Joint Strategic Framework Tour of Aroma
- Guest
- Dec 4
- 2 min read
Found at the side of Barangay 105, Tondo, Manila is a densely populated community known by many as Aroma. According to its residents, Aroma became a safe-haven for urban poor families who lost their homes due to various factors in nearby slum communities.
Despite spanning decades worth of history settling in their respective communities, they now face demolition and eviction. Samahan ng Maralita sa Temporary Housing (SMTH) states that R-II builders, owned by businessman Reghis Romero, is pressuring the residents of Barangay 105 to accept a sum of P60,000 for their displacement.
Members from SMTH recalled how the government institutions refused to address their grievances. The absence of a land title became a pressuring point for R-II Builders to assert their claim on land ownership.
Furthermore, the mayoral electoral cycle has nullified a lot of the agreements made with the local government. Women leaders from SMTH and the Samahan ng mga Maralita sa Upper Smokey Mountain (SMUSM) stated that they were able to raise this issue before the former Manila City Mayor Honey Lacuna in an open forum at San Andres Sports Complex.
From the brief dialogue, Mayor Lacuna stressed the need for proper relocation before any demolition may take place. Isko Moreno agreed to follow this principle which was later reversed when he became mayor again in 2025.
SMTH president Maria Fe Hulipaz decried the continued harassment they faced at the hands of the state. Multiple mobilizations and attempted dialogues has made Hulipaz a recognizable face before the authorities of Manila. She suffered from red-tagging, state surveillance, and other harassments.
Emotionally, she expressed her frustration with the state of the demolition in her community. A few residents have chosen to opt out of the community organization and accept the money, explaining how forced eviction would only weaken the foothold of the community in the negotiating table.
In a recent tour of the community attended by various NGOs, including the Climate Change Network for Community-based Initiatives (CCNCI), residents expressed that work, for many, is found within the community and a demolition will devastate their livelihoods.
Is this a worthwhile project that will make several hundreds of residents from tondo lose their livelihoods, homes, dignity and future? CCNCI thinks not. This is unjust.
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