The invisibles that occupy EDSA

The invisibles that occupy EDSA | Daily Tribune

Traffic can open your eyes and let you see the invisible people on the road. When you slow down to a crawl on a main thoroughfare such as Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), you see half-naked folks emerging from under the elevated Metro Railway Transit (MRT) Line 3 and crossing six lanes of road to get to the other side. We see them — but we do not really see them.

These are the homeless who have taken refuge under the MRT-3, and they are growing in numbers. More importantly, these are no longer homeless individuals but whole families occupying public infrastructure. The homeless have found a home in the middle of the road.

When they cross, they are oblivious to the dangers of the moving vehicles. Indeed, what harm can a four-wheel vehicle traveling at EDSA speed inflict on someone who has nothing to lose?

For two-wheel riders like me, it is a different story as the ability to filter the scenes means more speed relative to four-wheel vehicles.

As I duck-walked in traffic on my not-so-trusty Husqvarna over the weekend, I observed that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) was already removing the MRT’s homeless and their assets.

Yes, the homeless also have possessions, which could range from cardboard that serve as their beds to aluminum pots to cook their food on a makeshift fire pit. The MMDA hauling truck was already filled to the brim with the confiscated debris, but the evicting team still had a few kilometers to go. They would need another truck.

Mind you, this scene of urban enforcement unfolded on a Saturday morning. Riding back from the North 36 hours later, however, I was greeted by the just-evicted homeless returning with their possessions. They really have nowhere to go.

Homelessness is not new to Metro Manila, and we had seen them occupy the areas below the railways in the past. Even those who are not homeless utilize this common area to park their vehicles or house their animals, whether dogs or gamecocks.

When the economy grew faster in the last decade, the homeless left these public spaces or at least their numbers were reduced.

In recent years, they have come back with a vengeance. This invasion of public infrastructure by the homeless has become pervasive and persistent. It is also a visual symptom of a deeper and more sinister problem — poverty.

High inflation in recent years and unemployment that is creeping slowly have cut the purchasing power of a good chunk of domestic consumers.

From a low of 3.8 percent in 2024, the unemployment rate has crept back up to 4.2 percent in 2025. Wallets are not empty, but they are significantly impaired.

While it may be biased, my personal observation of the traffic density in most malls in December (excluding the road rage incident at Riverbanks) is that it was similar to the previous year, if not more tolerable. In other words, consumption is not booming yet.

This is supported by the survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released last month, which reflected a shift to a negative consumer confidence index (CCI) for the fourth quarter of 2025.

As I squeeze the throttle, my motorcycle accelerates and my side mirror view of the invisible people that call EDSA their home quickly fades and eventually disappears.

Economic levers such as the policy rates and fiscal budget are similarly being squeezed by policymakers to coax our economy to increase speed. But as the GDP gains momentum, the homeless should not fade from our view. Unless we help them rejoin the economy, they will become a permanent part of the public infrastructure just like before with the Philippine National Railway tracks.