Payatas

The name Payatas derived from the word payat sa taas (lit. 'thin at the top'), which means the soil located in the upper part of Tullahan River is not good for planting rice.

It is divided into three local government areas called barangays in the Philippines. They are known simply as the Payatas A, B, C.

On July 4, 1974 – In pursuance of P. D. 86 [no source] as amended by P. D. 86-A, portion of the community known as ZONE 108 – Commonwealth located at Quezon City, which is not a Barrio but having sufficient population and definite territorial jurisdiction organized itself into a Barangay known as Barangay No. 8 and elected its official during the Organizational meeting who took their oath before Hon. Eduardo Soliman Jr.

September 21, 1974, Presidential Decree 557[2] was promulgated, declaring among others that in case of the city of Manila and other chartered cities where there are no Barrios, all existing Barangay therein created under P. D. 86 as amended by P. D. 86-A shall continued as such Barangays and adopted Republic Act 3590, the revised Barrio Charter as Barangay charter.

June 22, 1975, Resolution No. 75-12 was passed by Barangay Zone 108 consolidating or merging all barangays within Commonwealth area including that of Barangay No. 8 (Payatas) resulting in the abolition of the corporate existence and personalityof the latter which has been declared as null and void in a decision made by Judge Augusto L. Valencia dated March 5, 1976 in civil Case No. Q-20735 for declaratory judgement.

May 30, 1976, Barangay Captain Inocencio Deyro of Barangay Commonwealth, constituted under Resolution No. 75-12 which was already null and void called a meeting to take place on June 6, 1976 at 6:00 PM and among the listed Agenda is the appointment of Purok Leaders in Barangay No. 8 (Payatas) thereby seeking to perform an Act affecting Barangay No. 8 (Payatas) which is not only an open defiance of the clarification order of the Hon. Judge Augusto L. Valencia that also without jurisdiction and October 14, 1976 Judge Jaime R. Agloro rendered his decision in Special Civil Case No. Q-21577 – prohibiting that respondents (Barangay Captain Inocencio Deyro and Barangay Commonwealth) interfering in any manner with the powers, duties and functions of Barangay No. 8 (Payatas) Commonwealth, Quezon City.

Barangay No. 8 now called Payatas has been created with definite territorial jurisdiction as confirmed by Judge Augusto L. Valencia in his order dated March 5, 1976 and on October 14, 1976, Judge Jaime R. Agloro rendered his decision in a Special Civic Case No. Q-21577 – which prohibits any interference in any manner with the powers, duties and functions of Barangay No. 8 no known as Barangay Payatas.

Thus thru this Court Orders Payatas became the only Barangay created thru judiciary process in the whole country

Located northeast of Quezon City, Barangay Payatas occupies a little less than twenty percent (20%) of the city’s land area and has about fifteen percent (15%) of the city’s total population. These figures are hotly disputed by academic surveys, however, given that Payatas is far more densely populated than the rest of Quezon City and much of Manila. The Census says there are just under 120,000 people living in Barangay Payatas, though academic studies suggest the real figure, given that most people are squatters are therefore do not own the land they're living on and are not included in official figures, is closer to 500,000 (Gaillard and Cadag, 2009; Bernardo, 2004; among others). Payatas shares a border with La Mesa Dam to the north, Barangay Bagong Silangan to the east, Barangay Batasan Hills to the south, and Barangay Commonwealth to the west (see Map 1). Until today, about a third of the land in various parts of Payatas is being claimed in disputes between the municipalities of Montalban and San Mateo, as well as the barangays of Commonwealth and Fairview.

The age-sex distribution of the population showed that children aged 5 to 9 years were the largest age group, making up 11.0 percent of the household population. This was followed by those in the age groups 15 to 19 years (10.7 percent), then 0 to 4 years and 10 to 14 years (both at 10.6 percent).

Males outnumbered females in the age group 0 to 54 years. Females, on the other hand, outnumbered their male counterparts in the older age group 55 years old and over. [3]

Payatas is characterized by a steep and sloping terrain, crisscrossed by creeks, rivers, ravines, and low-lying areas near the Marikina River. A fault line runs through its eastern boundary. A large part of the area is classified as medium residential zone that includes housing subdivisions, depressed or informal settlements, and undeveloped areas.

