Narrative of the Pier

“Locating ourselves in the center of en masse urbanization….” Matnog, Sorsogon, Philippines, primarily a coastal area is not exempted from this socio-cultural shift. And in these changes, people, specifically that of the eight Girls, ages 14 to 18 years old living in the periphery of the coast, begin to question this condition of urbanization that has only created varied and severe strands of poverty in their area. “I look at their photographs and listen to their narrative....” Using Alice McIntyre's photovoice, the Girls took photographs of spaces that represent the concepts of poverty and development. I let them speak of these spaces and they begin to talk about “development” and “poverty,” focusing on the existence of the Pier, the Coast and that of their lives. “Spatiality of the Pier....” Taking the postmodern lens, guided by Edward Soja's notions on spatiality is an attempt to view the unfolding of tensions emanating from urban spaces and their representations. The Pier and that of other spaces become the discursive arena that conjugate non-recognition of positions and conditions between the concepts of “poverty” and “development.” With the Pier as the most imposing space emerges ambiguity and blurry vision affect how the Girls perceive, conceive and live in and along these spaces. Development as assumed to be an existing and workable paradigm through urbanization promise alteration of their condition does not exist for them. What happens is that “poverty” becomes the constant wherein time and space are in crisis; and, the spatiality of the Girls becomes fragmented and pulverized. “IT”: For urbanization as a development agenda does not fulfill its promise to the Girls of Matnog, Sorsogon and to us. This knowledge as conceptualized for them place them in a position and state where they no longer recognize what development is. In this discourse, development, urbanization and spaces that represent them all becomes (in)visible that have become (un)recognizable and (un)familiar for the Girls and for us. This (non)recognition place all these concepts and spaces as an IT.