OF TREES AND FOREST
The National Capital Region (NCR) was established on June 2, 1978 by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos through Presidential Decree No. 1396, which also created the Department of Human Settlements. This presidential edict amended PD 824 of November 1975, which created the Metropolitan Manila and the Metropolitan Manila Commission.
The Department was tasked to carry out the policy of government to “foster the growth, and renewal of our communities, both rural and urban, in an integrative manner that promotes optimum land use, adequate shelter, environment protection, utilization of appropriate technology, and rational interdependence among self-reliant communities.”
I think one attempt to navigate EDSA during rush hour using a private vehicle or public transportation will show that NCR is far from the integrative development which the PD 1936 envisioned. While NCR has indeed developed as the center of the Philippines’ economy, education, politics, and culture, it is now bursting at the seams, and some studies rank it as one of the most congested urban centers in the world. Based on the 2020 Census of Population, NCR was the second most populous region with 13.48 million which is projected to increase to nearly 15 million by 2025. Experts estimate that an average of 3.63 million vehicles traverse the streets and highways of NCR per day (2023). Another estimate claims that commuters lose about 100 hours annually during rush hour.
Data from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) show that of the 11.6 million motor vehicles registered in 2018, about 2.8 million or 24 percent were in the NCR. Based on a standard length of six meters and width of two meters for a parking space, these vehicles would require up to 34 million square meters of space.
No wonder EDSA is being transformed into a parking lot especially as the holiday season nears. The 23.8-km, 10-lane thoroughfare could only accommodate 200,000 vehicles on both sides. This is why the average traffic speed on EDSA is only about 15 kilometers per hour, slower than the running speed of a marathon athlete.
While the government and the private sector are busy undertaking major infrastructure projects in the metropolis, we are essentially playing catch up as Metro Manila, whose daytime population swells to over 21 million, keeps on growing. The challenge, I think, is that these NCR-centric proposals might attract more people from other areas of the country, thereby contributing to further congestion.
What we should be focusing on are developments outside the metropolis. I believe that a longer-term solution is necessary to address the problem. If the traffic becomes too unbearable in the NCR, the obvious correcting mechanism is to move away from the city center. This means we should spread the development and economic activities away from NCR. Let us develop Mega Manila as the new megalopolis that encompasses NCR, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.
In 1996 when I was a first term Congressman representing the then lone district of Las Piñas-Muntinlupa, I proposed House Bill 102, which aimed at creating Mega Manila that would effectively replace the old setup of Metro Manila. In my proposal, Mega Manila would cover the areas of Metro Manila, Calabarzon, key towns of Bulacan and other nearby areas. My thinking was by opening more areas for development, we can unlock the full potential of Mega Manila as the major growth driver and resolve the urban congestion in NCR at the same time.
Today, those areas beyond NCR are becoming a focal point for real estate development. And we at Vista Land, are at the forefront of this movement. I may not be a policymaker anymore but as an entrepreneur I can still contribute to national development through the private sector. This current development is fueled by infrastructure projects started by former President Rodrigo Duterte and currently being aggressively pursued by his predecessor President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. These include the construction of MRT Line 7, the extension of LRT Line 1, and the completion of new highways and bypass roads.
Vista Land has developed exciting real estate options for homeowners and investors. In San Jose del Monte, Bulacan we have Aspen, a 38-hectare mountain-town-inspired community with Colorado-themed architecture. In Caloocan, we have North Commons which is a master planned development featuring condominium properties, retail establishments, resort-style amenities, and Colab, a state-of-the-art workspace. And in Antipolo, Rizal we are crafting the 152-hectare Vidarte, which combines Italian-inspired architecture with the artistic flair of the locale.
There are other property developers who are contributing to this effort to decongest NCR. The private sector has always been a silent but effective partner of government and the public in addressing important challenges we face as a people.
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