Philippines’ Marcos accused of hiding Manila’s poor behind art for Asean summit

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s administration has been accused of trying to conceal Manila’s urban poverty by clearing street vendors and homeless people along key routes ahead of next week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.

Antonio Tinio, deputy minority floor leader of the House of Representatives representing the ACT Teachers Party List, claimed on Monday that authorities had launched operations to displace poor communities across the capital to present a “sanitised” version of the city, The Manila Times reported.

Tinio said it mirrored the controversial beautification campaigns orchestrated five decades ago by the president’s parents, Ferdinand Marcos Snr and former first lady Imelda Marcos.

“Five decades after Imelda Marcos whitewashed Manila’s slums for the Miss Universe pageant, the IMF–World Bank meeting and the papal visit, her son is staging the exact same production,” Tinio said.

Street vendors beneath the Light Rail Transit Line 1 and informal settlers near the Manila Film Centre in Pasay City were cleared alongside stalls surrounding Baclaran Church in neighbouring Paranaque City, according to The Manila Times.

Paranaque City mayor Edwin Olivarez said operations in his jurisdiction were intended to ease traffic congestion, keep roads free of obstruction and ensure a clear, orderly environment for both residents and visitors during the summit, according to local outlet Manila Bulletin.

Olivarez added that displaced vendors would be allowed to return after the summit provided they follow local sanitation and zoning regulations.

Tinio also criticised the installation of temporary public artwork and partitions along summit routes.

“It is the height of irony that the works of Filipino artists, including our national artists, are being weaponised to hide hunger and homelessness from visiting dignitaries,” Tinio said.

“Poverty is not an eyesore to be fenced off from view. It is the direct result of decades of anti-people policies,” he added. “Hoisting tarpaulins and displaying artwork will not feed a single displaced vendor’s family.”

Tinio urged the Marcos administration to accelerate social housing programmes, demanding that the Asean national organising council and local government units immediately compensate displaced vendors and workers and guarantee the vendors’ unconditional return.

Malacanang Palace defended the operations on Tuesday, framing them as essential security preparations ahead of the arrival of foreign guests.

“It is very important for us to show that we are a country capable of providing adequate security for the leaders coming to our country. And we must showcase … the hospitality inherent in Filipinos,” Palace press officer Claire Castro told reporters. “So, there shouldn’t be any other issues discussed or politicised here; rather, we should be discussing the positive impact of the Philippines hosting the Asean summit.”

Asked why the operations were launched so close to the event and whether they would continue after the summit, Castro said that security was the top priority.

“The cleanliness of our surroundings is not just the government’s responsibility, but the entire citizenry’s. Right now, the reason there are clearing operations is because this is a security matter,” she said.

In response to the disruption, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said it would distribute financial aid and food parcels to affected vendors in Pasay City, the state-run Philippine Information Agency reported.

“We know that the temporary suspension of businesses is difficult for our people,” said department assistant secretary Irene Dumlao. “They no longer need to worry because we will coordinate with the Pasay local government to determine if there are other vendors affected in the area.”

The summit is scheduled to take place in Manila from November 16 to 18. US President Donald Trump is expected to attend, marking his second appearance at the regional gathering. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is also slated to undertake a state visit around the summit – the first by a sitting Brazilian president to the country, according to the Philippine News Agency.

The National Capital Region Police Office said on Tuesday it would maintain heightened alert levels and intelligence coordination with the armed forces and other government agencies throughout the event.