Fixing traffic with Smart Urban Mobility
Isang pong magnanakaw!”
That, in a nutshell, was how I described traffic in my closing remarks during the recently held Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), which MPT Mobility dubbed as “MoBUILDlity 2022: Synergized. Smart. Sustainable.”
In my view — and I have been saying this ever since — traffic is like a thief because it steals from us time that we could otherwise have spent with our loved ones, time that we could otherwise use to improve or entertain ourselves, or even time for work, productivity, economic development, all the way to nation-building.
And we are being robbed without our knowing it, without being able to defend ourselves from it.
We here, living in Metro Manila, through all these years, have been besieged by traffic day in and day out. There are no more peak times where traffic is concerned — the moment you step out of your residence you are already besieged by traffic, and it seems to get worse every day.
It is something we all see and experience, and no one really is spared from this very cumbersome situation.
We could easily throw up our hands and sigh and accept that traffic is part of our day-to-day life and that there is nothing that we can do about it; but this event, this multi-stakeholder dialogue — ably hosted by the lovely Cesca Litton-Kalaw — says otherwise.
Indeed, there is something that can be done and must be done about traffic and the way we get from one point to another.
We need urban mobility that is economically and environmentally sustainable, as well as technologically efficient, and this is a subject of increasing importance as cities globally adapt to post-pandemic needs.
The worldwide trending phenomenon is towards “smart urban mobility” that makes urban settings smart, synergized and sustainable. In the Philippine context, smart urban mobility is an integration of intelligent transport and traffic systems that are seamlessly connected and are needs-responsive. It is an updated governance and policy framework that supports the public’s growing demand for mobility spurred by economic and social activities; an infusion of private equity to bring in modern infrastructure and technology; and constituent-friendly local governments who want to rebuild their cities centered on enhanced public service, economic viability and environmental care.
Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention, but after listening to the plethora of speakers that afternoon, necessity can also be the mother of innovation.
Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. president and CEO, my good friend, Rod Franco, spoke about MPTC’s very own Smart Urban Mobility infrastructure in MPT Mobility. Dr. Chin Kian Keong, chief engineer of Singapore’s Land Transport Authority, then presented the Singapore experience when it comes to smart urban mobility.
Transportation Secretary Jimmy Bautista gave a very comprehensive presentation on intelligent mobility’s contribution to the overall national transportation plan, touching not just on innovations and developments for the road but also for air and sea transport.
Santa Rosa, Laguna Mayor Arlene Arcillas spoke about the city’s roadmap to smart urban mobility, and we all know that Santa Rosa is indeed one of the more progressive cities in Southern Luzon.
Jon Canto, acting managing director of McKinsey & Company Philippines, gave a highly interesting take on market demand as a driver of local government infrastructure, while Lize de Beer, Manila Transport Planning Lead for ARUP, discussed the role of smart mobility in transforming urban transport.
ARUP is a British multinational professional services firm headquartered in London, which provides design, engineering, architecture, planning, and advisory services.
Joining Rod Franco, Dr. Chin, and Secretary Jimmy in the first panel discussion was another good friend, Rogelio “Babes” Singson, current president of the Management Association of the Philippines, as well as president and CEO of Metro Pacific Water. Babes served as the Public Works and Highways secretary for the full term of the Aquino administration.
The second panel discussion with Jon Canto and Lize de Beer, as well as Ermin Lucino of the Santa Rosa LGU (for Mayor Arcillas), was joined by Ma. Cheryl Santos, Chief of the National Quality and Competitiveness Division of the Department of Trade and Industry.
Hearing the presentations of the speakers that afternoon made us all more hopeful and grateful that all is not lost for our local urban communities.
My hats off to the speakers, as well as panel discussants, for blazing the trail, so to speak, for building smart urban mobility infrastructure that can run on the robust architecture of hardware, software, and people systems.
This is not just the concern of one sector — government, for example — but needs the involvement of all sectors to make it happen and to make it successful. Trust that this should break a lot of ground in moving this thorny, very challenging yet very fulfilling journey forward.
No single solution will get us out of the quagmire that we are in right now. It is only by joining hands — our hearts, our minds, and even our wallets — and working together that we can achieve this singular objective of bringing a good life to the Filipino people.
My thanks to Rod Franco and the MPTC team led by Pia Alimon, assistant vice president for Branding and Communications, for organizing this multi-stakeholder dialogue and for the honor of having me close the event.
Let us start smart, sustainably, and synergized to modernize the way Filipinos move.
***
Speaking about bringing a good life to the Filipino people, there is also an urgent concern right now, which is malnutrition. There is an urgent need for a nationwide nutrition intervention program for Filipino children, especially during their first 1,000 days of life, the most critical period in a child’s brain growth and development.
In this regard, The Manila Hotel and the Rotary Club Makati Central, in partnership with the Rotary District 3830 present “Yes, I Believe,” a benefit dinner concert on Saturday, Nov. 26, 6 p.m. at the Manila Hotel Tent City.
The concert will feature Isay Alvarez, Lara Maigue, Rachelle Gerodias, Former Executive Secretary Bingbong Medialdea, former Sen. Joey Lina, and myself, as well as some surprise guests.
For ticket inquiries please call +63285270011 extension 1386.
Para sa malusog na bata, malakas na bansa!
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