8/10/2019 Trapped in Concrete Jungles (Revised)

1/2

Trapped in Concrete Jungles?BusinessWorld ColumnSeptember 21, 2014Hansley A. Juliano

I wouldnt really call myself a fan of the singer Alicia Keys. Nevertheless, hearing her 2010 trackEmpire State of Mind Part II (Broken Down) while riding to work always makes me wonder why most cities are becoming cookie-cutter in appearance, level of access and problems . Weaccept the creation of concrete jungle[s] where dreams are made of as our driver of socialmobility. Perhaps we should question this, considering the lamentable situation oftransportation and mobility in Metro Manila to date.

As someone who grew up with (and continues riding) jeepneys, tricycles and open-air buses, Iactually have a fond memory of public transportation. In contrast to most public transportationsystems worldwide ( mostly Western European ones, if their citizens stories are to be believed) where detachment and non-interaction seems enforced, public transportation in the Philippinespositively reflects Filipino openness and solidarity. Opportunities for socialization areprioritized over open spaces. International exchange students I interact with are usually

surprised as to how brimming with life most of our public utility vehicles are flowing with thestories of many people daily.

Nonetheless, this cannot excuse the horrendous traffic, mobility and space managementproblem we have now. I would like to think I understand the frustration of our kababayans,considering how all existing problems seem to have simultaneously dog-piled on the haplesscommuters. The daily traffic gridlock across our major expressways (both the NLEX and theSLEX), increasingly frequent breakdowns of MRT and LRT lines, the opening and reassignmentof terminal stations for jeepneys and buses, inefficient and uncomfortable walking spaces formany, all contribute to myriad ills plaguing employees, students and families every day.

A quick glance at government policy in the utilization of transportation lines suggest that their

priority is continued support of the transfer of goods across ports and trade spaces,demonstrated by the recent lifting of truck bans being pushed for by Transportation SecretaryJoseph Emilio Abaya, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson and Trade Secretary GregoryDomingo. 1 The belief is that access of roads for business-oriented purposes will not contributetoo much to traffic, even if the experience of many commuters at the moment suggest otherwise.

Yet the consensus that port congestion and traffic = economic growth has already beenquestioned worldwide, especially by articles in The Atlantic Group s website on global urbandevelopment CityLab .2 Adding to this, sale of second-hand cars across the metropolis continuesat a disturbingly-massive rate, considering the fact that most of these cars have been allegedlyprocured via technical smuggling through our special economic zones (most notorious in recent years being Cagayans Port Irene), and the fact that the law punishing dubious second-handsales, Presidential Decree No. 1612 (The Anti-Fencing Law of 1979) arguably needs updating.

Lest this be accused an Imperial Manila-centric whine, the developmental strategy almost alllocal government units in the country pursue at the moment is urbanization and inviting privateinvestment to utilize available land and space. You will be hard-pressed to find a highly

1 See: http://www.interaksyon.com/business/92683/malacanang-drafting-order-to-temporarily-lift-manila-truck-ban-in-select-areas2 See: http://www.citylab.com/commute/2013/10/how-traffic-congestion-impacts-economic-growth/7310/

8/10/2019 Trapped in Concrete Jungles (Revised)

2/2

urbanized city that does not have at least an Ayala Mall or SM , around three or five branches of Jollibee, McDonalds, Chowking, Burger King, Shakeys, Mang Inasa l and other majorrestaurants/fast-foods. In attracting patrons, they have also become the major linchpins oftraffic flows during rush hour periods across the day.

The increasingly-privatized nature of space allocation (or its treatment as such) is readily visiblein small and vast examples. How many of us have been guilty of owning a car, parking it in asidewalk and thus depriving pedestrians of safe walking paths? How many of us have chosen to bring out our family sedan or gasoline-guzzling SUVs as our protective bubbles to hellish roadconditions, subsequently contributing another vehicle to the parking -lot traffic gridlock ofevery day? How many of these private establishments actually provide enough parking spacesand not simply rely on the outside sidewalks?

The encroachment of private establishments in our day-to-day life are now normal, such that wedo not even question that almost all of the spaces we inhabit are pieces to a real-life game ofMonopoly played by our countrys richest. The fact that we take deteriorating public spaces forgranted despite our frustrations suggests we are in the dark as to how government neglect ofspace management translates to negative living spaces for the lower income brackets.

This is not just neglectful policy implementation. I say most Filipinos like us have been broughtup to accept and sustain a form of urbanization obsessed by the glitz of shopping malls insteadof fostering public spaces. Subsequently, the officials we elect and appoint simply allocate mostof our lands and spaces to yet more commercial structures, even at the cost of driving offresidents or surrounding vulnerable residential areas with high-rise buildings, a loomingshadow being cast by monuments to wealth on their day-by-day subsistence.

Needless to say, private cabals of urban space at the cost of decent transit options for citizenshave to be challenged. Local officials might actually want to ask whether their existing localeconomies are driven by products and businesses managed domestically and bringing in income,or merely due outsider investments which only bring back the bulk of the profits back to their

home-bases. We must begin questioning whether hundreds of condominiums are actually beingutilized by a population whose income is growing, or merely by people who have too manyproperties as it is. Our government managers will have to propose that the state take an activepart in investing and managing public systems as well as constructing the spaces for leisurethat everyone can access.

Unfortunately, our economic managers are either unwilling to lift a finger on this end or are bad at execution (if planned selloffs o f the MRT and San Miguels NAIA Expressway sayanything). As a colleague once lamented, it is impractical to expect government to pursueregulatory policy when it does not believe it (whether on a policy level or due to personal benefit).

Hansley A. Juliano serves as a part-time lecturer to the Department of Political Science, Schoolof Social Sciences, Ateneo de Manila University. He is also engaged in research and advocacy for various sectoral issues (such as labour rights and agrarian reform).