Urban renewal of Philippine cities, is there really any?

Question

Its all chocked in garbage, squatters live side by side with high rise complexes and the car owners dont even obey anti-pollution laws. Is there really any consicous effort for urban renewal?

Answer 1

It doesn't feel like it! Perhaps its just economics. Perhaps its corruptions. But overall most places I go are quite nice. Manila's problem is it's population density coupled with the traffic. The Philippines, specifically Luzon, remains to me as one of the most unique countries in the world because probably 10 million or more people move into Manila during the week. During Wed's mass at the perpetual novena in Quiapo over 150,000 come to pary. During All Soul's the population moves to the cemetries, and in Manila they kill for a parking space.

The main point is that the population of Luzon is directly tied to it's capital city. I suspect that Cebu and Davao are actually similiar. In this respect, the Philippines faces problems most countries do not face. I suspect the best avenue would be to expand the National Highway. Then I would also promote urban renewal or growth in the provincal capitals, and fund govenment projects outside the city to promote growth, stability, infrastructure, and to provide essential services throughout a network of cities on Luzon. Bicol seems to be trying to do this as well as Iloilo. But I think that politicians only think of spending national money on Manila and ignore too much the urban centers of the other provinces. Specificially the entire easter seaborad Luzon is undeveloped and hard to navigate. Further, issues are abound heading south into Bicol along the highway due to bandits about half way inbetween.

Another point that is important to spawn travel outside the city is to clean up the laks and rivers of the Philippines. So many are filthy now, and it just breaks my heart. My wife tells me stories of how her and her siblings would swim in the river naked that ran along their property nipa hut and play all day jumping from the trees. But today I wouldn't stand close enough to that polluted sewer to pee in it.

The main point is that urban renewal in the PI is only necessary if the pop of the main cities didn't fluxuate so much. It it was a steady population, then yes, efforts in the cities would be necessary. But the reality is that the main cities are swamped because there is now urban growth or efforts to clean up and improve and invest in provincial capitals, which sad to say remain almost or worst than they did 50 years ago.

I asked about landmarks before, and this links up to this question. In Manila Quezon was given a huge budget to Build a Capital building, like the one in the US, and money to connect the roxas and taft roads between cavite and intramurous as a major redevelopment effort, but that money was moved into agriculture. The PI leaders always seem to move money to agriculture, but to be honest, my family owns mills and hectars, and all and we don't have a clue where it's going. So corruption needs to stop.

Answer 2

We all whine how revolting the cities look with pollution and the growing communities of squatters but we all take part in our little ways in making it such. There is little conscious effort from everyone in throwing rubbish at designated places or being environmentally-friendly, and so on..

I think there is enough conscious effort in some government bodies, take for example MMDA. True, we grimace at the shockingly girly walls along EDSA. Yet we can all agree that in some ways it's a little better sight to see.

Answer 3

Cannot compare since both belong in different races and each has its own unique features. Better to compare 2 nationalities sharing the same race ... like Chinese and Taiwanese, Indian and Bangladeshi, Malaysians, Thais, Indonesians and Filipinos, etc

Answer 4

If you ask Bayani Fernando, he will say they are doing a jood job at it, with their Metro Gwapo project.

But you and I see it is very cosmetic, and does not attack the heart of the matter.

Answer 5

Unless your rich then you have special privileges . If your poor, life sucks being a Filipino.

Answer 6

not on the top priority right now. poverty and hunger precedes all else.