"I hope our leaders can look at this proposal with an open mind."
"I hope our leaders can look at this proposal with an open mind."
Of the many things we realized and learned in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the learning of the inefficiencies in the structure and system of society and government that is one of the most significant. The COVID-19 crisis prompts us to reassess many things in our lives. It makes us note the value of even the little and mundane things we have and do every day.
Perhaps, at this time, it may also be helpful to look into the more efficient and long-term solutions to our structural and organizational issues which, in a way, are highlighted in this crisis.
In fighting against the spread of COVID-19 disease, the government has been implementing strict home quarantine and lockdown. Despite these measures, the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise as testing continues. There are narratives from news and social media that the lockdown and quarantine are not effectively executed due to the number of people who go to wet markets and supermarkets at the same time and those who refuse to follow the quarantine guidelines. While the local government units are doing their best to limit the number of people going out, perhaps we can take a look at this issue as a structural and urban planning flaw.
Metro Manila has long been regarded as one of the most congested cities in Asia. Many perceive that they will be able to find greener pastures in the bustling cities in the National Capital Region. While there are those who get better opportunities, this is not the same for many. Not everyone gets lucky. Some end up living in the squalid places in the Metro where houses are built one over the other. Some live in places teeming with people, where one house accommodates two to five families. This is their reality, and this increases their risk for such contagious disease.
When I was still in Congress, I proposed the decongestion of Metro Manila to address many of our structural and societal problems. This will be done by establishing a new government center in the countryside, particularly in General Nakar, Quezon, transferring both the seat of government, and eventually and hopefully followed by trade and manufacturing.
The transfer will allow the government to cut red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy that disrupt delivery of essential public services, kill small businesses, and discourage potential investors in the country. Moreover, this move will allow a fresh start for urban planning and development that will take into consideration many of the current issues we are facing in the metro today such as traffic, easy transmission of communicable diseases, poverty, and dismal living conditions.
Establishing a new government center in the countryside will allow some breathing room for Metro Manila. It will also encourage corporations and businesses to expand operations in this new hub. In effect, we will be able to better plan and manage relocation of industries, residential areas, and government areas that will be more efficient for everyone. This will also allow employees of those companies and the government to build settlement areas at a much convenient distance to their place of work and at a lower rate, leading to a better and much comfortable life in the countryside. This new center will serve as a new beginning and a model for the redevelopment and rehabilitation of urbanized cities.
I urge the national government to look into this proposal with an open mind. This COVID-19 pandemic opened Pandora’s box. Let us take this opportunity to evaluate the current structural problems in the government and society highlighted by this crisis, and study existing proposals that provide long-term solutions.
This is a time which we must use wisely as much as we can. We cannot remain sitting down as we discover these issues which double as risk factors in a pandemic. We cannot turn a blind eye on these problems which have been staring at us for a long time, even before the pandemic came along.
While Manila remains to be the capital and the center of banking and finance, I hope the government will take the time to review my proposal, as it is actually reintroduced by the Honorable Rep. Aleta Suarez in Congress as House Bill No. 6452. In the midst of this crisis, we should work together in coming up with effective and efficient measures that will not only beat COVID-19, but also address underlying problems and, ultimately, promote the welfare of society.
