Fall

08

APL 423: INTRODUCTION TO URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING

CASE STUDY: A Study

Management along Edsa in
Manila, Philippines
SUBMITTED BY: OGALESCO KRISTINE
CASSANDRA

INTRODUCTION
Traffic has become a nightmare in the Philippines, specifically in EDSA.
No one of any age, race, nationality, social status, and religion can escape the
wrath of congested roads due to the overpopulation of cars. It has been
recognized as one of the primary problems of the country; and a very hard
problem to solve at that. With about sixteen million people living in Metro Manila,
traffic is undoubtedly inevitable. However traffic can be reduced by promoting
mass transportation, carpooling to work, and construction of better and wider
roads to encourage the citizens to walk or bike.
As citizens who are affected by this, it is a right to pose the question as to
what causes this to happen. One of the causes as to why Metro manila is jam
packed on a daily basis is overpopulation in the country. EDSA is the central
place where most people, especially those from the province, go to in hopes of
finding a living to support their family in achieving a comfortable life. Because
everyone is going into the City to find jobs, this causes the increase of population
in the already crowded city. Overpopulation leads to traffic since most of these
people use vehicles to get to their destination every day. Furthermore, the
mainstream use of narrow roads also contributes to the problem. Skinny roads
can be very hard to fit hundreds of vehicles that pass it on a daily basis. It can
tighten the traffic since it can only accommodate a certain amount of cars. Lastly,
the disobedience of drivers is also a cause of traffic. Most drivers would only
think about themselves and what would benefit them instead of thinking about
the others. Cutting, taking over cars and disobeying the road signs are only a few
of the many things that drivers do on the road which brings inconvenience to the
other drivers that are affected by these actions which can then lead to traffic.
The abnormality of the traffic all over Metro Manila has brought about
many effects in the country. One of the effects of traffic that has brought the
attention of the people is the congested road. Obviously, traffic entails roads to
be overcrowded with vehicles and this can bring many nuisances to everyone on
the road. Metro Manila might as well be compared to a pack of sardines in a can.
That is how tight and crammed the streets are on a daily basis. This effect can
bring several psychological and health effects on an individual. An individual who
is stuck on the road may experience headaches, migraines, and dry cough in

terms of health. In fact, a 2012 study in the American Journal of Preventive

Medicine found that people who stay longer driving in traffic tend to have the high
blood pressure and weight gain. Furthermore, longer commuting entails a person
to have done less physical activity which can bring about other health
consequences aside from the mentioned. According to the study of the World
Bank recently, Commuting strain is associated with feelings of nervousness and
tension, physical pain and stiffness, irritability and fatigue, and poorer
performance and satisfaction at work have all been psychologically linked to
traffic as it intensifies these feelings. Moreover, pollution is also an effect of the
problem. Having many vehicles on the road can bring about pollution to the area.
According to EarthTrends (2003), the leading source of air pollution comes from
transportation vehicles as they produce 34% of the carbon dioxide emissions in
Metro Manila. As stated by Nice and Bryant (2000), the stoichiometric ratio of an
average car that is using gasoline is 14.7:1. This means that for every pound of
gasoline produced and released from the vehicle, 14.7 pounds of air will be
burned. That is only for one car and we have yet to consider the other thousands
of vehicles being used every day. We can just imagine how much carbon dioxide
is being emitted that will eventually destroy our planet and the people living in it.
These pollutants are the primary reason why Metro Manila has not met the
federal and state standards in terms of air quality. Lastly, traffic can bring about
inconvenience in time. Being stuck in traffic is a very time consuming experience.
Instead of dedicating that time into doing something more important, you are
prohibited to do so because you are stuck on the road. People usually fall behind
their schedules because of this one and it is a problem because time is precious
and cannot be taken back.

