Foreword

Nancy Edrinal Parreño

The Creative Journeys of Filipino Social Workers in Program and Policy Development

Justin Francis Leon V. Nicolas

Housing Rights and the Urban Poor: The Experiences of Selected Relocatees in Rodriguez, Rizal

Jessica A. Viliran

Abstract   In the Philippines, statistics shows that 1 of 4 residents of Metro Manila are informal settlers. This paper is a preliminary effort in looking into the various housing experiences of the urban poor presently residing in a relocation area. It examined how a “bulimic behaviour” of attracting people from the rural and eventually flushing them out of the city was manifested by state agencies as gleaned from the experiences of urban informal settlers. This author engaged in focus group discussions and case studies of urban poor community members who also underwent off-city relocation. The experiences of the urban poor are deemed significant in dispelling wrong perceptions about the sector and also serve as significant backdrop in asserting their right to housing in the city.

The Role of Women’s Gardens in the Household Economy of Coconut Farming Households in Times of Recurrent Typhoons

Teresa Villamor-Barrameda, DSD

Abstract    This qualitative and descriptive study examines the issue of food security of farm working households in a rural community hit by an average of 17 typhoons a year. It provides a glimpse of how women living in poverty ensure the food security of their households on a daily basis. It examined the lives of women from farm working households in a rural barangay and the multiple roles they play in their households’ food security. It highlights women’s survival strategies in coping with chronic poverty and the adverse effects of repeated destructive typhoons – loss of livelihoods and incomes, high prices of basic commodities and food insecurity. In such difficult circumstances, the home garden was seen as playing a major role in maintaining the food security of their households.

Keywords     poverty, survival strategies, food security, recurrent typhoons, home gardens, women

Children’s Stories on Occupational Risks in Sugarcane Farms

Ma. Theresa V. Tungpalan, PhD 

Abstract     The 2012 statistics on child labor show that more than 62 percent of children working under hazardous conditions are found in agricultural work (de Castro, 2012). These hazardous conditions include doing tasks which are heavy, prone to accidents, and expose them to farm chemicals and other elements that can lead to health problems. An analysis of 18 cases studies on children’s perception of their employment showed that the persistence of child labor has both economic and sociocultural roots. Poverty and lack of opportunities to augment household income form a strong push for families to socialize children into farm work even at an early age, however, parents’ attitude toward work was also factor i.e., working in farm will inculcate a sense of responsibility in children. The children were also generally unaware of the long-term implications of their work in hazardous conditions, except for its impact on their schooling.

Keywords    child labor in sugarcane farms, hazardous conditions, occupational health and safety

Book Review: Twenty Years at Hull House with Autobiographical Notes

Yolanda G. Ealdama 

Special Feature: Reflections on the Utilization of Creative Modalities as an Alternative Social Work Intervention

Jowima Ang-Reyes   

Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this journal are solely the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of the College of Social Work and Community Development.