Pubmat by Adrianne Coloma

by Giana Bacordo

Katipunan Understory has long acted as one of the bustling area’s most vital transportation hubs. Housed under the Katipunan-Aurora flyover, it serves as a terminal for jeepneys traveling across the University Belt of Quezon City, serving thousands of commuters every day — including students from Ateneo de Manila University, Miriam College, and the University of the Philippines — throughout their daily transit.

Today, the area has become subject to the expansive urban renewal efforts of Quezon City. As a pilot city participating in the UN Environment Programme’s #GenerationRestoration initiative, the city government has recently sought to rehabilitate the area, aligning it with citywide goals regarding environmental sustainability. As cities across Metro Manila engage in similar initiatives, the Katipunan Understory becomes one of many greening projects done in pursuit of urban renewal. 

However, the implementation of these efforts has left much to be desired in the eyes of the general public. With allegations rising regarding a lack of consultation with jeepney drivers, disruption in long-established transit systems, and concerns regarding the displacement of working-class Filipinos relying on the area, questions have emerged regarding the care put into the project itself. Using the Katipunan Understory situation as a case study, it is seen that urban renewal efforts may risk harming the communities that they aim to benefit when implemented without meaningful consultation with those affected. With these issues comes a broader concern that is sure to come to the forefront as such ecological restorations become more common nationwide: How can cities expect to balance environmental priorities with pre-existing systems, especially as public disruption becomes a major risk? 

Cause for Alarm

Concerns intensified in late May when it was reported that the terminal had been partially boarded up. Through this obstruction, greater public scrutiny was drawn to the Understory’s jeepney drivers. Allegedly, they had been receiving threats of eviction since the beginning of the month, the city government having barred them from renewing their permits to occupy the area. Moreover, drivers were allegedly left uninformed regarding relocation procedures at the time.

These events garnered considerable controversy from concerned student groups, all of whom expressed solidarity with the jeepney drivers affected by the project. The League of Filipino Students (LFS) alleged that drivers had faced threats of eviction, criticizing what it described as “a lack of accountability and empty verbal promises.” Alongside this, the LFS argued that such abrupt changes, which were put into action without incorporating any substantial involvement with jeepney drivers, would further jeopardize their precarious socioeconomic positions, especially given the recent oil and gas price hikes. 

Similar concerns were echoed by One Big Fight for Human Rights and Democracy (OBFHRD), which questioned whether the project truly served the greater good of the community. According to them, in addition to jeepney operators, small-scale vendors in the area would be displaced by the rehabilitation. Meanwhile, Atenean student publication Matanglawin commented on the developments happening in the area regarding the closure of the Understory’s U-turn slot, which some cautioned would worsen congestion in the already traffic-prone Katipunan. Altogether, it is seen that the project’s implementation — especially regarding displacement and consultation — has become a recurring concern for the affected communities.

On June 10, jeepney drivers along Understory were officially relocated amidst the rehabilitation efforts. As an alternative, terminal areas were transferred within the same area — a temporary displacement, according to the city hall, lasting only as long as the project implementation is held. Even then, this disruption has created fear among commuters for the loss of a long-established transport hub, especially given the large number of students relying on such a system for their daily commutes. Especially given the heavy traffic in the Katipunan area, further barricades to jeepney access may even exacerbate congestion. 

Government Response

In the words of Quezon City government officials, it was stated that “there has never been an intention to remove jeepney operators and drivers from the area.” Moreover, they have continually reaffirmed the fact that the project is not designed to permanently displace jeepney operators from the area. Both the city government and the MMDA have affirmed that public transportation services will continue over the course of project implementation, albeit through temporary loading and terminal arrangements. 

Seemingly in response to the concerns raised by the aforementioned student groups regarding a lack of coordination with jeepney drivers, Quezon City officials and other project stakeholders coordinated with stakeholders such as the Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association — specifically, Balara Katipunan and Tambucho. During these meetings, they reportedly aligned on topics of contention such as potential displacement, relocation of loading and terminal areas, and the continuity of transportation services.  The parties also agreed to work closely together to ensure the smooth implementation of the rehabilitation program while minimizing disruptions to public transportation services in the area. Despite these assurances, concerns regarding stakeholder participation remain. As expressed by the student group OBFHRD, consultation with the concerned government units remains shallow and insufficient despite the meetings hosted by the city government. 

Regarding city motivations, Quezon City has continually framed the initiative as part of a national effort to improve public spaces in accordance with MMDA’s Urban Re-greening and Renewal Program. As the city government stated, the rehabilitation aims to transform Understory into a ”safer, more orderly, and greener public space for the benefit of the community.” All over Metro Manila, such urban transformation projects have taken place, emphasizing its position as a government priority. 

At the same time, however, these projects tell a story of competing priorities, especially in the realm of urban development. With this, questions are raised — how can these projects accommodate both environmental rehabilitation and the working-class affected by such an overhaul? The situation at Understory showcases that the costs of immediate redevelopment largely fall on jeepney drivers, vendors, and commuters. The fact that so many populations rely on these existing precedents proves that project implementation should largely remain community-oriented.

As of June 2026, rehabilitation work at the Katipunan Understory continues, with jeepney terminal areas temporarily relocated. Government agencies have assured the public that transportation services will remain operational, the ongoing construction intended solely to benefit Quezon City as a whole. Whether or not these assurances will come to fruition remains to be seen. Even the short-term results of this project prove one thing: that even national priorities need to be handled responsibly and transparently, especially when they have the potential to disproportionately affect working-class Filipinos.