PROBLEMS AND ISSUES

The Problem of Road Congestion
Congestion is a real social problem that needs to be resolved because of its
serious effects. In a nutshell, it isolates people from their various activities such
as business, recreation, and family time.
Generally, congestion results in a less productive work force. Except when they
commit the dangerous and potentially fatal mistake of talking to someone on their
mobile phones, drivers are not very productive while commuting. In the
Philippines where majority of employee take public transport, people use the time
theyre stuck in traffic to call work, issue instructions or clarify issues, but on the
whole, everyone ends up tense, frustrated and already tired when they get to
work.
Congestion also adds to the countrys air pollution. This is because congestion
leads to increased fuel consumption and automobile emissions as vehicles are
forced to operate less efficiently. More cars on the road also mean increased
greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn could lead to health costs. The JICA
report said greenhouse gas emissions are expected to increase to 5.72 million
tons a year in 2030, compared to 4.7 million tons a year in 2012.
Congestion caused by unexpected events can also lead to higher statistics of
vehicular accidents. When traffic incidents occur, congestion often appears in
places where motorists do not expect it. Rubbernecking and conflicts with
emergency vehicles also serve to exacerbate the problem.
In the meantime, construction and road work create unexpected changes in
highway alignment and other features. By reducing how long traffic incidents and
road work operations last, congestion can be reduced and reliability and
commuter safety can be improved. .
Traffic Jams and Effects on Work
According to a research titled Employer Views on Traffic Congestion (Policy
Brief 115 of the Reason Foundation, February 2014), traffic congestion is a
problem not just for individual commuters but for businesses as well. While
commuters are greatly concerned over rush hour traffic, businesses are also
concerned with the off-peak hour (non-rush hour) delivery of goods. It was
pointed out in the research that because businesses are concerned with
congestion during both time periods, their views on traffic congestion differ from
those of commuters. Solving rush hour and off-peak congestion is also more
challenging than merely solving rush hour congestion.
The study stated that congestion affects employers in several ways. Primarily, it
affects impacts corporate activities such as shipping/receiving, logistics and
distribution, client meetings and other business activities. It also limits worker

availability and productivity by affecting employees commutes. In the Philippines,

the effects of congestion on workers and employees are a sore issue.
Congestion leads to workers arriving late; commuting hassles for workers,
frustration/stress, long work commutes, long travel time, and loss of personal
time.
In the Philippines, street, traffic or system problems are major issues. These
include construction activities, accidents/incidents, inconvenient roads for
customers and other causes of traffic such as safety issues, poor road design,
traffic signals, and delays on specific roads.
In the case of Flat Planet, most of its employees live outside of Ayala, Makati
where the companys headquarters are located. Many live in the South and North
of Makati, and commute daily to get to work. They have to contend with various
ongoing road projects, the massive volume of private cars and public utility
vehicles that occupy the main roads that lead to Ayala.
To avoid getting trapped in the morning rush, Flat Planet employees leave their
homes at least two hours before they shift begins. Without traffic, the commute
should take only an hour or an hour and a half give or take. Of course, some
employees still arrive late, but only for five to 10 minutes and seldom more.
Flat Planet takes a very serious stand against tardiness, as lateness is
considered unprofessional. It has a biometric finger scanner and all staff are
required to scan in and out at the start and end of each day. At the end of each
month, those who had many late days are notified via email.
Longer commuting
On par with congestion people are spending an increasing amount of time
commuting between their residence and workplace. An important factor behind
this trend is related to residential affordability as housing located further away
from central areas (where most of the employment remains) is more affordable.
Therefore, commuters are trading time for housing affordability. However, long
commuting is linked with several social problems, such as isolation, as well as
poorer health (obesity).
Public transport inadequacy
Many public transit systems, or parts of them, are either over or under used.
During peak hours, crowdedness creates discomfort for users as the system
copes with a temporary surge in demand. Low ridership makes many services
financially unsustainable, particularly in suburban areas. In spite of significant
subsidies and cross-financing (e.g. tolls)almost every public transit systems
cannot generate sufficient income to cover its operating and capital costs. While
in the past deficits were deemed acceptable because of the essential service
public transit was providing for urban mobility, its financial burden is increasingly
controversial.

 Difficulties for non-motorized transport

These difficulties are either the outcome of intense traffic, where the mobility of
pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles is impaired, but also because of a blatant lack
of consideration for pedestrians and bicycles in the physical design of
infrastructures and facilities.

Loss of public space

The majority of roads are publicly owned and free of access. Increased traffic has
adverse impacts on public activities, which once crowded the streets such as
markets, agoras, parades and processions, games, and community interactions.
These have gradually disappeared to be replaced by automobiles. In many
cases, these activities have shifted to shopping malls while in other cases, they
have been abandoned altogether. Traffic flows influence the life and interactions
of residents and their usage of street space. More traffic impedes social
interactions and street activities. People tend to walk and cycle less when traffic
is high.
An Environmental impacts and energy consumption
Pollution, including noise, generated by circulation has become a serious
impediment to the quality of life and even the health of urban populations.
Further, energy consumption by urban transportation has dramatically increased
and so the dependency on petroleum. Yet, peak oil considerations are
increasingly linked with peak mobility expectations where high energy prices
incite a shift towards more efficient and sustainable forms of urban
transportation, namely public transit.
Accidents and safety
Growing traffic in urban areas is linked with a growing number of accidents and
fatalities, especially in developing countries. Accidents account for a significant
share of recurring delays. As traffic increases, people feel less safe to use the
streets.
Land consumption
The territorial imprint of transportation is significant, particularly for the
automobile. Between 30 and 60% of a metropolitan area may be devoted to
transportation, an outcome of the over-reliance on some forms of urban
transportation. Yet, this land consumption also underlines the strategic
importance of transportation in the economic and social welfare of cities.

