Tullahan River C OMM UNITY OR G. Tullahan River Alliance MUNIC IPALIT Y Quezon City EST ABLISHE D various P OP ULAT ION 8,000+ households The Tullahan River Alliance is comprised of some smaller community associations of households that reside on the banks of the Tullahan River, to the North of Quezon City in Metro Manila. The majority of member households are located within 3 metres from the riverbank and are within the easement zone where construction of dwellings is prohibited by law. Alliance members reside principally in the area of the Tullahan River immediately below the dam of La Mesa reservoir and are susceptible to severe flooding during heavy rains when authorities release large quantities of water from the Dam. The community is presented by regular threats from floodwaters and typically need to evacuate sometime each wet season. The households in the easement area are also beneficiaries under the Government’s current ‘danger areas’ resettlement programme. Most members of the Alliance source their income from artisanal home manufacturing, construction work and other forms of small entrepreneurship. Although current livelihood sources were sufficient to meet the basic needs of the community, respondents remarked that they were could not obtain private rental properties because they were unable to meet the cost and formal contractual requirements with their relatively low incomes and informal employment arrangements. There was a strong awareness of the issues that faced communities resettled outside of the city, such as access to basic services, transport infrastructure and livelihood opportunities. Respondents made it clear that resettlement to a remote site outside of the city was not a viable option for them, as they needed to be within a reasonable distance from their livelihood sources within the city. Although the Alliance was only established formally in 2011, families have been residing in the area for some time. The formal organisation of the community did not commence until the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy in 2009, which caused considerable damage to many households in the area. Some community members drowned inside their houses as they were trapped by the rising floodwaters. Respondents noted a general acknowledgment among community members that they had to be relocated 73