist-public-schools-with-data-plans-for-online-learning

Ramos, M.S. (2019). All they want for Christmas is a place to call home. Retrieved from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1199348/all-they-want-for-christmas-is-a-place-to-call-home

Sabado, P. (2021). Manila at Night. Retrieved from https://www.artstation.com/artwork/rAwdBG

Salita, D.C.(2022). Manila. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Manila

United Nations. (n.d.). The 17 Goals. Retrieved from https://sdgs.un.org/goals