Covering a total land area of 774 hectares, a greater portion of Payatas is privately owned (681 ha, or 88%; see Chart 1). Government-owned land, which includes the four-hectare national government complex (NGC) and the Quezon City property, covers a smaller portion (12%; 93 hectares) of the total land area. While portions of the privately owned area were already developed into residential subdivisions, a vast area (80%) has yet to be fully developed. Nonetheless, despite the poor access and lack of services and facilities, these areas continue to attract a large number of informal settlers from various areas of Metro Manila.

Around the 1970s, upon the initiative of a former barangay official, Barangay Payatas was divided into two major settlement clusters (Area A and Area B) to organize the route of public vehicles. Each area, with its large population and land area, was further subdivided to allow for easier information dissemination and reporting to and from the barangay (see Table 1 below). The larger Area B is further subdivided into Groups 1 to 13 and Phases I to IV in Lupang Pangako, consisting of around 5,000 families where the poorest of the poor are located.

The population of Barangay Payatas was almost 125,000 in 2003. Most of the residents fall below the poverty level, living under harsh and poor conditions in the depressed areas. Payatas has the fastest growing population in the city; its residents are of various ethnic groups, with multifaceted socio-cultural orientation, mostly from the Northern Luzon. They are Ilokanos, Panggalatoks, Novo Ecijanos, Tagalogs, Kapampangan and a small percentage of Ibanags, Itawis and members of Igorot tribes. There are also migrants from Southern-Tagalog Part – Bicolanos, Visayas, Mindanao Region and a little percentage of Muslims in the Community.

The language used is Tagalog, English is widely spoken, Waray, Ilonggo, Visaya, Bicol, Ilokano, Panggalatoks, Kapampangan were secondary dialects commonly used.

Christianity is dominant, most of these Christians are Roman Catholics, there are also a small member of Moslems, some are Iglesia ni Cristo, Protestants (El Shaddai, Shalom, Born Again, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventist, etc.) and Aglipays.

Most residents lives in semi-concrete homes, those living near dumpsite augments n whatever materials they could recycle for their houses / shanties.LAND USE:

While a big portion of the area has been developed into residential subdivisions (Don Carlos Heights, Manila Remnants, Doña Nicasia, Empire Subdivision, Capitol Homes II, Amlac Ville Subd., Violago Homes Parkwood Subd., Madrigal Subd., Manahan Subd., Fil-Invest II Mountain View, Villa Gracia Homes, etc.) Vast areas of land remain either under developed or undeveloped because of poor access and lack of services and facilities. Many of those areas have evolved into squatter colonie. The area can contain a national mixture of housing sites commercial and business centers, light industries, civic centers, educational areas and recreational parks.

Payatas Road is basically the service road for the NGC area but it also serves as the main access road to properties situated in the central areas such as Ilang-Ilang Street to Campsite, Sampaguita Street going to Brgy. Bagong Silangan, Everlasting Street going to Lower Hasmin.

Litex Road is originally part of the peripheral road of La Mesa Reservoir but now serves as the sole public road of Northern Payatas Area.

Proposed C-6 is a metro toll way facility that is expected to traverse the area but is still under study as to its alignment by the PNCC as BOT Project of the DOTC.

Collector roads branch out from the primary roads extending the network into the inner areas, these are mostly Barangay main roads like the following.

1. Ilang-Ilang Streets linking to San Juan Bautista Street and Spiritual road at Campsite Area. 2. Sampaguita Street going to Springfield area and part of San Vicente Street also at Campsite.3. Everlasting Street to Hasmin Street, Lower Hasmin Street going to gravel Pit Road, Payatas B.4. Molave street connecting at Litex Road, going to Lower Molave, Tahanan Rehabilitation, Atis Roads going to Spiritual and San Juan Bautista Street at Campsite.5. Madja-as Avenue going into inner Group 2 composing of Mayon, Banahaw Campo Verde Street etc.6. Amlac Ville Subdivision private road, the main road going to Urban Lupang Pangako, including Phase 1, II, III and Phase IV, Payatas B.

About 170 hectares are being accessed by non-legal Roads, i.e. roads developed by the residents themselves.

With public access not limited to existing Litex Road and IBP Road, the level of dependence among private properties is minimal such that entry of physical development is very much implemented. The improvement and repairs of access road is the main factor that provides utility services such as electric power, water, public transport and communication in the area.

