Comprising more than 30% of the Philippines’ total population, Manila (metropolitan area) is considered home by millions of Filipinos and they regard it as the city of their dreams. It may be my home but it has never been “the city of my dreams” or maybe, has not yet.
I was born in Quezon City, a Manila suburb, to a father raised in Tondo, a Manila district and to a mother who grew up in a province miles away southeast of the metropolis. They met and settled in the city with hopes of building a family that is entrenched in an urban setting where the primary social necessities such as good education, job and career opportunities, healthcare, social security and others are concentrated. For 22 years now, I can say that it has been satisfactorily reached relative to the countless families at the bottom of the social strata who cannot enjoy the comfort of urban living. Perhaps, I really can’t consider my city as a social playground but every time I explore Manila, its unique charm reflected by its lively and cheerful people, and rich history and culture, catches my attention; with a happy smile yet followed by a poignant emotion as I reflect on the reality behind this rugged charm – the poverty that clings with it. But the poverty predicament simply shows the broad picture of the Mnaila’s physical and social landscapes. Taking a closer look at the city’s physical disorder and congestion as well as the social structural mazes may bring someone to the realization that Manila really needs concrete and pertinent programs so it can somehow release itself from the persistent problems where it got trapped and still struggle to face and fight against for decades and subsequently, sprint towards progress. It sounds too ideal but surely viable.

A city of their dreams
About two or three summers ago, I got involved in our church’s counseling, feeding and evangelism program. As God put that desire in my heart to reach out to these less-privileged people in our community, I heed the call and took part by teaching the village’s children who were really excited in learning in our educational sessions and bible studies every weekend. I could also see how they rush in line to be given a cupful of porridge and some candies. As the Daily Vacation Bible School neared the end of its season, I felt like my little immersion was really fulfilling. By imparting them a little of what I can share, the gladness they felt in their hearts over-pours as I see it in their jolly smiles, and some teary-eyed when we had to leave.
During our breaks, I would talk to some malnourished children and ask about their backgrounds and other experiences while living in such inconvenient community. One kid told me that he goes to school wearing slippers when actually, they’re required to wear shoes. Or sometimes, he just wears his third grade shorts when at his level, they’re supposed to wear pants. He just told me, “Kuya, kailangan mag-aral eh” (Older brother, I need to study). I understood that these young kids prefer to play than studying but I also see how their parents give value to education that despite their deficiencies, they dream of finishing their studies, at least, in the elementary level. But after that, as in most cases, they would work as a house worker like their mothers or drivers like their fathers. Other stories from the kids tell of their parent’s sickness in bed so they have to sell plastics or man in the market stalls, and at the end of the day, earn a paltry sum of less than 50, on average. They would then use the money to buy a pack of noodles to be shared by about 10 members of the family. These simple stories testify of the most challenging giants people face, living as an urban poor: education, food, healthcare, livelihood for the family, and sustainable income. Of course, they wish to ride on nice bicycles (not even cars) along smoothly-paved roads in their village; buying new clothes and at least a pair of shoes to be used for three years; living in better houses whose ceilings do not seem showerheads when its raining, whose roofs are not flown by the wind when there’s typhoon; parents who do not have tuberculosis because of non-stop work and an older sibling who is employed in a good company even as a clerk or messenger; and other dreams they cherished in their hearts before they moved to the city. Their malnourished bodies mirror the poverty they face everyday. These young bodies are witnesses to the sad reality that is Manila. Painful but they endure it. They’re tired of it but they persevere. But how long shall they wait to see the city of their dreams?



I have thought of Manila’s five major problems, concrete and abstract in nature, that are manifested in the children’s tale of poverty in their young lives. These challenges need efficient management in order to pave the road towards city progress. These are not enumerated and detailed by order of significance and prioritization as each deserves proper and equal attention from those concerned and sincere in facing these challenges.


