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.<br> 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.<br> 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.