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Summary A third of the Philippine population lives below the poverty line with most poor families.
Residents clashed with the police on Wednesday and prevented an attempt to demolish a shanty community razed by fire last week in Manila.They threw rocks and bottles and put up barricades to stop city hall workers from demolishing their homes. Firefighters fought back with water cannons but failed to disperse the protesting crowd who used children to prevent baton-wielding police from breaking their ranks.The riot ended when authorities halted their operations temporarily. Nobody was reported injured by the incident. Authorities banned the residents from entering the area and declared it a danger zone due to the large fire that burned more than 900 shanties and displaced thousands of residents last week. They were ordered to secure the compound.The local government has promised to relocate the affected residents, but there are those who chose to stay in their homes. Authorities say they have advised the residents still living in the burnt community since last week to flee the area as they continue their investigations into the fire.A third of the Philippine population lives below the poverty line with most poor families choosing to live in makeshift shanties made of light materials on empty lots.
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