HEALTHY HUMAN HABITAT: A PROTOTYPE SALUTOGENIC SOCIALIZED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FOR INFORMAL SETTLERS IN LUBAO, PAMPANGA
Proponent: Ma. Shanice Angela H. Valero
Thesis Adviser: Ar. Darlene Mae M. Cunanan, uap
University: Angeles University Foundation
Year of Defense: 2023
Providing accessible and affordable housing for a rapidly growing population remains one of the most urgent challenges facing the Philippines. A significant portion of the urban population is composed of Informal Settler Families (ISFs), who lack secure tenure and adequate housing conditions. Estimates of ISFs vary, with studies reporting figures ranging from 7.53% to nearly 15% of the total urban population. These families often reside in hazardous environments such as waterways, coastal zones, and flood-prone areas, where they face compounded socio-economic and health challenges including unemployment, poor sanitation, crime, and environmental degradation.
The housing crisis is further exacerbated by a national housing backlog exceeding 6.5 million units, driven by rapid population growth, insufficient housing production, rising construction costs, limited access to financing, and land scarcity. As a result, low-income families are forced to settle in informal and unsafe areas, perpetuating cycles of poverty, poor health, and environmental risk. This condition is evident in Pampanga, particularly in the municipality of Lubao, where thousands of families live informally in vulnerable locations such as island barangays, riverbanks, dikes, and coastal areas. These settlements are frequently affected by flooding, storm surges, and sanitation issues, placing residents at heightened risk of disease and displacement.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic further revealed the strong interrelationship between housing and health. Studies have shown that living environments significantly influence the transmission and impact of infectious diseases.
For urban poor communities, overcrowded and unsanitary housing conditions intensified physical, emotional, and psychological stress. In response to this reality, the study adopts the theory of salutogenesis, developed by Aaron Antonovsky, which emphasizes the promotion of health rather than the prevention of disease. Salutogenesis focuses on strengthening individuals’ and communities’ sense of coherence—comprising comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness—to help them cope with stressors and improve overall well-being.
Traditionally applied in healthcare and workplace environments, salutogenesis is rarely used in low-income housing developments. This study explores its application within community architecture for ISFs, arguing that housing design can play a vital role in enhancing physical and mental health. By creating environments that support social interaction, adaptability, and livelihood, housing can serve not only as shelter but as a foundation for healthier, more resilient communities.
The research focuses on Lubao, Pampanga, where housing backlog data indicates a sharp increase in the number of ISFs from 2,000 in 2018 to approximately 6,000 by 2022. Informal settlers in Lubao predominantly live in makeshift or semi-permanent dwellings constructed from improvised materials. These settlements are characterized by overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, limited access to clean water and sanitation, and exposure to flooding and other environmental hazards. Common health issues among residents include diarrhea, dengue, skin diseases, poisoning, and stress-related illnesses.
The primary goal of the study is to apply the principles of salutogenesis to create a healthier and more livable housing community for ISFs. The objectives include reducing the housing backlog in Lubao, providing habitable and adaptable living spaces, and promoting the local economy by minimizing health risks and improving residents’ quality of life. To achieve these objectives, the study proposes a low-rise vertical housing development combined with incremental housing strategies. This approach allows families to expand their dwelling units over time according to their financial capacity and household size, thereby reducing congestion and preventing the spread of disease.
The research methodology employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative narrative analysis with quantitative data gathered from surveys. Two hundred ISF respondents from high-risk barangays—including Sta. Cruz, Sta. Monica, and Sta. Lucia—were surveyed to assess their living conditions, health risks, and perspectives on relocation. Additional data were sourced from government agencies such as the Municipal Planning and Development Office, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, and the National Housing Authority (NHA). The NHA’s Community-Based Initiative Approach (CBIA) program is identified as a potential funding and implementation mechanism, emphasizing community participation and collective ownership.
The study also examines the pathogenic conditions present in informal settlements, highlighting how overcrowding, poor structural quality, and inadequate infrastructure contribute to disease and environmental vulnerability. In contrast, the salutogenic approach shifts the focus toward health-promoting design elements such as open-air corridors, adequate ventilation, communal spaces, livelihood frontages, and flexible extension areas. These features are intended to strengthen residents’ sense of coherence by making their environment understandable, manageable, and meaningful.
Cultural and social factors are integral to the proposed design. Filipino households are typically family-centered, socially oriented, religious, and industrious, with strong ties to community life and livelihood activities. Observations of daily life in the selected barangays reveal a blend of domestic, social, and economic activities occurring within and around the home. The proposed housing design seeks to accommodate these practices by integrating spaces for home-based enterprises, workshops, social interaction, and communal gatherings.
Incremental housing serves as the core design strategy, offering a proactive solution to housing inadequacy and informal settlement growth. Starting from a basic core unit, families are given the flexibility to modify and expand their homes as needed. This adaptability not only addresses future population growth but also empowers residents to personalize their spaces, generate income, and maintain their cultural lifestyle without resorting to informal expansion or squatting.
Overall, the study concludes that integrating salutogenesis into incremental housing design offers a viable architectural solution to the housing and health challenges faced by ISFs in Lubao, Pampanga. By addressing physical, social, cultural, and economic dimensions of living, the proposed development demonstrates feasibility as a health-promoting, sustainable, and community-oriented housing model. The findings support the role of architecture as a catalyst for improving human well-being and reducing the long-term impacts of housing insecurity and urban poverty.
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