Local Governance, Children and the Physical Environment: The Case of Payatas in the Philippines, 2004
Angela Desiree Aguirre
Institute of Philippine Culture, Ateneo de Manila University; Save the Children Sweden; Children, Youth and Environments, University of Colorado
E-mail: aaguirre@ateneo.edu; info@rb.se; CYE@colorado.edu
Reprinted from Children, Youth and Environments Journal (vol. 14, no. 1) August 2004

This case study is an attempt to follow up on the original research, the Child Friendly Cities Study, focusing more specifically on attention to physical living conditions in one particular site-Barangay Payatas B-part of Quezon City, and location of the notorious Payatas dump.

It examines the strategies and processes by which local government, at both city and barangay level, address the physical living conditions of young people, especially the poorest. Of particular interest is understanding whether and how governments consider children's concerns in the course of development projects not usually linked to children; and specific attention is paid here to garbage-to-gas extraction and utilization project.