Can Mayor-elect Isko Moreno make Manila a walkable city in his second term?

2 weeks ago 14

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MANILA, Philippines – The stench of feces and urine, narrow and obstructed sidewalks, potholes, extreme humidity, and vulnerability to flooding are just some of the words that come to mind when talking about the issues related to walkability of various areas in Manila, among them Taft Avenue.

It’s not uncommon to hear pedestrians likening Manila’s streets and roads to an urban obstacle course.

With the recently concluded midterm elections, such issues are once again placed under the spotlight.

Angie, a college student who has been regularly walking along Taft Avenue for the past nine years, lamented the state of the area’s sidewalks, saying that it is small, uneven, and at times, littered with garbage.

“Ang daming obstacles like ‘yung small walkways and even like, trash, and uneven ‘yung daanan (There are a lot of obstacles like small walkways and trash, and the pathways are uneven),” she said.

When the City of Manila and former waste collection contractor Leonel Waste Management had a spat in January, the problem of garbage along Taft Avenue was amplified, as seen in a Facebook post at the time.

“Minsan ‘pag nagbabaha, super hirap maglakad kasi ‘yung floods, talagang umaabot hanggang walkways (Sometimes when it floods, it is difficult to walk because the flood reaches up to the walkways),” Angie said, referring to how Taft Avenue is prone to flooding during downpours.

Based on the flood risk map of the University of the Philippines’ Project NOAH, the entire stretch of Taft Avenue is categorized at the “medium” hazard level.

Other than infrastructure, Angie also aired concerns regarding the issue of crime in the area, specifically on the safety of those walking in some areas of Taft. “It feels very unsafe to walk around Taft, especially by yourself,” she said.

Safety and security remain a pressing issue for many, especially for students from schools in the area, despite the presence of police outposts. In 2024, the De La Salle University Student Government met with the Malate Police Station and barangay officials to discuss safety concerns following reported crime incidents along Taft.

In 2019 and in 2020, then-Manila mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, oversaw the lighting of areas along the stretch of the avenue to address criminality, among other concerns.

“Para mas panatag ‘yung mga nagmamaneho sa gabi, may illumination, tapos ‘yung mga tolongges, hindi gamitin ‘yung dilim sa paggawa ng krimen (There is illumination for the safety of those driving at night, and so that these fools will not use the dark in committing crimes),” he explained to reporters during the inauguration of the newly-installed lights in the part of Taft near the National Museum Complex.

Carl, a freshman student, also shared the same concerns on sidewalks. “I accidentally tripped the other day,” he said, citing the potholes and bumps on the pavement.

Ricky, an employee who regularly walks along Taft to get to work, mentioned the heat as one of his primary concerns. In 2020, the Manila city government installed a covered walkway from Pedro Gil LRT-1 Station along Taft Avenue up until Robinsons Manila.

He also said that obstructions and the overall cleanliness of the sidewalks should be addressed by the LGU.

“I-maintain niya ‘yung cleanliness ng sidewalk and also alisin na niya ‘yung mga e-bike na nakahambalang talaga diyan sa kalsada. Lagyan niya ng mga lugar, mga puwesto.”

(He should maintain the cleanliness of the sidewalk and get rid of the e-bikes obstructing the road. Give them a proper place.)

For Jay, a university lecturer who has frequented Taft since 2023, private vehicles obstrcuting the sidewalk is a big problem for pedestrians, in addition to public utility vehicles without proper stops.

“Maraming sasakyang nakaparada sa tabi ng kalsada. Minsan, two lanes pa ang sakop. Minsan, mapapalakad ka na lang talaga sa mismong kalsada at hindi sa sidewalk kapag bumaba ka ng bus o UV Express,” he said.

(There are many cars parked by the road. Sometimes, they even occupy two lanes. Sometimes, you are forced to walk on the road itself and not on the sidewalk whenever you get off a bus or a UV Express.)

When one passes by Taft, it is evident that many of its sidewalks have been occupied and repurposed by private establishments into parking lots, leaving little to no space for pedestrians.

Taft Avenue was also sometimes the site for several of Manila’s clearing operations, wherein illegally parked tricycles and cars would be clamped or even impounded.

Apart from that, Jay also complained about the poor quality of the sidewalks. “Hindi pantay-pantay ang daraanan. May mga butas, elevation, na maaari kang madisgrasya kung ‘di ka titingin. Sadyang masikip din ang sidewalk, kaya mahirap pag nagsasalubong ang maraming tao kapag rush hour,” he said.

(The pathways are uneven. There are holes and elevated parts that could endanger you if you are not careful. The sidewalk is also narrow, which is why it’s a hassle whenever a lot of pedestrians cross paths during rush hour.)

He hopes that the Manila LGU would strictly enforce traffic laws along Taft and consider doing a comprehensive inspection of the area to improve the sidewalks.

“Sana maging strikto sa pagpapatupad ng mga batas trapiko. Magkaroon ng komprehensibong inspeksiyon sa area para ma-improve ang sidewalk lalo na. Ang dami talagang obstacles sa paglakad na delikado.”

(Hopefully, implementation of traffic laws would be strict, and a comprehensive inspection of the area would be done to improve the sidewalks in particular. There are a lot of dangerous obstacles one could encounter when walking.)

‘24/7 government’

Mayor-elect Isko Moreno took his oath of office on Monday, May 19, after a decisive victor against the incumbent, Mayor Honey Lacuna, and Tutok-to-Win Partylist Representative Sam Verzosa, among others.

In a Facebook post, Moreno said that he wanted to hit the ground running on June 30, when he officially assumes his post, to bring back the “24/7 government” Manileños are yearning for, a promise he made during the campaign.

“Ibabalik ko sa inyo at ipararamdam ko ulit sa inyo ang gobyerno sa umaga, sa tanghali, sa gabi, hanggang madaling araw. May gobyerno ulit sa Lungsod ng Maynila,” Moreno had said in one of his campaign rallies.

(I will bring back, and let you feel, a government that functions in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, and even before dawn. There will be a government once again in the City of Manila.)

Moreno had campaigned to “Make Manila Great Again” an vowed to rid the city of garbage and criminality.

The walking conditions along Taft Avenue are a reflection of the much larger urban planning and management concerns that the Manila LGU must address. The Local Government Code of 1991 gives LGUs the power to manage and maintain public roads and sidewalks within their jurisdiction.

Moreno was known for his various infrastructure and urban renewal projects during his first term, including past collaborations with the schools along Taft. With his return, can community stakeholders in the area, or even pedestrians and commuters in Manila as a whole, expect similar efforts in his second term?

How he addresses the issue of Manila’s walkability will become a yardstick of his “24/7 government” campaign promise. – Rappler.com

Eujuan Rafael Ong is a Rappler volunteer for MovePH. He is a junior Public Administration student at the University of the Philippines Diliman. He also leads the ‘Fast News’ Section of NCPAG-Umalohokan, the official student publication of the UP NCPAG.

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