MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is among the world’s fastest urbanizing countries, and its cities are facing congestion and difficulties in the delivery of basic services. With 47 percent of the population living in urban centers, the country has more than 200 urban areas, which are expected to increase to 600 by 2020, largely due to migration.

The Philippines has one of the highest rates of urban growth in the developing world, with 60 percent living in urban areas. The most rapid growth is outside Metro Manila such as Dasmariñas, Cavite, and Santa Rosa, Laguna, which have experienced growth rates of 10 percent recently. Metro Manila has over 12 million people and accounts for 36 percent of the total urban population. An additional 10 percent of the urban population live in the next four largest metropolitan regions – Davao City and Metro Cebu, both with over one million residents, plus Metro Angeles and Zamboanga City, with over half a million inhabitants each.

Rapid urbanization poses challenges such as the provisions of job, food, shelter, infrastructure, health, and education. In Metro Manila, some 25 percent of the population lives in informal settlements, making the demands for infrastructure and services higher than what can be sustained by local governments. The Philippine urban population was last reported at 61,925,169.87 in 2010, according to a World Bank (WB) report released in 2011.

The 122-member League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) held on November 17-19, 2011, the 3rd Philippine Cities Global Convention and Exposition, which discussed several urban development challenges that need to be addressed to promote sustainable growth. These are urban shelter, strengthening local economic, creating green cities, human development, planning, designing and managing cities, green urban infrastructure, good urban governance, and city to city cooperation.

Addressing the challenges of urbanization should not only be an effort by government, but also by private and business sectors, civil society groups, and foreign institutions linking hands to ensure that as cities grow, the people continue to benefit from the fruits of development. MABUHAY!