What Mayor Isko can learn from the Sydney Harbor model for Manila Bay

Each cosmopolitan city is a gem. Bangkok, Tokyo, Paris, Sydney are polished gems, but Manila, let alone Metro Manila is not. Tourists expect a red carpet welcome, meeting courteous and pleasant people, finding clean washrooms, an efficient transport system, decent and reasonably priced accommodation at three-star hotels, and a safe environment. Visitors are disappointed because our natural and cultural landscape has been obliterated alongside its rich history. Investments prioritize high-rise condos and malls, making our heritage churches and monument insignificant, instead of contributing to their upkeep and preservation. Tourists are disappointed and get the impression that we are uncultured, unenlightened, and common. Now we have the young Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno who is determined to bring back historical Manila.

How Olympics 2000 restructured Sydney

Usually, it takes a worldwide event like the Olympics or a gathering of international heads of state like APEC to arouse a country to transform its capital city. For Olympics 2000, Australia won the tough world bidding competition, and quickly began construction as early as 1993. The plans were so precise that the suburb of Homebush on the Parramatta River, only 16 kilometers away from the city center, cleared away factories and an entire naval base station in the site. The Main State Sports Center (with an 80,000 seating capacity) and the Aquatic Center were also quickly set up. They were open to the public in 1995. Tour buses took adults (at Au$5) and children (at Au$2.50) to the site. An off-season round trip by the efficient Australian Railways costs Au$1.80 during that time. After Olympics 2000, the whole area was converted to low cost housing villages.

The exciting history of Manila Bay and Sydney Harbor

Today, the most talked about city in the eastern hemisphere is Sydney. As the plane descends, the white giant oyster Opera House greets the visitors. This iconic structures designed by a Danish architect Jørn Utzon is set against the blue bays and coves of Sydney Harbor. It is truly one of the most unforgettable panoramas of world tourism.

Sydney Harbor and Manila Bay have so much in common. While Sydney Harbor has the historical Rock, where British convicts were unloaded in 1870 by three great fleets, Manila Bay has the American military defense bastion – the Corregidor Rock. Here, General MacArthur and his aide, Dwight Eisenhower, planned the defense of Manila from the Japanese invasion with Commonwealth President Manuel Quezon and his Cabinet men.

Murderers, thieves and drunks made up the life in Sydney Rock particularly at King’s Cross which is like our Ermita-type district bars and girlie discos. The city plan was only laid out after 25 years, during Governor Lachlan Macquarie’s administration.

Manila’s fabled treasures from Spanish and American eras

Before the war, Manila was one of the fabled cities of Asia. It was the crown of the whole country, which had then only more than two million Filipinos 1960 and for the first time, she was free from deficit. The population grew to eight million in 1990 and now it is 13,698,899. The Manila harbor was busy with international trade. Manila paper, the thick Manila abaca rope, and the Tabacalera cigars, were popular all over the world. In 1959, when we resided in Saigon, the land and transport officer who gave me a driving test recalled that the “huge” Sta. Ana cabaret was so much fun.

Manila Bay is set against Intramuros, Fort Santiago and Rizal Park where the national hero Jose Rizal was sentenced to death as a “traitor” to Spain. This is the Spanish phase of our history. The beautiful boulevard alongside the nearby Manila Hotel is of American vintage. At one time, it was named after Admiral George Dewey, the American naval officer who captured Manila, and was sadly renamed Roxas Boulevard, after the short-lived President Manuel Roxas.

America sent her best planner, architect Daniel Hudson Burnham, to design Commonwealth Manila as the capital of the country. He designed the major cities of Washington D.C. including its picturesque Union Train Station, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. Known as the original builder of skyscrapers, he was the director of the 1993 Columbian Expo of Chicago, which celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of America. This “imported” genius completed the plan to include the Philippine General Hospital complex with the Nursing School off Taft Avenue, the main road that cuts through the old Manila from the Post Office to San Andres circle down to Vito Cruz Street. Note that the art deco façade of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum complex is similar to that of the New York Metropolitan Theater.

Behind the Nursing School along Padre Faura Street, is another set of handsome buildings – the Justice Department, the University of the Philippines, etc. crowning the Ermita District. Along the opposite side was Dewey Boulevard promenade and the Luneta Park. Along side the Luneta are the stately looking Senate and Finance buildings now converted to the National Museum complex. Today, only one place carries the name of this extraordinary architect, the popular Baguio City landmark, Burnham Park.

Beaches alongside culture

The famous beach area of Manly and Bondi are across the Sydney Bay. Four efficient ferryboats regularly bring people here and the Taronga open-air zoo. This could be Corregidor and Mariveles, Bataan. The reorganization of our local beaches along Parañaque and Cavite can easily match the spacious Manly and Bondi areas.

The Sydney Opera House Complex can be likened to the Cultural Center, PICC, and Folk Arts Theater Complex, Star City and Aliw Theatre.

Government could uplift a nation with professional planning

From the ‘60s, population in cities especially in Manila surged as country people fled their farms, hoping to earn more in the city. Without foresight and a sensible town plan, the Philippines post-war mayors like Arsenio Lacson, Antonio Villegas, Ramon Bagatsing, Lito Atienza, and Joseph Estrada allowed the country folks to resettle in Manila. The legal residents were hemmed in by squatter colonies. Can Mayor Isko Moreno stand out courageously to make a difference? Local government did not have provisions for more law enforcers, proper waste disposal, an extended transport system, more schools, hospitals and markets. After almost seven decades of independence, is this all we have achieved?