Freight distribution
Globalization and the materialization of the economy have resulted ingrowing
quantities of freight moving within cities. As freight traffic commonly shares
infrastructures with the circulation of passengers, the mobility of freight in urban
areas has become increasingly problematic. City logistics strategies can be
established to mitigate the variety of challenges faced by urban freight
distribution

SOLUTIONS
Hire an engineer as head of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
(MMDA), not a lawyer.
You need the right person who can apply the right thinking in charge to
solve the problem. Currently, a lawyer is heading the MMDA. The President
needs to fire Chairman Francis Tolentino as soon as possible and replace him
with someone who has an engineering background. An engineer can think
analytically and find a solution to what is essentially an engineering problem
better than a lawyer could. The government should actually hire more engineers
in sensitive cabinet posts instead of lawyers. Not that there is anything wrong
with lawyers, but lawyers belong in a courtroom, not on the road trying to solve
big problems. As they say, engineers are problem solvers. They isolate problems,
analyze them, address them and come up with practical ways to change things.
Engineers thrive on fixing things and are big picture thinkers.
The public bus system should be systematically operated and bus drivers
should be paid fixed salaries.
In most First World countries, buses operate on a schedule. Commuters
know exactly what time to expect the bus to arrive at the bus station. There is
order and systems in place. The commuters do not feel the need to worry about
running after the bus in the middle of the road. That is not the case in the
Philippines. At present, privately-owned buses servicing the public have no fixed
schedule and compete with one another for passengers, quite often picking them
up in the middle of the road. This causes traffic jams and chaos on the road. It
doesnt help that bus operators use incentives on their bus drivers instead of
giving them a fixed salary. This makes the drivers more brazen in disregarding
traffic rules when picking up and dropping off passengers.
The government can stop this nonsense by issuing a directive or guideline to bus
operators to follow a system similar to that in the First World. This means
investing in proper bus stations and meeting with bus operators to organize bus
schedules. The government can force bus operators to follow the directive
because it has the power to revoke the bus operators license if they refuse.
Improve or upgrade the rail transport system to reduce the cars on the
road.
Since trains can take the commuting public from point A to B faster than
buses and private vehicles, it should be the governments priority to fix the
countrys rail transport system. This includes the Philippine National Railways
(PNR), Light Rail Transit Authority (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit Corporation
(MRT). Unfortunately, BS Aquinos government had left the rail transport system,
particularly the MRT in ruins. Six years of neglect under Transportation Secretary
Joseph Emilio Jun Aguinaldo Abaya has resulted in regular train breakdowns,
track problems, air-conditioning problems, near fatal accidents; not to mention
commuters routinely suffering long snake-like queues at the train stations.

Sadly, the BS Aquino government doesnt have the will power to fix the politics
behind the maintenance issues of the trains. It is too convoluted to even discuss
here. The governments Public-Private Partnership scheme obviously doesnt
work for commuters. Having an efficient train system can greatly reduce the
number of cars on the road.
Address lack of discipline on the road by enforcing the law.
The Philippines is a country someone described as a society full of
pasaways people lacking in discipline. This is very evident on Philippine
roads. Its like every man for himself. Every day reminds you of a scene from the
film War of the Worlds or Independence Day very chaotic. We now call
exceptionally bad traffic jamscarmageddons. But, really, everyday on Manilas
roads is carmageddon now any hour of the day or night.
The truth of the matter is, BS Aquinos government felt the need to deploy the
cops to manage traffic because the MMDA traffic enforcers werent doing their
jobs properly. If they did, there wouldnt be a need to ask for the PNPs help.
Maybe its because the MMDA felt like they were pushing the tide or were simply
helpless and felt hopeless against unruly motorists and commuters. Either way,
they were not effective at all.
When the motorists and commuters see that the traffic enforcers mean business,
they will realize that they need to obey the road rules or else. At least, one would
hope so. If you think about it though, MMDA or police officers need not be
present on the roads all the time. The society just needs to use common sense.
Common sense dictates that not following road rules will have consequences like
creating traffic jams and accidents that can result in fatalities.
Build provisions for bike lanes and footpaths.
This is a long-term solution. The pork barrel politicians use to build basketball
courts in the past should be used to build bike lanes and better footpaths on the
roads instead. This will encourage more people to ride bikes going to work or
school. More people will also consider going for walks when the roads have
provisions for footpaths. Bike lanes and footpaths can help reduce the number of
cars on the road and help people stay fit.
There are other solutions the government can do to ease traffic congestion in
Metro Manila. This includes not digging up roads just for the benefit of gaining
brownie points before scheduled national elections. Unnecessary road works
compound the traffic problem.
If only BS Aquino focused on fixing the traffic congestion in Metro Manila instead
of vilifying his enemies from start of his term, the people could have seen great
improvements on the roads before he left office.

