By Architect-Urban Planner Felino A. Palafox, Jr.
Today, 16 March 2021, we celebrate the 500th anniversary since the Western world has discovered the Philippines. By addressing corruption, criminality, and climate change, we also lift ourselves from the ills of poverty, pollution, too much politics and the police, transportation and traffic, housing and health, education, environment, infrastructure, and incompetence, among others. It is with great pride that our country now joins the ranks of the top 20 economies of the world. It is indeed quite an amazing national feat, which all started with electing the right leaders just six years ago in 2016.
That is an introduction I would wish to write in the future, specifically in 2021. I like to believe that the Philippines can make it to the top 20 economies of the world. We still have several weeks before the 2016 elections to seriously think about the future of our country and choose the right leaders.
In my observation of progressive nations, I concluded that their success can be attributed to five factors, namely: visionary leadership, political will, good planning, good design, and good governance. All of these ingredients are needed to create positive change in the next six years and beyond.
In my previous speaking engagements, I shared my development vision for the Philippines, which hopefully could be achieved on its 500th year in 2021. This vision plan is created to inspire future leaders and show the people not just fantastic ideas but also doable solutions.
Postcards from the future
In our professional practice at Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture Group, we make sure to go out of our office and observe our immediate community and the larger context of our cities. Our architects, planners, engineers, and designers take pictures of the uglification of our cities and re-imagine them as renewed places for people. We call these “Postcards from the future”.
Some of the key themes arising from this exercise include:
Creation of growth centers outside of Metropolitan Manila. In 2000, a Harvard study showed that Metro Manila is one of the fastest growing metropolises in the world at 60 persons per hour, due mainly to in-migration. Delhi, India’s largest city and one of the most populated in the world, grows at 47 persons per hour.
In my years as a student in Harvard, I made a study called Manila Megalopolis wherein I proposed that growth centers outside the metropolis should be identified and developed as counter magnets to the already congested Metropolitan Manila. The Philippine economy focuses heavily in this area with 40% of businesses located in Metro Manila. Businesses should be encouraged to move outside of the city, or at least have a satellite office, for the purpose of continuity.
To improve the way our cities and towns are built and continue to grow, each region has to look for an appropriate mix of development options, and apply the best urban design within the context, and scale of both the greater region and the neighborhood.
Inclusionary Zoning: Mixed-income housing. Cities should also be able to accommodate people of all income levels. Affordable, mixed-income neighborhoods enable the poorest of the poor, the middle class working professionals, and the rich to have equal access to amenities/privileges that the livable city provides. Elsewhere in the world, 80% of developments are for people who “can afford” and 20% are allocated for the urban poor. Many of those who avail low-cost housing within the city are senior citizens who want to be able to live near their grandchildren, while the parents (working professionals) are busy with their jobs. These types of neighborhoods are not just mixed-income, but cross-generational as well.
Disaster-resilient communities. One of the most important parts of the recommendations that we sent Malacañang in 2010 after the devastation of Ondoy and the earthquake in Haiti was a 10-year program. To be accomplished from 2010 to 2020, the program is an initial plan and tentative scheme toward safer cities, towns, and communities. The government must promote flood-proof, fireproof and earthquake resistant measures by designating open spaces as evacuation places in urban areas, develop and strengthen urban facilities which can be used as comfortable disaster-proof living zones by creating individual citizen awareness for disaster prevention and response.
Among the adaptation and mitigation measures proposed by Palafox Associates is the regular deepening of silted lakes, rivers, creeks, and other waterways, coupled with pollution abatement measures and proper solid waste management. This way, our water bodies can hold more floodwater and reduce flood levels. In line with this, the hills and mountains near the catch basins should be reforested to help absorb more floodwater. But more importantly, however, is the need to update Daniel Burnham’s 1905 plan for Metro Manila, the 2004 MMEIRS Report, the 1976-1977 Mmetroplan, and the 2003 Manila Megalopolis Concept Plan 2020 I submitted to Harvard to serve as guidelines for the LGUs, national government, and the citizens to follow.
Humanizing our streets. Among the most crucial things that our cities should immediately address is urban mobility and the efficient but humane development of road networks. The main objectives here are travel time and road density. What the people need is the ability to go to places in the least possible time. As he saves time, he is able to spend it on other things like leisure and more time for family and friends. So, it is important to strictly layout a mass transport system such a Bus Rapid Transit system, an improved MRT system, and proper loading and unloading zones for jeepneys and tricycles. In this manner, the need for private vehicles does not become a priority.
Building more skyways is like cheating on your diet by loosening your belt. During rush hour, the average speed in EDSA is three-kilometers-per-hour, while the average walking speed is five-kilometers-per-hour. The key is to allocate more share of the road for walking, biking, and mass transport. In our projects, we always propose the rule of thirds for the design of roads: 1/3 for pedestrians (walkways and bicycle lanes), 1/3 for moving traffic (public and private transport) and 1/3 for trees and landscaping.
Revive the rivers and waterways. In a macro scale, we should rethink how to appreciate our natural catch basins: our rivers and esteros. The current practice of treating our waterways as “back of the house", as in the case with most developments along our rivers here in Metro Manila, encourages the indiscriminate disposal of untreated industrial and domestic waste into the river. More than trash, development along the water systems has narrowed it and consequently affects its capacity to hold more water. During the downpour of Ondoy, the rivers of Pasig, Marikina, and San Juan were at full capacity. The first persons who were affected by the heavy rains are those who lived and built their homes along the waterways.
Before any redevelopment could happen in reviving our waterfronts, the government should strictly enforce the existing laws regarding easements, buffer zones and non-buildable areas along the river. Through proper enforcement, various developments can be made possible. Such as being able to create pedestrian walkways and recreational parks, and being able to revive our age old river transport system, among others. The biggest impact of the enforcement of easements, however, are putting people out of danger during extreme flooding.
Conclusion
The Philippines is so blessed. It should be a great nation. Our country is first in the world in marine biodiversity, sailors, and call centers; second in geothermal energy and BPOs; third longest coastline; fourth in gold reserves and ship building; fifth in all other mineral resources; and 12th in human resources
For more than 300 years, the Philippines was the Asia Pacific hub of Spanish Europe, 50 years the Americans, four years the Japanese, and two years the British. The Philippines is 400 times the size of Singapore, 350 times of Hong Kong, eight times of Taiwan, and three times of South Korea.
The 21st century will be the 'Asian Century'. From the century of nations, the Asian century will be known as the 'century of cities'. In the old world system, trade and dialogue of cultures used to dominantly converge in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. But today there is a shift. With the booming population and the emergence and rise of new markets and industries in Asia, the Asia Pacific is fast becoming the world's center of trade. If you rotate the map of the world, our country is in the strategic center of Asia Pacific.
Despite all these blessings, our country remains poor and less developed because of corruption, criminality, and climate change not being addressed more effectively. In the coming elections, we have the opportunity to elect leaders who see the great potentials of our country, and have the vision and political will to bring the Philippines well into the 21st century.