The Challenges

Pollution, Health, and Sanitation
I ride a jeep (Manila’s main public transport vehicle) almost everyday when I go to school and to my part-time work. Unlike buses, jeeps do not have air-conditioners so smoke gets into the open windows. Passengers like me have no option but to just cover our noses so we could not breathe carbon emissions. There are some vehicles like public SUVs and buses that are available but fares are more expensive so many commuters especially the less-moneyed would just ride on cheap jeeps. By the way, as they reason out, every peso is important so they’d rather use the portions of their allowance for food than for transport allocation. However, as they save money for food, intense air pollution still put their lungs at stake. But this is just one spot on the corner of the multi-angled pollution problem in Manila. The big picture shows how Manila’s urban environment has put the city at its own health risks.
Manila’s less privileged citizens are at the axis of environmental perils as they are the ones who are extremely exposed to air, water and land pollutions. Destitute families and neighborhoods, living in the periphery of the metropolis where many factories operate, inhale large measure of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. Because their shanties are placed along public highways, they directly absorb carbon dirt from public vehicles. According to a report by Stockholm Development Institute, most pollutants come from fossil fuel combustion used by energy, industry and transportation sectors all over the Asia Pacific region. Low quality fuel and inefficient methods of energy production and others all add to the aggravation of air pollution in urban areas especially in manufacturing and industrial clusters.
In addition, the World Resources Institute asserts that millions of children living in the world’s largest cities, particularly in developing countries, are exposed to life-threatening air pollution two to eight times above the maximum WHO guidelines. Indeed, more than 80 percent of all deaths in developing countries attributable to air pollution-induced lung infections are among children under five.[i] In mega-cities such as Manila, approximately 20 to 30 percent of respiratory sicknesses are caused by air pollution. The damage to human health caused not only by air emissions but also solid waste and effluent, is the highest among all the costs of urban environmental degradation. Health costs in major Asian cities now reach 15 to 18 percent of urban income.[ii] Manila, as a city in a developing country, then becomes an unhealthy place to live.
Payatas is a small community north of Manila that may be considered one of the most uncomfortable and filthiest places in the metropolis. It used to be the dumpsite of all kinds of trashes – from mere plastics and bottles to discarded medical and chemical products – from all of Metro Manila. Worse, the materials are mixed all together without any form of segregation and separation schemes. In the absence of proper management, hazardous chemicals spilled and leaked into water pipes and caused water-related diseases diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, and malaria. Also, there was not enough running water for bath and drinking water. The worst thing is that children suffer the most due to high number of infant and juvenile population in the community. Both solid wastes and water pollution caused these tremendous incidences that further aggravate poverty in the area. Without clean sanitary facilities and well-managed solid waste schemes, land and water problems remain to be big problems that poor residents have to suffer.
But don’t they have options like finding better places to live in? The government actually resettled the residents especially after the tragic landslide in 2000. However, to the disappointment of residents, their new homes were hundreds of kilometers away from their workplaces at the center of Manila, too far and would cost them a lot of effort and money considering the length of travel. This is another issue related to housing, transportation and infrastructure development which will be discussed in the latter part of this essay.



Education and Employment
My parents always tell us, their beloved children, that the only inheritance that they can give to us is education. Filipino families, rich and poor alike, put great value to this privilege. For the poor, education is a means to get a good job and thus escape poverty and deprivation, so many poor families work hard to get at least one child through high school and some college, mortgaging land and selling other assets, if it’s necessary. But educational gaps between poor and non-poor families persist, in terms of children’s access to schools of good quality and other inputs, as well as in terms of outcomes.[iii]
Manila is dubbed as the educational capital of the Philippines. But how could a center of education and learning represent a country whose educational level registers low achievement levels on assessment tests and with “high literacy rates” relative to other Asian countries, but is tailed by neighboring countries that participated in international tests in math and science. Another sad reality, Manila’s institutions of learning and scholarship lag behind other Asian cities’ top profile universities and colleges. In short, from primary to tertiary levels, there is low competence when it comes to education, even in the “educational center” of the Philippines.
Low education budget allocations by the government may be one of the major reasons. In recent years, the national government appropriated minimal allocations and funds for education. In my university, the heavy burden is placed upon the shoulders of students who now have to pay 300% higher tuition and miscellaneous fees compared to what I used to spend two years ago. The university administration had to increase fees in some colleges in order to allot portions for the instructors’ salaries, educational materials and school facilities. This is the setting in a supposedly “public university” where I still avail of the best education in the Philippines. Thank God, I have a part-time job so I don’t need to ask for allowances from my parents anymore. But I still need to tighten my belt as I need to save for other necessities. But if this has been bearable for me, then it may be heavier for other less-privileged students and youths. And if this is the case of tertiary students like me, how worse could it be in the primary and secondary levels – the quality of education, teaching facilities, laboratories, classrooms, teaching materials, and daily allowances?
And if this is the case of students enrolled in “good” Manila schools, how worse could it be in the countryside?
After attaining


