COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

No, 1 Mt. Apo Street, East Tapinac, 2200 Olongapo City, Philippines

CASTEN, WENCHELL D. AR. ROLLAND P. ADDUN

BS ARCHITECTURE 4 PLA511

WHAT IS THE CONDITION OF STATE OF PHILIPPINE URBAN AND REGIONAL

PLANNING?

Fast-paced population growth and rampant urbanization represent some of the major
population concerns in the Philippines, a country of 80 million people where the average number
of children. The Philippines is also among the world's fastest urbanizing countries, and
overcrowded cities.

An archipelago of more than 7,100 islands, the Philippines boasts one of the longest
coastlines in the world a boon to tourism and the economy as a whole. Yet this unique geography
has also led to a politically fragmented nation where powerful local governments often chart
their own course, particularly when it comes to growth and urban development. Native
communities were either near the bodies of water or dispersed around the land they cultivated for
farming. The concentration of economic development in relatively few urban areas and rapid
population growth throughout the country are other factors contributing to urban sprawl.
Compared with other countries in the region, the Philippines are experiencing rapid population
growth.

The National Capital Region, commonly known as Metro Manila, is a highly-urbanized

center of nearly 12 million people. It has 16 cities and one municipality, each with its own plan
for growth that has yet to be integrated into a larger regional vision. The lack of regional
planning has resulted in sprawling, low-density suburbs; no urban growth boundaries; unbearable
traffic; and an uneven standard of living. The Philippines is one of the developing countries that
have made great strides in adopting regional development perspectives in national development
planning.
 Cities in the Philippines developed without taking full advantage of their environmental
assets. Urban centers along the sea, bay, or any body of water would have been terrific hubs for
the Philippine archipelagic republic. On the contrary, the cities grew without the benefit of
proper urban and regional planning.

Condition of state of Philippine urban and regional planning

The Philippines is emerging as a "resident" of the "Global Village." The country, as all
other developing nations, is affected by technological advancements in communications and
transportation. The state is also affected by social phenomena such as world trade, capitalism,
and international laws. The Philippines, as an arm of this "supraterritory," has been an extension
of the American Hollywood and a patron of the World Bank. Filipinos eat in McDonald's and
pay with their hard-earned Dollar or Euro. Needless to say, the implications of globalization to
the country are virtually infinite.

The Filipinos use the modern "Shared Technology." The fact is that these technologies
are not shared but bought. Advancements in telecommunications and information like the
Internet are in fact very useful, but they come with a price tag. One could predict that the country
would be crippled without such technologies. Ten years ago, the use of computers and cellular
phones were reserved to corporations. Now, almost every Filipino urbanite uses these electronic
devices. In addition, developments in aerial transportation have made the countries virtually
borderless.

The Philippine economics is also affected by international covenants. International trade

influences the political machinations of the country. Take for example the trading of oil in the
world market. Every time the price of oil increases, the Philippines experiences turmoil: the
private transportation sector reacts and the whole country gets disturbed.

The observations stated above affect planning in general and the people’s perception and
use of space in particular. Globalization does not only affect a developing country economically
but spatially as well. National and local planners and leaders must appreciate this fact.

The Philippine Constitution of 1987

Philippine Constitution of 1987 is also a source of planning ideals regarding urban land
reform and housing. In Section 9, it declares that "the State shall, by law, and for the common
good, undertake, in cooperation with the private sector, a continuing program of urban land
reform and housing which will make available at affordable cost, decent housing and basic
services to under-privileged and homeless citizens in urban centers and resettlement areas. It
shall also promote adequate employment opportunities to such citizens. In the implementation of
such program the State shall respect the rights of small property owners." In Section 10 it
continues that "urban or rural poor dwellers shall not be evicted nor their dwelling demolished,
except in accordance with law and in a just and humane manner. No resettlement of urban or
rural dwellers shall be undertaken without adequate consultation with them and the communities
where they are to be relocated.

Issues that urban and regional planning today

 High poverty index

 Rapid urbanization
 Political will
 Traffic congestion
 Citizen participation
One of the basic urban planning problems is housing. For the past decades, legislators
formulated and accumulated laws regarding the provision of one of the basic human needs that is
housing. Land use is one of the concerns of urban and regional planners. Issues pertaining to land
use include the land reclassification and conversion to other use.
The problem of squatting or the unlawful occupation of land duly owned by another
person or organization is another problem faced by city planners. This problem has been in
existence in the cities of the country since after the War. In 1997, Republic Act 8368 repealed
Republic Act 772, which is entitled "Penalizing Squatting and Other Similar Acts." The new law,
which was passed during the Ramos administration, decriminalizes squatting in all its forms.

Strategies in urban planning

A strategy for building up capability for regional planning and development is the
establishment of an authority that will administer the development of a special region. This idea
is exemplified by Republic Act 7924, which is "an act creating the Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority, defining its powers and functions, providing funds therefore and for
other purposes." The powers of the MMDA include development planning, transport and traffic
management, solid waste disposal and management, flood control and sewage management,
urban renewal and zoning, health and sanitation, and upholding of public safety.