Espasyo, Para Kanino?: Negotiating Interests in the Public Space of Quiapo Commercial District, Manila

Abstract

This study is an inquiry into the effect of interpersonal relationships between street vendors, formal businesses, and state forces toward street vendors’ occupancy of public spaces, specifically the Quiapo Commercial District, to preserve their livelihoods. Using Kusaka’s (2017) concept of the Dual Public Sphere where the middle class and the urban poor negotiate their identities through the contact zone and Dovey & Recio’s (2024) explanation of the spatial logic that shows the interdependence of formal and informal parts of the city, this study sought to discover the perceived interdependencies between the three groups. Using semi-structured interviews, documentary review, and site observation, this study also aimed to trace the process of negotiation between the three groups and its corresponding effects on the livelihood of street vendors and overall order of public space. Results have found that vendors have a stronger chance of securing their space if the state forces, especially the barangay officials, legitimize their presence despite the lack of permit from the Manila City Government.