Over the last 40 years, a long stretch of its coastline has been under a massive reclamation project to extend the land resource in the bustling metropolis of Manila. The scale of the project will surely provide increased business opportunities, thousands of local jobs, attractive real estate developments, additional government revenues and positioning back the old glory of Manila as a premier business and tourism center.
Massive urban projects that have been realized include the hectare Cultural Centre Complex, the hectare Mall of Asia Complex and the hectare Entertainment City while proposed projects such as the hectare Solar City in Manila, the hecatre extension of Manila North Harbor, and a hectare infrastructure project , a public-private partnership initiative, are in the pipeline.
Looking closely at these projects, it looks like a new - not expansion - megacity is being planned on Manila Bay. Despite the positive effects such as economy and infrastructure facelift , these projects have been receiving strong and loud opposition from various civic, religious, and environmental groups.
Protesters claim that these projects are not taking into account the environment. With strong support from local officials , these projects pursue nothing but revenue at the expense of social and environmental protection. It is noticeable in this case that the public sector is less influential in land development than the private sector, much like the superficial influence of civic participation in decision-making process.
Unfortunately , it appears that more reclamation projects are coming along this coastal megacity in spite of the opposition. Much of the costs of the reclamation are socio-economic and an escalation of environmental challenges. The livelihood of an entire community of fishermen and a protected area that is undeniably rich in biodiversity, dubbed as Metro Manila's Last Coastal Frontier , would be greatly compromised by these projects as both stakeholders would be displaced and harmed.
A lackluster concession from the government came about when they offered financial support of 15, Philippine Pesos or roughly USD to every displaced family without any thoughts of providing them a sustainable relocation scheme.
User menu Log in. Sustainable development requires global awareness and local action. Inhalt Briefings. Children's rights. Children's rights matter - and deserve more attention. Digital technology is changing how we live.
Forms and impacts of racism. The coronavirus pandemic is affecting societies and economies around the globe. Broad-based prosperity depends on more than purchasing power.
Pharma supply and intellectual property in pandemic response. Our common future hinges on UN climate summit in Glasgow in November. Written communication is becoming increasingly important.
The global challenge of making chemicals usage sustainable. Diaspora communities: potentially powerful drivers of change. Millions of people cannot afford more than a mere shelter — that has to change. Political movements express discontent - and where civil-society space is limited, they become campaigns for democracy. US democracy is still in danger. Civil society and local government. Sustainable business and sustainable environment.
Democracy and the rule of law. Disasters and humanitarian relief. Employment and the fight against poverty. Food security and agriculture. International relations and cooperation. Peace and human security. Physical and social infrastructures. World regions. Sub-Sahara Africa. Southeast Asia and Pacific. Metro Manila is badly managed — this is the uncomfortable truth that the authorities must accept. Our capital city is not a reflection of our values, aspirations, and achievements as a nation.
Rather, it is a morbid metaphor of how our leaders have failed to provide a decent quality of life for our people. The world agrees. Waze named it the worst city for motorists, and the Asian Correspondent named it the least sustainable city in Asia. If this were not true, why would they allow multiple exceptions in zoning and building height restrictions? Why would they allow the loading and unloading bays of malls and high rise towers to encroach on the roads?
Why would they allow the proliferation of billboards even if they are in blatant defiance of the national building code? Why would they clutter the city with unsightly lamp-post banners and road island marquees? Why would they allow vendors to encroach on sidewalks and thoroughfares?
Why would they allow colonies of illegal settlers to use sidewalks and roads as extensions of their living rooms? Why would they allow their cities to be inundated with their faces, names and initials? What stings acerbically is that the national government is desensitized to the state of our capital city too. Compared to our peers in the region, Metro Manila is inferior in infrastructure, in quality of life and sustainability.
This is a result of years of poor governance and years of compromising the common good for personal interests. It was not always like this. There was a point in history when Metro Manila was the most beautiful, greenest, and cleanest capital city in Asia. What happened?
0コメント