Residents of Pulo Island moved to a flood-prone site after DPWH project
Human Rights Watch reports that families displaced from Pulo Island in Pampanga were relocated to a low-lying former fishpond that floods year-round, worsening their living conditions.
In 2022 the DPWH dredged Pulo Island in the Pampanga River after a request from the former mayor of Macabebe, labeling the island a danger zone. The agency awarded two contracts worth a combined P150 million to private firms and forced the island’s 90 families to relocate. The new settlement, a former fishpond situated six feet below the road dike, stays flooded throughout the year, leaving homes inundated and crops unplantable.
Residents say they were intimidated into demolishing their houses and received 70 % of compensation upfront, with the remainder contingent on proof of demolition, while receiving no payment for lost agricultural assets. HRW’s report criticizes the lack of genuine consultation, oversight by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, and ties the case to a broader “trillion-peso” flood-control corruption scandal, prompting a fact-finding probe by the Commission on Human Rights.
Why it matters
The case shows how flawed relocation practices can deepen vulnerability for displaced communities amid climate risks.
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