Green revival plan for laggard Metro

When he started working as World Bank country director for the Philippines last month, Motoo Konishi saw the sullied state of the Pasig River—and remembered how a major waterway in his native Tokyo, similarly silted and polluted in the 1960s, was eventually rescued.

“It is possible,” Konishi told his audience that included top Metro Manila officials on Tuesday at the launch of a 20-year bid to put the vibrancy back not just on the Pasig River but on the entire capital of 12 million people.

For now, the task would take much more than cleaning rivers, with Metro Manila consistently ranking for years as one of the worst cities in Southeast Asia and the world in terms of living standards, business-friendliness, infrastructure, pollution, traffic congestion, etc.

Not to mention the fact that the capital has long splintered into 16 cities and one municipality, where “unification” efforts like having a common ticket for traffic violations took almost two decades to negotiate.

Konichi spoke at the launch of “Metro Manila Greenprint 2030,” an ambitious program that will have the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the 17 local government units mapping out ways to transform the mostly chaotic, poorly planned capital into a world-class charmer and competitor.

Greenprint will be fueled by a seed fund and technical assistance from the World Bank and the Australian Government, and the international group Cities Alliance, according to MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino.

Speaking to reporters after the program, Tolentino was short on specifics as to what exactly needs to be done, apart from saying that all the LGUs must be involved in the planning and that their future ordinances must be in line with the goals of Greenprint.

He cited Seoul and Tokyo as among the Asian “success stories” worth emulating.

Among the concerns raised in Tuesday’s talks were Metro Manila’s age-old problems—traffic and transportation, flood control, water security, the environmental tragedy that is Manila Bay, and informal settlers.

Among the mayors in attendance were Herbert Bautista of Quezon City and Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela. Also present was Gov. Casimiro Ynares Jr. of Rizal province.

Gatchalian conceded that Metro Manila has become a “borderless organism” and that its residents were no longer aware of territories between cities.

It has become imperative to “manage Metro Manila as a whole (in order) to improve the quality of life here,” the mayor said.

Tolentino spoke of a “physical framework plan” that was made for Metro Manila in 1999, which he said may now need revising due to social, economic and environmental changes in the last 13 years.

The World Bank said the formulation of Greenprint 2030 will be done in two phases:

Phase 1, to be completed in May 2012, will involve “a workshop to raise awareness among key stakeholders in regard to global best practices and approaches to enhance metropolitan competitiveness, livability and sustainability. The vision for the Metro Manila’s future will be forged at this stage.”

‘’Phase 2 will involve the preparation of a strategic spatial strategy for approval by June 2013. The second phase will also require further financial support from the government or other development partners.” With a report from Riza Olchondra