There are other solutions which should be practiced in Metro Manila as it is

feasible and accessible for every one of all ages. The use of Mass Transportation
should be encouraged by the government. This includes the use of trains, buses,
and FX taxis. This proposal will be very effective in the reduction of traffic as
these mass vehicles can accommodate a lot of people in just one sitting. Unlike
using cars individually in going to desired destinations, the use of mass
transportation can carry a lot more people. For example, a bus can
approximately carry at least 50 people. Imagine if this is not practiced, then those
50 people will be equivalent to 50 different cars on the road which will definitely
add to the traffic. However, mass transportation effectively does the opposite of
that. Another solution is the use of carpools going to school/work. In Metro
Manila, it is common for all Universities to not offer school buses to pick students
up and drop them off from school and at home which forces them to use their
personal/family cars to get to and from school hence the reason why the roads
surrounding these Universities are always tight on a weekday. This unfortunate
situation is also being done by professionals in their career although many of
them practice the use of mass transportation to get to their destination for work.
This should not be the case all the time because Mass Transportation are filled
with passengers frequently so it is going to be harder to commute that is why this
solution of using carpools should be implemented in the country to also help
alleviate the loaded mass transportation. Lastly, construction of better and wider
roads to encourage the citizens to walk or bike should be done. One example of
this would be Bonifacio Global City Taguig, or commonly known as The Fort.
When one goes there, he will observe that everyone is just walking because the
roads are so beautifully done that the people do not feel like using their vehicles
in order to get the full experience of the scenery. Also, the area in general
promotes walking because greenery like tress, bushes, and grass are abundant.
Fresh air is evident and the place is stunning hence the reason why people
would like to walk instead. Furthermore, the government should focus their
spending on widening roads to accommodate more cars and lessen traffic.
Bigger roads can carry more vehicles and has more space efficiency for the
vehicles to freely drive around as compared to narrow ones thus lessening the
congestion that everyone complains about.
Traffic has become a prevalent problem in the Metro Manila. However,
people do not somehow realize the grievance of this issue that can bring about

many other inconveniences and problems in the future. If the proposed solutions
mentioned are implemented by the government then it is guaranteed that the
problem will be lessened. Although it is the government's responsibility to help
reduce the problem, we as citizens should help as well because it is we who
created the problem in the first place thus it is we who have the power to solve it
as well. Without the cooperation, discipline, and initiation that are needed for this
ideal to happen, then the wish of millions of Filipinos living in Metro Manila for the
traffic congestion to die down will never be granted.

IMPLEMENTATION
EXPAND the Big Rotunda Scheme and Clearway Program
Construction of Pedestrian Footbridges
Formulation of a Policy and Regulation on road Construction
Push for a minimal toll fee charged by PNCC at expressways
Opening of Kabihasnan road for vehicular traffic

STRENGTHS
Less Impact of Climate Pollution
Less Impact of Noise Pollution
Fewer Road Accidents
Cheaper price compared to private
motor-vehicles
Increasing petrol price

OPPURTUNITIES

WEAKNESSES
Declining road to railway network
Lack of Cooperation
Existing transport culture
Poor quality of public transport

THREATS

Transport Culture, number of Cars

New Technologies
Increase need of air-conditioning
Use of renewable energy sources
Transport safety threats
Campaigns for improving service of
Public Transport

SWOT ANALYSIS

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

-Availability of abundant low cost land

near country stations provides
possibility for development

It can capture a large chunk of

container traffic
It introduce trains operating at
passenger speeds

Less damage of goods

Transport billion passengers

Liberalized environment

OPPURTUNITIES

THREATS

Economic crisis
Competition between modes of
transport

Competition between modes of

transport
Envrironmentally friendly measures
No control on fuel prices

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

Reduced labor costs

Experienced management
Government provides monetary
assistance
Skilled workforce

Low productivity
Low profitability
Too many taxes

OPPURTUNITIES

THREATS

New acquisitions
Income level is at a constant increase
Growing demand

Price changes
Low cash flow
External business risks
High competition
Increasing costs
Rising cost of raw materials