Communication Strategy Analysis of a Community-Initiated Social Mobilisation Against a Road Dike Project in Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines

Abstract

This study analysed the communication strategies employed by a community in Metro Manila through the Taguig Coalition Against Dike (TACAD), a people’s organisation, in a social mobilisation (socmob) against the Laguna Lake Road Dike Project (LLRDP). The most commonly mentioned by the 131 resident-respondents, four key informants and focus group discussion participants were interpersonal strategies such as house-to-house visit, informal discussion and consultation as well as meetings. Those strategies were perceived to be effective in terms of increasing environmental awareness and confidence to negotiate, together with their ability to empower. The most notable accomplishment of the TACAD’s socmob was the three-month moratorium of the road dike’s construction. Nevertheless, the road dike project was not completely stopped due to some factors beyond the control of the community residents. Drawing from the lessons learnt from this research, there is a need to study the collective and participatory approaches used by those directly affected by a government-initiated infrastructure project from the planning until evaluation stage.