Fritzie Rodriguez ~ Barong-Barong: State Of Poor Man’s Housing

WATER. Only 24% of poor households among the country’s poorest provinces have access to running water, a 2015 World Food Programme survey shows. File photo by Fritzie Rodriguez – Rappler

Home sweet home.
But what if one’s home lacks a family’s basic needs? Among the poorest provinces in the Philippines, the poor live in barong-barong (shanty) types – poorly constructed and temporary one-room shelters.

In a August 16 to September 5, 2015 survey sponsored by the World Food Programme (WFP), it was revealed that most poor households, if not shanties, are made of light and cheap materials.
The WFP found that 44% of households among the poorest provinces in the country were barong-barong types, while 47% were poorly constructed semi-permanent or temporary houses. The rest were made of mixed light and heavy materials.
Of the 16 poorest provinces, only the surveyed poor families in Masbate, Camiguin, and Sultan Kudarat reported permanent houses made of good quality materials. Meanwhile, Sarangani had the highest percentage of barong-barong types of housing.