The conversion of Intramuros into a public forest park … is the most sensible feature of Manila’s redevelopment.
Urban renewal was the theme that dominated the talks between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Manila Mayor Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso in Malacañang last week.
Manila and other cities comprising the National Capital Region (NCR) have been ripe for urban renewal to make them inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable in the face of climate change.
It is a gargantuan task. The Philippines’ capital is a densely populated city facing the Manila Bay. But the challenge of urban renewal is worthwhile because of Manila’s own charm. The city is a mixture of Spanish colonial architecture and modern skyscrapers.
At the heart of Manila is Intramuros, a walled city in colonial times, and home to the baroque 16th-century San Agustin Church, as well as Fort Santiago, a fortress and a former military prison.
President Marcos and Mayor Isko Moreno, as he is more famously known, discussed, among other things, the rehabilitation of the Lambingan Bridge, the game-changer North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project and cleanup operations that will reduce flooding and rehabilitate urban waterways.
President Marcos on Sunday launched Phase 4 of the Pasig River rehabilitation program, promising to turn another stretch of the historic waterway into a walkable, bike-friendly hub for leisure, commerce and sustainable travel.
“Every time we gather here by the Pasig River, we are reminded that progress does not always mean building something new. Sometimes, progress means bringing something beautiful back to life,” Marcos said during the launch at the Lawton Pasig River Ferry station in Manila.
The new 530-meter segment stretches from behind the Manila Central Post Office to Arroceros Forest Park. It features walkways, bike lanes and commercial spaces, connecting seamlessly to earlier completed phases near Intramuros.
President Marcos said the project aims to create “a continuous riverside path that will link people, culture and opportunity.”
Mayor Moreno also bared local urban development priorities, including plans to convert the Intramuros golf course into a public forest park.
The conversion of Intramuros into a public forest park, perhaps, is the most sensible feature of Manila’s redevelopment. The Intramuros golf course, in the words of the local chief executive, is underutilized and could provide residents a major green space.
The golf course’s transformation will erase one of the last vestiges of American colonization in the Philippines. The golf course used to be a moat surrounding the walled area of Intramuros.
The Americans converted it into a sunken garden before transforming it into a golf course in the early 1900s.
President Marcos, whose official residence is in Manila, agreed with Mayor Moreno’s plans. He favored the restoration of historic landmarks, the rehabilitation of Plaza Calderon and enhancing the Lawton Underpass to improve walkability and accessibility.
“All these efforts are part of a larger vision to create a culturally rich urban environment where history, nature, and modern living come together seamlessly,” he said.
Meaningful renewal
Cosmetic changes alone, however, do not translate into real urban renewal. Poor urban planning in the past created inequities and pollution.
The cost of poorly planned urbanization, according to the United Nations, can be seen in some of the huge slums, tangled traffic, greenhouse gas emissions and sprawling suburbs all over the world.
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 per cent of energy consumption and 75 percent of carbon emissions.
“Many cities are also more vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters due to their high concentration of people and location so building urban resilience is crucial to avoid human, social and economic losses,” adds the UN.
Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way urban spaces are built and managed. The UN said efforts must focus on implementing inclusive, resilient and sustainable urban development policies and practices that prioritize access to basic services, affordable housing, efficient transportation and green spaces for all.
The UN noted that up to 3 billion people worldwide struggle to afford a place to live, and 1.12 billion live in slums or informal settlements without basic services.
Creating safe, resilient and sustainable cities requires coordinated investments in affordable housing, climate-resilient infrastructure and inclusive governance.
New cities will hopefully address the urban blight. Metro Manila, including the capital city, needs a respite from the previous follies of urban planning.
President Marcos and Mayor Moreno are pushing the right buttons, so far.
E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or extrastory2000@gmail.com
