No More Hell Run By Filipinos 19: Sidewalks

The sidewalk situation in the Philippines is atrocious. Many areas do not have sidewalks and oftentimes the sidewalks the exist are populated with obstructions ranging from electric poles to vendors to torn up pieces of concrete. Recently officials from the DPWH did an ocular inspection of the sidewalks along EDSA in Manila. The results were what one would expect.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2152741/edsa-sidewalks-fail-accessibility-test-for-pwds

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) conducted a walking inspection of the sidewalks along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) on Tuesday morning.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon and DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez, along with some executives from their respective agencies, began walking from Ayala Avenue in Makati City at 5:30 a.m.

They were joined by the Move as One Coalition, whose representatives used wheelchairs to identify issues faced by not only commuters but also people with disabilities.

The inspection was scheduled to conclude at Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City.

During the inspection, Move as One Coalition’s Sonny Sevilla said traveling in a wheelchair along the thoroughfare is “impossible.”

For most of the walk, the PWD used the bike lane, if not the road dedicated to motor vehicles.

Both Dizon and Lopez also observed steep, high walkways that require stairs to walk on, and no transition ramps.

Some sidewalks also have electric poles obstructing the sidewalks that barely fit one person.

The last time Is aw the sidewalks along EDSA was in 2023. They were awful back then. One has to wonder when was the last time DPWH and DOTr officials inspected the sidewalks along EDSA and elsewhere in Manila? Surely they have seen the deteriorating state of the sidewalks when they drive? They are not hard to miss. 

But have no fear because repairs will begin sometime early next year. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2152758/edsa-sidewalk-repairs-to-begin-in-early-2026-dotr-dpwh

Sidewalk repairs along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) will begin in early 2026, Transport Secretary Giovanni Lopez and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said on Tuesday.

These repairs include widening sidewalks, removing obstructions, and polishing uneven sidewalks.

Dizon and Lopez observed the need for such repairs following a 4.4-kilometer walk inspection along the thoroughfare from Ayala Avenue in Makati City to Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City.

They were joined by the Walk for All and Move for One Coalition, composed of commuters, senior citizens, cyclists, and people with disabilities (PWDs).

Reflecting on his observations during the two-hour inspection, Dizon pointed out that Edsa is “car-centric.”

“The problem with Edsa is that it has a car-centric approach… What we’ll do now is to give importance to pedestrians as well… Some areas along Edsa don’t even have dedicated spaces for pedestrians… There are areas that even one or two people can’t fit through, so that has to change,” Dizon said.

Both Dizon and Lopez also stressed the plight of commuters and the current problem of the sidewalks.

“It’s a pity for our commuters and pedestrians. It’s like going to war every day — where you walk through, trying to avoid getting into an accident and being run over by motorcycles or buses or cars,” Dizon stated.

“Our sidewalks are very dangerous and Secretary Vince and I saw some infrastructure placed that we couldn’t identify what they’re for or what their purpose is,” Lopez shared.

Dizon then added that both the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Transportation will not only fix but also widen the walkways of commuters along the route to make it “pedestrian and commuter-friendly.”

Similarly, Lopez discussed the benefit of fixing the sidewalks to accommodate PWDs and seniors.

“What Secretary Vince and I are doing today is to make sure we have a sidewalk for commuters that is safe and actually accessible for PWDs and senior citizens,” Lopez told the media.

Meanwhile, the PWDs who participated in the inspection alongside the two agencies said it was “impossible” to travel in a wheelchair along Edsa.

The PWDs were observed struggling to go on and off sidewalks due to the lack of transition ramps.

Furthermore, for most of the inspection, they travelled along the bike lane or with the other motor vehicles because there were no sidewalks along parts of the 23.8-kilometer highway.

Upon reaching elevated walkways, particularly the Magallanes Interchange, they had to be carried by four individuals to walk up and down the stairs, as there were no elevators. 

There was also no form of assistance observed on the sidewalks for the blind or visually impaired. 

"Our sidewalks are very dangerous." "“It’s a pity for our commuters and pedestrians. It’s like going to war every day." Big words. Big sentiments. See? Secretary Giovanni Lopez and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon really do care about the little guy. 

But here is the problem.  The first article says:

"Some sidewalks also have electric poles obstructing the sidewalks that barely fit one person."

This is not “deterioration," this is engineered negligence. Electric poles do not sprout in the middle of sidewalks by accident. They were either placed there with full awareness or the sidewalks were built around them without regard for human use. It reflects a planning culture where pedestrians were never considered stakeholders in the first place. And we are supposed to believe the two current clowns in charge will fix this mess especially when the DPWH is already involved in a massive scandal regarding flood projects and kickbacks? 

The sidewalk problem in the Philippines is well known. I have written about it previously. The fact that the people cannot have proper and safe sidewalks is one more reason to declare No More Hell Run By Filipinos!