Manila's Traffic Problem: Let EDSA Rot

I do not live in Manila. I do not know the pain of EDSA. Thank goodness. Traffic is bad enough here I can't imagine EDSA. But just because I do not live in Manila does not mean I cannot comment about what is happening up there. This blog is called Philippinefails and the handling of EDSA and traffic in the Philippines in general has been nothing short of a spectacular failure.

Where to start? During the American occupation (yes traffic was bad then)? During Marcos' era? With Grace Poe? It's funny how she has suddenly become the punching bag of the country and forced to shoulder the blame of the traffic problem as if there is no Department of Transportation who has plenty of legal tools to deal with the issue.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1163218/metro-manila-traffic-is-poes-legacy-says-duterte

Duterte's supporters followed his line and all across social media people are blaming Poe for not granting him emergency powers and calling her a useless trapo (traditional politician).  Really there is no single person to blame for Manila's traffic problems but it is always easy and comforting to scapegoat someone.  During the presidential campaign Duterte had several solutions to solve traffic in Manila none of which had to do with granting him emergency powers.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/114450-rodrigo-duterte-metro-manila-traffic-transportation

Duterte also said traffic on EDSA and everywhere else in the metro is because of “daily transactions of motor vehicles” and policies like number coding which merely encourage rich families to buy more cars. 

To ease traffic jams, he said he would improve public transportation by buying 30 or 50 more train carriages. This way, people would not have to endure long lines. 

If that’s not enough, he has previously said that he intends to put up a new train line that will run along Pasig River, the only thoroughfare not embroiled in rights-of-way claims. 

But for these major overhauls, he said the government would need money. 

He proposes borrowing P60 billion from another country or international agency. 

“I will not hold the money. I will create a high commission. They will be the ones to handle the money,” he said.  

Borrowing money for government projects is nothing new. He said the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr also borrowed some money from foreign entities. 

“Maghiram ako ng pera kagaya kay Marcos. Panahon ni Marcos napaka-ganda ng bayang ito, kaya lang, Martial Law (I will borrow money like Marcos. In Marcos’ time, this country was beautiful, but Martial Law happened.),” he said.

More train carriages and more train lines and borrowing lots of money! Just a few days later Duterte's running mate had this to say about solving Manila's traffic problems.

They may differ in their approach to certain issues, but presidential contender Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and his running mate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, see a common solution to Metro Manila’s worsening traffic problem: a decentralized city and the transfer of government headquarters to outlying areas of the capital. 

“For the longest time, the drive for development [has been] mainly focused on the National Capital Region (NCR), leaving other regions to fend for themselves. This is not sustainable nor equitable,” Cayetano told Inquirer reporters and editors during a recent visit to the newspaper’s Makati City office. 

“The NCR is perceived by many as the only place where there are real economic opportunities, [so] people unnecessarily flock to the region, creating problems such as traffic, unemployment and housing woes,” the senator said. 

“But if development [is] spread evenly to the regions, we can solve these problems,” he added.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/745141/alan-cayetano-duterte-know-what-to-do-with-traffic

Decentralising and moving the government outside of Manila. Sounds optimistic right? Of course it does that is how politicians get elected. Soon enough however Duterte was clamouring for emergency powers to fix Manila's traffic problems. But it was the MAP (Management Association of the Philippines) who first called for the declaration of a transportation crisis and the bestowal upon Duterte of emergency powers to fix the situation.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/790525/give-duterte-emergency-powers-to-solve-metro-traffic

CITING a six-hour commuting “kalbaryo” for Metro Manila commuters, the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has reiterated its call for President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to declare a traffic crisis so that he could be given emergency powers to solve the problem. 

Last month, the group highlighted the need for an immediate solution to the traffic problem in the metropolis. It noted that traffic congestion was continuously affecting businesses, the quality of life and the economy. 

“There must be an issuance of an executive order to declare that a transportation and traffic crisis exists in Metro Manila and, with the concurrence of Congress, secure emergency powers for the President to address the crisis by mobilizing all government resources and undertaking necessary measures unhampered by appointment, procurement, budgetary and Commission on Audit regulations during its presidency,” MAP said in a statement. 

Yap said that the emergency powers may last for a limited time like a maximum of two years so that the traffic crisis could be immediately solved. The group has also suggested some solutions to the so-called “carmageddon” in Manila like the construction of steel bridges on intersections and the appointment of a traffic czar.

Just exactly how would emergency powers fix the traffic problem?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/791556/edsa-traffic-jams-rody-exec-eyes-extra-powers

The additional powers will allow the national government to secure property and right of way within private villages, as well as supersede local government ordinances and temporary injunction against acts that would facilitate lighter traffic flow in the metropolis, he said. 

Specifically, terminals of public utility vehicles as well as ambulant vendors will be removed near highways, while a strict no-parking policy will also be implemented along major roads. 

Also, the Duterte administration will seek to direct procurement instead of protracted bidding for projects aimed at easing traffic, Tugade said, without elaborating. 

He said the powers that the incoming administration sought would neither be confiscatory nor unreasonable, as they would ensure just compensation and relocation for affected entities. 

There will also be oversight powers for Congress and the Supreme Court to check on the executive’s additional power to avoid its exercise “capriciously and arbitrarily.”

