18 hours Ago By James Patrick Cruz
MANILA, Philippines – With more than half of world’s population now living in cities, local leaders face increasing pressure to make urban areas sustainable and livable. At the Social Good Summit on October 19, Saturday, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte , Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon, and Isabela City Mayor Sitti Hataman shared their efforts to build vibrant and sustainable communities. Active and public transport Transportation is crucial for urban livability, yet traffic congestion and inefficient transport system remain significant challenges.
To address this, Quezon City has implemented a free transportation program that allows residents to move around the city more easily via buses. Recently, the Quezon City government acquired new electric buses joining the 90 regular buses already in service. Insipred by Quezon City’s program, Biazon said that they will soon start rolling out buses that will ply around Muntinlupa to give free transportation service to senior citizens and persons with disability (PWD).
Belmonte noted that cities like Makati and Pasig are also considering adopting free transportation programs. Quezon City is also at the forefront of active transport with its progressive bike policies and infrastructure. In the 2023 Mobility Awards, it earned the title of the most bicycle-friendly city, achieving a “gold rating.
” LOCAL LEADER. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte speaks about how good governance in cities can affect the quality of life of all Filipinos, at the ‘Governing for liveable cities’ panel discussion during the Social Good Summit 2024 at the Yuchengco Hall of Dela Salle University in Manila on October 19, 2024. Angie de Silva/Rappler As part of his agenda to make Muntinlupa a more livable and sustainable, Mayor Biazon has initiated the installation of free bicycle parking throughout city.
With the North-South Commuter Railway project underway, he also plans to establish more bicycle parking near the stations, enabling residents to easily bike and park when traveling outside the city. Meanwhile, with the MRT-7 set to begin partial operations in Quezon City by 2025, Mayor Belmonte eyes to create accessible parking spaces to encourage residents to use public transportation instead of bringing their cars into the inner city. To discourage private vehicle use, Belmonte also wanted to impose higher parking fees for private cars in the future, similar to practices in other countries.
“We have to disincentivize people from bringing cars into the city. We put parking lots around (public transportation hubs) so they can park and take the MRT, LRT, or bus, so that there’s no congestion within the city and, as a result, the air is clean. And because the air is clean, people’s health improves, which makes a city livable,” Belmonte said in mix Filipino and English.
Inclusivity Belmonte has championed progressive policies, including the right to a care card, a ban on single-use plastics, transgender health program , and a gender-fair ordinance . In pushing for these measures, she emphasized the importance of dialogue with residents who hold opposing views, believing that many objections stem from a lack of information. “I am a great believer of public consultation.
So I really believe in the power of the people and they have the right to be heard and they have the right to hear about want you want to say,” Belmonte said. “ Mas madali na kasama mo ang taong bayan kaysa sa hindi mo sila kasama .” (It’s easier when the people are with you than when they are not.
) The Quezon City mayor also linked the residents’ openness to her progressive policies to the city’s educational landscape, as it is home to many universities. In September, Quezon City and Rappler conducted an AI-powered public consultation to help in crafting car-free Tomas Morato Avenue ordinance. Rappler AI-powered public consultation helps craft car-free Tomas Morato Avenue ordinance Isabela’s initiatives to promote inclusivity included giving roles to indigenous communities, particularly the Badjaos.
Recognizing their unique skills and knowledge, they have been employed as “sea sweepers” to keep local waters free from garbage. The mayors have also committed to ensure that the infrastructure are responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities. They have created job opportunities through capacity-building initiatives, making employment more accessible.
Under the law, government agencies are required to reserve at least 1% of their workforce for PWDs. In Quezon City, 4% of the workforce comprises individuals with disabilities. Good governance For cities to thrive and become livable, good governance is essential, the mayors said.
Belmonte stressed the need for leaders to firmly oppose corruption and protect those who advocate for good governance and shield them from “politics of things.” “You just have to be very firm and not be afraid and not be willing to compromise on these things. And I think later on people will see the value of what you do.
Once you’re able to show that things are different, that people are feeling the services of government because you have an anti-corruption advocacy then people will realize the value of the reforms that you have made,” Belmonte said. Aside from going after corrupt officials and filing a string of charges, Biazon emphasized the need to create systems that prevent corruption regardless of leadership. For instance, Muntinlupa’s use of technology in employee healthcare benefits has reduced human intervention, allowing the local government to detect irregularities more effectively.
“We should be able to identify how it was committed — the system. We’ve seen many times in the past that strong leaders who took a tough stance against corruption were able to imprison people and file cases, but once the leader is gone, we’re back to square one. It all depends on whether the next leader will have the same kind of stance because it’s the system that’s enabling corruption,” Biazon said.
LOCAL LEADER. Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon speaks about how good governance in cities can affect the quality of life of all Filipinos, at the ‘Governing for liveable cities’ panel discussion during the Social Good Summit 2024 at the Yuchengco Hall of Dela Salle University in Manila on October 19, 2024. Angie de Silva/Rappler Mayor Hataman has also introduced transparency measures, allowing the public to access documents via QR codes.
She also highlighted the need for strong political will in addressing corruption saying this will encourage local investments. Since Hataman took office in 2019, Isabela City in Basilan has seen remarkable growth, climbing from 108th to 45th in competitiveness among component cities, making it the third most improved city in the country by 2022. LOCAL LEADER.
Isabela City Mayor Sitti Hataman speaks about how good governance in cities can affect the quality of life of all Filipinos, at the ‘Governing for liveable cities’ panel discussion during the Social Good Summit 2024 at the Yuchengco Hall of Dela Salle University in Manila on October 19, 2024. Angie de Silva/Rappler The tourism industry in Isabela has also improved, with visitors increasing from 30,000 in 2019 to 430,000 in 2024. The city has also significantly reduced poverty rates, dropping from 53.
51% in 2018 to 18.6% in 2023, which Hataman attributes to effective governance and increased investments. “ Kapag walang korapsyon , household ang nakikinabang.
Talagang kailangan ramdam ng tao ,” Hataman said. (When there is no corruption, households benefit. People should really feel its impact) During the panel, the mayors also emphasized the value of sharing best practices within each other.
In Metro Manila, where city borders often blend seamlessly, Belmonte emphasized the crucial need for collaboration among mayors to tackle key regional issues such as traffic congestion and flood mitigation. Galing Pook: Here are the most lauded towns and provinces in the Philippines – Rappler.com.
