The Old Reclamation Area (ORA) is at the heart of Pasay City’s long history. It has undergone numerous physical and socio-economic situation changes. ORA has evolved into a state of urban decay where the socio-economic situation began to disintegrate, and these manifest in various forms including the depreciation of the physical state. Therefore it is the theory of this research that there is interaction between the socio-economic factors of poverty with the decaying state of ORA.
The methods of the study are done in parallel with the primary goals of the research to assess the relationship of the relationship of the physical symptoms of decay with the socio-economic indicators of poverty and to use the result of the assessment to explore the urban redevelopment program in ORA. In the process leading up to the assessment of these factors, various strategic methods have been employed: 1) key Informant Interviews; 2) Focus Group Discussion; 3) Field Survey;4) Correlation Analysis; and 5) Map Analysis. The 14 core indicators in the Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS) are used to correlate with the symptoms of decay.
As a result of various methods, the research summarizes that there are 34 symptoms of decay and 10 supplemental symptoms of decay in ORA classified under 5 different categories. These symptoms are valuable inputs to the study as well as crucial determining the physical conditions of the barangays. The research likewise concludes that ORA has 4 varying magnitudes of decay based on the perceptions of the experts, local leaders and stakeholders: Magnitude 3 –Showing signs of moderate decay; and Magnitude4 –showing signs of severe decay. Findings of the correlation analysis indicate that there is significant relationship between urban decay and poverty.