How do you solve the interconnected problems of a sprawling metropolis?
Monstrous traffic gridlock, pollution, overpopulation, flooding and a runaway crime rate are only some of the problems facing 12.8 million Metro Manila residents.
Officials of the 16 cities comprising Metro Manila can’t seem to find workable solutions to ease the conditions of people who have chosen to live and work under the most challenging conditions. But stay they do because Metro Manilans are a hardy lot compared to the denizens of New York, Tokyo and other cities of the world whose populations are bursting at the seams.
With these living conditions in our cities in mind, Buhay Party List Rep. Lito Atienza filed a House bill to revive the Metro Manila Commission created during the martial law years. It may seem odd that Atienza, a street parliamentarian during those days, is now borrowing a page from the regime that he had opposed.
Atienza asks: “Why not, if that setup worked?”
The Metro Manila Commission, the precursor of the present Metro Manila Development Authority, was headed by former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos as governor. Maybe it worked because she had the full support of the then-most powerful man in the country.
Most likely, the MMC worked because it was an idea whose time had come. Its concept of seamless coordination among city mayors ensured that solutions were formulated and implemented, and one city’s problem did not spill into another’s area. For example, when Pasay City did not dispose of its garbage properly, its drainage and sewage systems became clogged. Serious flooding spilled over to Manila.
The idea of an experimental rotating MMDA head was tried by the 16 Metro Manila mayors but failed because of parochial turf and jurisdiction issues.
To solve this petty turf discord, Atienza’s bill calls for the election of a governor to preside over the unwieldy management group. Other mayors may decide to run for governor if they want or if they are encumbered by the three- term limit to seek re-election as mayor.
Atienza’s House bill could be the answer to urban planning issue. With the Duterte administration’s infrastructure program of “build, build, build,” coordination and cooperation among the city governments must be absolute.
An expressway or skyway that runs through several cities must have the clearance and full knowledge of the affected officials and their constituents. Sewage systems and flood control must also be put in place in a way that they do not cause any problem to cities next to each other. The problem of having criminals who commit a crime in one city and then flee to the next must also be resolved. Who decides jurisdiction on matters of detention and court venue?
Atienza’s bill also seeks to address the problem of mass transport system. He mulls the idea of placing the Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit operations under his proposed Metro Manila Commission. His argument for this is that both railways break down almost daily because of inept management. Transferring the management and operations of the MRT and LRT cannot get any worse under the present setup of the Department of Transportation.
At this stage, Metro Manila commuters, seeking relief from their misery of getting to and from work, would be willing to try anything. Six years under the Aquino administration and the stewardship of former Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya did not solve the choking traffic on Edsa and other major roads.
Everyone agrees that the answer is an effective mass transport system and sensible traffic management. Under Duterte’s “build, build, build” program, the people of Metro Manila are hopeful that the proposed construction of two more bridges across the Pasig River is completed before the President’s six-year term is finished.
The Guadalupe bridge on Edsa that spans the Pasig river and that connects the cities of Quezon City, San Juan and Mandaluyong to Makati and Manila is strained from the hundreds of thousands of vehicles that pass it. Perhaps it’s time to conduct a safety inspection of Guadalupe bridge’s structural foundation. This is necessary, considering residents of Metro Manila are anticipating a strong earthquake.