Jeepneys serve as public transport at the northern areas via Litex Road they ply either Lupang Pangako or Montalban Roads. Approximately 60 units more or less ply these routes. Fare is P 5.50 but varies depending on distance there is only one (1) existing jeepney Operators and Drivers Assn., which is Lupang Pangako JODA office address is at Urban Lupang Pangako, Payatas B, Q. C.

Tricycles services all other parts of Payatas there are four (4) registered Tricycle Operators and Drivers Assn., (TODA’s) with almost 1, 000.00 units operating from Area A, Area B and Urban Lupang Pangako. These are the following:

• Payatas Tricycle Operators and Driver’s Assn. (PATODA)Office Address: Saint Mary St., cor. Ilang-Ilang Extn., Payatas A, Q. C.

• Litex {Payatas Tricycle Operator & Drivers Assn. (LIPATODA)Office Address: Narra St., Grp. 1, Payatas B, Q. C.3. Lupang Pangako Urban Poor Payatas Tricycle Operators & Drivers Assn. (LPUPPTODA)Office Address: Urban Lupang Pangako, Payatas B, Q. C.

• Violago Homes Parkwood Tricycle Operators & Drivers Assn. (VHPTODA)Office Address: Violago Homes Parkwood, Payatas B, Q. C.

• Urban Poor Transportation Services Organization (UPTSO) Office Address: Phase 1, Lupang Pangako, Area B

In different communities, those who are residing at subdivision residents use their own private vehicles.

Payatas is drained principally by the Marikina River Basin with the Marikina River as the main Drainage Out fall.

Developed areas such as residential subdivisions have their own drainage network or man-made canals or pipe grids discharging into rivers and creeks.

Toilet facilities and individual septic tanks are mostly found in developed housing areas. In Area A, Payatas residents mostly- employ, water scaled types of toilet facility. In Lupang Pangako, and some at Area B, Payatas, 80% of the residents utilize open dumping practices for waste disposal.

There is no area wide sewer system for Payatas. Waste water coming from squatter colonies is usually directly and indiscriminately discharged on the ground surface.

The Payatas Dumpsite is situated in the Northern part of the area some three kilometers from Commonwealth via Litex Road. It occupies more than 13 hectares of entirely private properties. An estimated 2,000 cubic meters (924 tons) of garbage is being dumped in Payatas daily municipalities dumping in the area are Quezon City, and San Juan.

There are approximately 2,000 scavengers and 50 junk shop owners who benefit from the presence of the dump site in the area.

Residents dispose their waste/garbage through the Xerox waste management program of the Barangay Government (Garbage Collection).

Approximately 95% of the area is served by MWSI or (Maynilad). This consists primarily of the residential areas immediately near the IBP Road, Ilang-Ilang St., Payatas A. (Presently MWSI were continuously out-laying the main line (pipes) for the whole area of Payatas, by the end of the year 2000 it is expected that all areas of Payatas will avail the MWSI service).

Water requirements of those residing in the remaining 10% are serviced by both public and private artesian wells, open pit wells, spring creeks and water peddlers.

Water rationing is undertaken by the City Government on a daily basis within the areas of Lupang Pangako (Phase I, II, III and IV) where most of Urban poor population (approximately 5,000 families) is situated. This is done under SMILE Project: “OPLAN Paglilingap sa Payatas” under the Office of the Mayor.

Other sources of drinking water include private artesian wells and water peddlers. Water is bought at P 1.00 per gallon container.

Payatas dumpsite

Main article: Payatas dumpsite

Payatas dumpsite, 2007

Payatas is known for its former dumpsite which was closed in 2010. A landslide in the area caused the national legislation which banned open ground dump sites in the Philippines. A more regulated dumping ground was established adjacent to the old landfill in 2011, but the site was also closed in 2017.

Payatas is still a very poor area and many foundations operate in Payatas to help improve the opportunities of residents. This includes, notably, the Fairplay For All Foundation. Fairplay run an Alternative Learning Center, a Sports Center, and a Cafe to holistically develop the community through social enterprise, safe spaces, and quality education. Each program is run in part by local residents. Several of the football players have also represented the country in the National Youth Team and for Team Philippines in the Street Child World Cup. Overall, Payatas Football Club has won more than 40 trophies between them.[4]

• The Woman in the Septic Tank, a film set at Tondo dumpsite
• Bangkang papel boys
• Bantar Gebang

• Thoughts of Maria, a novel by Gregory Heath featuring a family living on the Payatas Dump