Justice in the Shadows: A Study of Environmental Crime and Governance in Manila’s Informal Settlements

Abstract

Informal settlements in Metro Manila have expanded along ecologically sensitive and flood-prone waterways, reflecting the city’s rapid urbanization, internal migration, and chronic housing shortages. These communities, often excluded from formal urban planning and environmental governance, face systemic service deficits—particularly in waste management, sanitation, and drainage—leading to the widespread adoption of improvised environmental practices. Such behaviors, including waste dumping, open burning, and construction near waterways, are not rooted in deliberate environmental harm but are survival strategies in response to institutional neglect and infrastructural exclusion. This study uses a mixed-methods approach—combining surveys, key informant interviews, and field observations across four barangays—to examine environmental crime-related practices, service access, law awareness, and perceptions of environmental justice in informal settlements. Findings reveal that 85% of respondents dispose of waste near waterways, 74% discharge untreated wastewater, and 69% resort to open burning, while over 70% lack regular drainage and sewage services. Awareness of key environmental laws (RA 9003 and RA 9275) remains low, with only 22–38% of residents familiar with them, and fewer than 20% perceiving enforcement as fair or effective. Critically, 89% of participants reported exclusion from environmental decision-making, and 75% lacked accessible grievance mechanisms. These results underscore a cycle wherein weak governance, poor infrastructure, and marginalization reinforce environmentally harmful practices. The study reframes these acts not as isolated crimes but as outcomes of environmental injustice—manifesting through structural inequality, governance failures, and lack of participatory mechanisms. Addressing these issues demands inclusive governance reforms, equitable service provision, and community empowerment. This research contributes to environmental justice discourse by highlighting the systemic roots of environmental harm in urban poor contexts and aligning its findings with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6, 11, and 16. It calls for a shift from punitive enforcement to rights-based, participatory environmental governance.