By PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV proposed the creation of the National Capital Commission that will assess the need to transfer the country’s capital and seat of government.
Under Senate Bill 2354, the President shall appoint a chairman and two commissioners who will identify “feasible” relocation sites for the new capital.
A similar proposal had been done in Australia and Brazil, said Trillanes, a former navy.
It took Brazil only three years to relocate its capital to Brasilia, he pointed out.
Trillanes said the current capital, Manila, lacks urban planning and has “little space for development.”
“Fixing Metro Manila and other major thoroughfares will be costlier that relocating the nation’s capital,” he told Panay News. “If we do not dream big, we have to endure the worst traffic snarls in the metro every day.”
Metro Manila loses P2.5 billion in potential income daily due to traffic congestion, a National Economic and Development Authority study showed.
If the National Capital Commission finds that the current capital must be retained, it shall recommend ways the city can improve government service, the Senate bill said.
“A well-planned capital and government center is one that combines functionality and aesthetics,” said Trillanes.
“It promotes a more efficient government operation, encourages economic buoyancy in a seemingly underdeveloped region, and stands as a testament to the unique heritage of a nation,” he said./PN
