Transforming Metro Manila

BY Donald Goertzen

During a Power Point presentation in October, Environmental Attorney Antonio "Tony" Oposa remarked on how unfortunate it is that the model for urban living in the Philippines is Los Angeles, California and not Manhattan, New York. In Manhattan people can meet all there needs – shopping, entertainment, school, and work – by getting around on foot, bicycle, subway, and the occasional taxi. In Los Angeles two cars per family is the norm. It’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity.

That the U.S. would provide so many models for the Philippines is indeed unfortunate, but almost inevitable given the forced occupation by the U.S. for half a century and the fact that the Philippine elite is educated in the U.S. Aside from Los Angeles as the model for urban transportation, we also have homes with windows so small – in a tropical climate – that aircon becomes a necessity. And then there’s our U.S.-trained police and military...

I do take issue with how a lot of things are done here in the Philippines, but as an American citizen I also fault my own nation and culture for foisting itself and its way of doing things on so much of the rest of the world.

During the November 7 Araw Ng Siklista I was thrilled when we veered into Intramuros. A thousand-strong, we cycled down the cobble stone streets past the National Cathedral and San Augustin Church. I hadn’t expected that Old City Manila would be part of our route. And this reminded me of my two visits to Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

On both my visits my hosts invited me to join them for cycling trips in and around Amsterdam, probably my favourite city in the world. It’s a compact city where virtually everyone owns not one, but two bicycles. One is usually a one-speed heavy duty clunker used for the daily commute to work, school, or market. It is stashed willy-nilly in the common basement or underneath the stairs every evening after use. If it is stolen – and my hosts reminded me that Amsterdam’s high crime rate is mostly about bicycle theft – it’s not a big loss. The second is typically a snazzy multi-speed bike that is carefully locked in the basement or kept in the apartment hanging from ceiling hooks and usually only taken out on Sundays.

One other note, not only is Amsterdam a compact city, when the city ends, it ends. As we cycled out of the city, one moment there was urban development, the next moment we were in farm country. One did not see mile after mile of housing developments and strip malls. The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world – despite several decades of zero population growth – and farm land is at a premium. It’s not covered over by tarmac and concrete.

So, Amsterdam is another model. Transforming the Californicated cities of Metro Manila to something akin to Amsterdam is probably a multi-generational task. But we can start now by demanding that pedestrian paths and bike lanes be part of its redevelopment. More thoughts on transformation next time.

Donald Goertzen is an avid cyclist and a member of CYCAD.  Be a cycling advocate, Email Jun of CYCAD - cyclingadvocates@yahoo.com 

Photo Courtesy of CYCAD