These powers will allow the government to take private property and override local ordinances but that is not confiscatory because there will be just compensation for those who's land is taken. That is called eminent domain and it doesn't always work out so good. In addition they will be moving vendors and cars will not be allowed to park along major roads. But those actions should be enforced already. There is no need for emergency powers to enforce no-parking rules and moving roadside vendors. Most notably under these powers projects will be procured and the bidding process by-passed which is a doorway for corruption. Non-bidding on projects is, it seems, the number one reason LGU's get suspended by the Ombudsman.

Duterte was not given these powers and instead of attempting to solve the problem without them he said, "Let EDSA rot."

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/21/19/duterte-let-edsa-rot

"Here comes a lady, atribida tawag ko diyan eh (I call it too eager), it's good to be honest, it's good to be a crusading public official, no doubt about it you will be appreciated. Pero kung sumobra ka (But if you go too far) and you think all elected public officials are corrupt... eh 'di wag na (never mind), let EDSA rot there," he said.

Duterte is offended that Poe thinks he is corrupt which means he misses the point entirely which is that those powers necessarily open the doors to corruption and the reality is corruption does happen. Also he seems to forget that he had proposed solutions to traffic without requesting emergency powers. Instead of working with what he has he says to hell with it showing once again his penchant for destruction if he does not get his way.  See the International Criminal Court withdrawal.

It is my belief that nothing in the Philippines changes and that belief is borne out by the facts of history. The traffic problem in Manila, and throughout the country, is a culmination of years of neglect and mismanagement that first reared its ugly head over a century ago. The Wood-Forbes Mission report of 1921 has much to say about traffic and infrastructure in the Philippines.

In the matter of public works, your mission has to report both favorably and unfavourably. 

The government and people of the islands realize the value and necessity of public works and large appropriations from current revenues have been made annually for such objects as the construction of roads, bridges, irrigation systems, school houses, markets, port works, and artesian wells among others. We find, however, an undue increase in the cost of public works, due in many instances necessitated the purchse of an equipment ordinarily furnished by contractors. There has also bben a deterioration in the quality of the work performed in this service. We find also a lack of competent supervision. 

On the other hand, there has been a great deal of excellent work done. The director, a Filipino, is a man of unusual capacity and foresight and he impresses the memebers of the mission most favourably. 

An important proportion of all revenues of the government is allocated to public works, and in the opinoin of this mission this proprotion should be increased. 

There are now 2,920 miles of roads rated as first-class in the islands and 7,500 permanamnt bridges and culverts. The standard, however, of first-class roads has been lowered and we found many roads rated as first-class which are not so. There was an earnest effort made by the government to hurry through deferred repairs in order to prepare the roads for inspection. 

During earlier preiods a ssytem of road constuction and maintenance was adopted and consistenetly followed. All structures on the first-class roads were reinforced concrete and a standard work system of road constucion adopted suited to the traffic. Although the work progressed slowly, it was thoroughly well done, adequate provision being made for constant maintenenace by a force of laborers. The result was the road service reached a high degree of perfection, comparing favourably with the roads of any other country and much better then most roads in America. The terrific force of the torrential rainfall in these islands made these precautions necessary. 

We have to record that this system has not been consisntently maintained; the roads are falling into disrepair, some are impassable, and the system of maintenance is carried on spasmodically. In certain districts money has been spent for new roads instead of keeping up the old ones, which is unwise. We also regre to say that a tendency has crept in to revert to the old practice of building bridges and other structures, of wood, and a uniform policy of permanent construction has not been maintained. This practice, in the long run, is poor enconomy. Heavy trucks have been purchased for carrying passengers and freight, and regualr routes have been established on the highways. These trucks, in some cases, are much heaveir than the roads were designed to carry, and much of the deterioration noted is attributable to this fact. The maintenance service should be restored to old standards and the weight of the roads regualted, and standard sections strengthened to enable the use of heavier vehicles. The roads are, at first sight, god at the present time, but a great proporotion of the wearing surface has been worn off without replacement. 

In the Mountain Province and non-Christian Provinces we find that the service of mainting the roads and trails has been neglected, but it is believed that a better organization can remedy thse defects without the ncessity of additional revenues.

Wood-Forbes Mission Report, pgs 39-41

Granted there is nothing in this report about Manila traffic in general or EDSA which was not built until 1940. But in this we do see the trend of poor road maintenance which plagues the Philippines unto this day. A lack of keeping up with repairs, lowering of standards, and heavy trucks which ruin the roads on which they drive.

As far as EDSA goes throughout the years many have offered various solutions. The most notable solution has been an increase in the quality of public transportation. The comparison of Manila with Hong Kong and Singapore is inevitable because all three cites are in the same geographic area and all three were destroyed to various degrees in World War 2 but only Manila is still in a state of backwardness.  The public transport systems in Singapore and Hong Kong are world class. Perhaps the biggest difference between Manila and the other cites is that Manila's rail system is 100% above ground and therefore not easily accessible. There are also no vendors and beggars and street kids commandeering these places as happens with the LRT in Manila.

Stations also appear undersized, compared to those in other large Asian cities. They do not allow for very long trains and usually have only one exit, unlike, for example, Chinese metro systems with multiple exits. Access to LRT 1 and MRT 3 stations is often difficult. They are located above ground with many steps to climb, while vendors and begging children use some of the steps.

https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/bulletin82_Article-4.pdf

There are no easy solutions to the EDSA traffic problem. That should be self-evident. Duterte stormed into office saying he would stop crime and corruption and drugs within 6 months. He said he would fix Manila's traffic problems. His followers believe him but both claims are without merit and not realistic. Perhaps he could start the ball rolling on real reform but not with an attitude of "Let EDSA rot" because he has not been granted autocratic powers.