Decongesting Metro Manila

Metro Manila continues to be one of the most congested cities in the world. Its urbanization rate has been phenomenal. With only 3.9 million residents in 1970, it grew by almost three-fold in two decades to 9.2 million. Today, if we include Cavite and Laguna, total population is almost 20 million.

As the 18th largest metropolitan area in the world, and one of the largest in the Asia-Pacific area, the population density of the National Capital Region is over 15,600 persons per square kilometer. Navotas has one of the densest at 88,617 people per sq. km.

This is putting additional and unwarranted pressure on the government’s already critical fiscal position. In terms of mitigating traffic flow, for instance, wider and more complex road structures have to be built to ensure the smooth run of vehicles within the metropolis.

Limitations to building Metro Manila’s road network remain the biggest challenge to its rapid urbanization. Aside from expensive right-of-way costs, the national road cannot be extended to more than 720 kilometers.

As of end 2004, some 1.8 million vehicles were estimated to be plying the metropolis road system. With an increase in vehicles of over eight percent annually, traffic on major thoroughfares is seen to almost stand still by 2012 if no additional mass transit system is introduced.

Housing and health challenge

Housing also continues to be a big challenge to the National Government. The National Statistics Office puts the shelter backlog in the NCR at 2.22 million housing units as of end 2004, with 336,000 new houses needed every year to be able to catch up with the burgeoning urban population.

Despite the generous incentives that the government is already giving to encourage investments in its mass-housing program, real estate developers are complaining of the limited areas where they could expand. For the homeless to buy new housing units, these must be conveniently accessible to a mass transit system linked to job centers, often found in the heart of the metropolis.

Likewise, in areas that have access to the existing mass transportation network, the land value has increased to proportions that make it impossible for low- and medium-cost housing units to be affordable to those who need houses.

Then, there is the cost of increasing health care, estimated by the Asian Development Bank at $392 million every year since 2001 arising from the continued high level of harmful emissions from public and private land vehicles.

This observation is supported by the growing number of respiratory ailments among residents in the highly urbanized communities of Metro Manila. Coupled with the high cost of medication, no wonder the congestion problem in the country’s capital region continues to be high in the current government’s agenda.

Linking the suburbs to the center

If the government is serious about its goal to decongest Metro Manila, it needs to prioritize the development of a mass transport system not only within the metropolis but one that will ferry people from the far-off suburbs to the centers of work.

According to Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, who also chairs the House oversight committee, aside from the health and housing imperatives, a mass transport system anchored on intermodal stations located in strategic areas outside Metro Manila will even address the high cost of petroleum.

One light rail transit module can displace some 20,000 buses and result in fuel savings of $100 million a year. The trains running on tracks use electricity that can be fueled by alternative and renewable power forms other than oil-based.

The Department of Transportation and Communications has laid out an ambitious transport infrastructure plan that pinpoints six provincial intermodal stations connected to the metropolis centers by five big billion-dollar rail projects.

Currently, Suarez says that the MRT—7 project linking SM City in Quezon City to San Jose, Bulacan is already in its advanced stage of development, and could start by next year. A consortium of international engineering companies has already submitted a proposal to the government.

The $2-billion project has two major components: one is the construction of a 22-kilometer primarily elevated light rail transit from Tala, Bulacan to North Avenue in QC; and the other is the development of a 174-hectare commercial and residential complex around the designated intermodal station.

Suarez points out that this will bring development to the north of Luzon. With land on that side of the country still relatively cheaper, real estate developers could come up with enticingly affordable house-and-lot packages for people who have to commute to Makati or Manila to work.

The intermodal stations would also entice people not to bring their vehicles inside the metropolis. By 2011, according to Suarez, if no new mass transport carriers are developed, there will be six million vehicles clogging Metro Manila streets.

Other intermodal models are being considered in Marilao in Bulacan, Santolan and Taytay in Rizal, and Bacoor in Cavite. According to Suarez, several local groups had already pledged commitment to developing housing subdivisions around intermodal stations.

With MRT — 7, about four million people are expected to move out of the highly congested sectors of Metro Manila within the next four years. This could effectively slow down the flow of migrants from the provinces, and stem the worsening congestion of the metropolis.

The plan sounds and looks good. What is now left for government to do is muster the will to implement the plan. In the meantime, we urbanites might want to start getting used to riding a bike to work, just in case traffic in Metro Manila from too many road vehicles comes to a standstill.

Soon poker tournaments in davao

In Davao, just like in many parts of the country, the game of poker is being played in private places and residences, and whenever there are gatherings of friends, relatives or colleagues in the profession, or fund raising events for charity or other social activities.

Intent in elevating the status of the game, Pagcor president and COO Rafael "Butch" Francisco is pursuing the promotion of poker, the mind game, and is considering the inclusion of the game as an additional service offering at Casino Filipino sites all over the country. He believes that with Pagcor’s active participation and involvement will spread the game’s popularity and ensure that high standard of international play will be safeguarded as more and more enthusiasts play the game.

The Poker Club of the Philippines, in cooperation with Casino Filipino Davao headed by branch manager Arthur O. Malatag, is currently testing the level of acceptance and interest of poker in Davao City. In preparation of positive findings, Pagcor’s Dennis Dacanay, who has been involved in training professional poker dealers since last year, is conducting an intensive training program to prepare Casino Filipino Davao for its first poker tournament to be conducted during the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) on Jan. 13-21, 2006.

A successful launch of poker tournaments in Davao City as part of its tourism events will definitely advance further the aspiration of the Philippines to be the hub of international poker competitions in the region, a common objective being pursued by the Poker Club of the Philippines and Pagcor, the gaming authority.

For more details about ongoing poker activities, visit www.PokerClubofthePhilippines.com or call the secretariat (c/o Cindy) at 817-9092 or 816-6195.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 4th Floor, 156 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected] or at [email protected]. If you wish to view the previous columns, you may visit my website at http://bizlinks.linkedge.biz.