Most of the victims of flooding and landslides spawned by the tropical storm live in slum-like conditions. They are the most vulnerable to disasters and are the victims of a poorly-planned megalopolis.
Tropical storm ‘Enteng’ and the heavy monsoon rains it brought this week claimed at least 11 lives and caused heavy flooding in several parts of the metropolis and the nearby.towns of Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan provinces.
It would be foolhardy to say that past governments could have prevented the disaster inflicted by the storm. In hindsight, however, the government could have mitigated the calamity had it planned the urbanization of Metro Manila and nearby towns well.
As the United Nations pointed out in its sustainable development goals, many cities are more vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters due to their high concentration of people and location. It added that building urban resilience was crucial to avoid human, social and economic losses.
Building more flood control projects will partly mitigate flooding in the streets of Metro Manila and low-lying villages. They may not be enough, though, if the metropolis continues to accommodate more migrants from the provinces.
A great number of people are lured to the capital region in search of jobs. The urban migration only worsens inequalities and poverty—and overwhelms the government’s capacity to provide social services and housing.
The UN estimated that in 2020, 1.1 billion urban residents lived in slums or slum-like conditions, and over the next 30 years, an additional 2 billion people are expected to live in such settlements, mostly in developing countries.
Most of the victims of flooding and landslides spawned by the tropical storm live in slum-like conditions. They are the most vulnerable to disasters and are the victims of a poorly-planned megalopolis.
The cost of poorly planned urbanization, according to the UN, can be seen in some of the huge slums, tangled traffic, greenhouse gas emissions and sprawling suburbs all over the world.
A growing population, the lack of mass transportation system and wide roads, and the continuous migration of workers from the provinces to Metro Manila have already created the perfect storm that is causing traffic mayhem in the whole of the capital region.
Development inequality and the levels of urban energy consumption and pollution, says the UN, are some of the challenges. Cities occupy just 3 per cent of the Earth’s land, but account for 60 percent to 80 percent of energy consumption and 75 percent of carbon emissions.
Developing a sustainable city and one that the lessens the vulnerability to disasters–as the UN espouses—is not a Utopian vision. It can be done with proper urban planning.
For one, the jobs should be close to the settlement to reduce travel stress and minimize accidents. An eco-friendly public transportation must also be accessible to improve air quality.
The UN further noted that sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way urban spaces are built and managed.
UN’s goals are admirable. It wants governments to build cities where all citizens live a decent quality of life and create shared prosperity and social stability without harming the environment.
I wrote earlier in this column that the Philippines may not yet have the model for an inclusive and sustainable community or city—but it is not far off from establishing one.
At least two pioneering businessmen have the foresight to build a satellite city that hopefully will rectify the past mistakes of city planning.
Real estate developer Manuel Villar, chairman of Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. and former House speaker and Senate president, has envisioned a satellite city that aims to decongest Metro Manila, stop the migration of workers to the capital region and correct the inequities of urban development.
His group is masterplanning Villar City as the next central business district outside Metro Manila. The satellite city seeks to improve traffic south of Metro Manila as Villar City spans 15 cities.
Younger tycoon Dennis Anthony Uy, co-founder and chief executive of Converge ICT Solutions Inc., has his own version of a satellite community in the form of a tech city on a 200-hectare area that straddles Mexico, Pampanga and Angeles City to house the firm’s largest data center and corporate headquarters. The digital hub, in Dennis’ words, represents the realization of his dream to see “an entire ecosystem of innovation” in the Philippines.
Building a satellite city just outside Metro Manila or less than 100 kilometers from the metropolis makes better sense. The only way to improve the traffic situation and the quality of life in the capital region is through decongestion.
Satellite cities will generate new jobs and can, perhaps, reverse the migration of workers to Metro Manila. By decongesting Metro Manila, the capital region can plan and respond better to the demand for infrastructure and social services of a growing population.
New cities will hopefully address the urban blight in Metro Manila and make them more prepared against strong typhoons and natural disasters.
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
