Pulo Island Relocation and Unsafe Housing

Author: Sarahelena Marrapodi

October 27, 2026

HRRC calls for the Pampanga government to formulate a housing plan in consultation with, and with the approval of, former Pulo Island residents, focusing on higher-level land that ensures secure and adequate housing infrastructure as well as community-focused living.

Maria Lunga Suza stands in front of her home at the flooded Pulo relocation site. [Image credit: Lian Buan/Human Rights Watch]

In 2022, residents of Pulo Island were relocated from the island as part of a flood control project. The previous year, funding had been approved for the construction of multi-purpose buildings and safe road networks. The Department of Public Works and Highways sought to dredge—remove silt and mud— the Pampanga River to help control its flow. Images provided to Human Rights Watch, the primary investigator of the incident, by satellite companies Vantor and Airbus capture the progress of the dredging and subsequent demolition work on the island. 

Authorities created a flood barrier, or dike, with the intention of reducing flood levels in the area. However, construction of the dike and in the surrounding area was not executed as planned. Local authorities told the Pulo residents that the relocation site would be raised to the same height as the dike to prevent flooding, but as seen in images from Human Rights Watch, the main street at the site remained approximately 1.9 meters below the dike. This results in floodwater on the main street reaching depths of nearly 20 centimeters. 

During the relocation, the responsible authorities did not follow national standards to protect the Pulo community’s housing rights. Human Rights Watch conducted interviews with 35 former Pulo Island residents. The interviews revealed that many felt they were not given a choice in the move. When residents were presented with the Agreement to Demolish and Remove Improvements in 2021, the document was in English, making it difficult for them to understand. Once the project began, those who spoke out against it faced harassment from site workers. When Human Rights Watch reached out to local government officials to request more details, they were told that no documents from the operation were available. 

Residents use rain boats for daily flood protection. [Image credit: Lian Buan/Human Rights Watch]

Residents have adapted by traveling by boat and wearing rain gear when the tide rises, but these measures are grossly inadequate to deal with the situation at hand. Apart from being a logistical disruption, living in a flooded area poses significant health risks, including an increased risk of viral and mosquito-borne diseases, disruption to sanitation systems, contaminated food and water, mental health issues, and much more. The residents continue to suffer from a decreased quality of life following the government-sanctioned displacement and deserve an immediate remedy: safe and co-planned housing facilities. 

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Glossary

Demolition: controlled destruction of a building or other structure 

Dike: a barrier usually of earth constructed to control or confine water 

Displacement: the act of removing someone/something from the usual or proper place

Dredge: to remove an accumulation of fine gravels or soils that have been washed into rivers from surrounding land, usually done for flood prevention though often ineffective

Flood Control Project: the process of reducing the effects that flooding has on towns, villages, and other municipalities through engineering methods

Low-Lying Land: land at an elevation (height) close to sea level

Sanitation System: a system that promotes cleanliness and hygiene through a process such as trash removal or sewage disposal

Sea Level: the average height of the ocean 

Viral: refers to a virus, or an agent that multiplies within a living being to create an illness