THE CONGESTION problem at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the slow traffic along Edsa, which were highlighted in newspaper headlines in recent days, point to one major factor ― high population density in Metro Manila.
Metro Manila, a highly urbanized area spanning 619.57 square kilometers, has a daytime population of around 15 million people. Over two million vehicles, excluding motorcycles, congregate along its roads daily, resulting in heavy traffic.
Official figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority show the metropolis had 12.9 million residents as of August 2015, a figure that has been growing 1.6 percent annually. This number excludes transients, workers from surrounding provinces and foreign and local tourists.
Using the official figures, Metro Manila had a population density of 20,785 persons per square kilometer as of 2015, making it one of the most congested urban areas in the world. This was much higher than the national average of 337 persons per square kilometer. We can only surmise that the figures are higher today.
Manila, the capital city, was the most densely populated area with 71,263 persons per square kilometer in 2015. This puts Manila in the company of the most congested cities in the world like Dhaka and Mumbai.
The government is trying to ease congestion in the metropolis by building more roads and bridges and by implementing policies such as the number coding scheme and recently, the restriction against “driver-only” vehicles along Edsa.
These efforts, however, will not be enough to manage the movement of millions of Metro Manila residents, especially with the rise of the middle-income families who have the capacity to buy new vehicles. Thus, we need to move the metropolis to a new place.
The solution lies outside Metro Manila: Clark. Luzon needs a new government, economic and financial center that will relieve Metro Manila of its many congestion problems. A modern and well-planned commercial business district in Clark can serve as a magnet to attract businessmen, workers and tourists away from the metropolis.
The good thing is that Clark already has the infrastructure to support the massive migration of people to Pampanga and Tarlac, where the former American airbase was located. Clark International Airport, located just 92 kilometers from Manila, can gradually replace Ninoy Aquino International Airport as the country’s main gateway.
It is accessible by North Luzon Expressway and future projects such as the North-South Commuter Railway. This will be complemented by new toll roads in Metro Manila, such as the Skyway extension to Balintawak, the expansion of NLEx to Port Area in Manila, the Metro Manila Subway and other projects planned by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the private sector.
We need a new city―one that is well planned to avoid the current problems besetting Metro Manila. It needs to have a spacious airport, wide roads with sewerage system and a master plan for development.
The logical choice is Clark in Central Luzon because of its strategic location, available vast land and proximity to Metro Manila. The government also considers it as the next growth area and even pushes for the development of New Clark City, a 9,450-hectare property in Capas, Tarlac, just outside the current Clark Freeport Zone in Mabalacat, Pampanga.
Under the plan, the state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority, the same agency behind the transformation of Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, will develop five districts in New Clark City for government, business, education, agriculture and recreation.
The Department of Transportation already began transferring its offices to Clark Freeport Zone, and other government agencies are expected to move their offices to Clark over the next two years to drum up interest in the area and show the government’s resolve to create a new center of economic activities. Once fully developed, New Clark City is envisioned to employ more than a million workers.
This, of course, is not going to happen overnight. What will be crucial is the support of the private sector behind this vision of the government.
Beyond easing the congestion problem in Metro Manila, a new city will spread development to other parts of the country, generate jobs for our people and help the economy achieve a sustainable growth.
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This piece first came out in Business Mirror on Aug. 27, 2018 under the column “The Entrepreneur.” For comments/feedback e-mail to: mbv.secretariat@gmail.com or visitwww.mannyvillar.com.ph./PN
