Mandaluyong social condominium project : a case history in project development management

Abstract

The Mandaluyong Social Condominium Project (MSCP) of the Philippines is a p16,400,000 (U.S. $1.00 = Phil. p7.52 [June 1976]) workers' housing project funded by both the Social Security System (SSS) and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and administered by the latter. The project is designed to test and validate the social development approach in low-income housing through three major components: (1) providing housing to workers earning monthly incomes of p300 - 1,500 by reducing the costs of land and construction and by providing liberal financing terms; (2) establishing income-augmenting opportunities within the housing complex where trainable dependents of families earn additional income to meet their housing expenses; and (3) implementing community education, leadership, and management training programs to prepare the residents for owning and managing the housing complex within three to five years. This case history examines the assumptions made during the planning phase that affected project implementation and describes the difficulties involved in the process of organizing families into a self-reliant, self-directing community. Finally, it demonstrates that housing projects are for people; they are not merely physical designs. Consequently, such projects must be planned for people--taking into consideration their aspirations, preferences, and needs before any housing scheme mapped out on paper is translated into reality.