Housing and Infrastructure Development
For the longest time, we haven’t had a house of our own. We have always moved from one Manila suburb to another as rental fees increase after a certain span of time. I can still remember, from the closest Manila suburb, our family has gone to the farthest district north of Manila’ core. As real and rental prices of central districts soar, urban families have no choice but to find cheaper yet still safe communities in the periphery. Thank God, just recently, my mother has availed of affordable housing loans and by this year, we expect to transfer into our new class-B townhouse unit. Still, we have to pay for almost 10 years to finally and truly call it our very own house. We won’t need to pay fees for residing in an apartment whose landlord sometimes shout at my mom because of unpaid due payments. We are privileged to secure a house because we had enough money for it.
Unfortunately, our co-tenants still have to pay monthly for renting in a house which can never be theirs. In spite of the government’s housing and loan projects, many Filipino families in Manila can still not afford of the average housing payments which are already subsidized by the government with the partnership of foreign and local institutions. But the burgeoning population in the urban center makes it hard for the lending actors to provide more low cost housing programs. For now, dense townhouses, apartments, and small residential blocks as well as slums and improvised shelters under the fly-over bridges and street corners remain to be the homes of less-privileged urban dwellers.
Besides housing deficiencies, infrastructure development is another challenge that Manila has to face. Power supply, water and sanitation, transport networks and telecommunications are all important especially in a city setting where there is supposedly larger development compared to a rural one. It is undeniable, as seen in recent years, that Manila’s infrastructure has partially improved. As the Philippines slightly enjoyed gradual economic growth, infrastructure development was prioritized over other equally development-important factors such as health and education. It may be reasonable for the national government to spend for infrastructure because compared to neighboring countries, especially in the metropolitan area, infrastructures have been lagging and outdated.
Although set for country-wide development, World Bank Philippines’ infrastructure programs complement Manila’s highway networks to surrounding regions. As it asserts, infrastructure can positively affect the quality of life through indirect means. For instance, at a household level, the demand for infrastructure is also a derived demand for other social services which lead to increasing living standards. As the country’s nest of development, it is essential that Manila would be given proper if not equally fine infrastructures as that of neighboring countries.
Now, given these efforts, why does it still seem difficult for both the government and its partners to develop an constantly face-lift Manila’s infrastructures?
High levels of urban congestion, the poor condition of large parts of road networks and (unsatisfactory) connectivity has reduced the efficiency of the road network in promoting growth.[iv] As a result, traffic jams and vehicular accidents increase too. This brings us to a major cause of the city’s slow infrastructure development.

Population Explosion
Even before the 21st century, Manila had already reached the status of megacity defined as a recognized metropolitan area with a total population in excess of 10 million people. As of present, Metro Manila has approximately 11 million people, making it one of the top 30 most populous urban centers in the world. It may be something to be glad about considering the possibilities of large GDP and economic growth for the country. But in spite this auspicious vision, population explosion and congestion have consequent challenges: the difficulty of living in a dense area, the inconvenience of residing in a polluted environment, and the limit of resources. The metropolis has at least 17,000 souls per square kilometer. In addition, about 13 to 16 percent of the country’s total population are congested in only about 0.2 percent of the country’s land area.[v] Its density becomes a problem considering the over-crowded population especially in slum communities. Since migrants from the rural countryside flows at large numbers every year to Manila despite the already congested areas, they resort to just residing in squatter communities. As a result, health risks would definitely become another problem. As in most cases, denser communities suffer constant disease break out because virus spread quickly in these tight communities living in an unhealthy environment. They also have to limit themselves and share proportionally in utilizing the public land where they settled and availing adequate water supply. There is great insufficiency in a very large population.
In An Essay on the Principle of Population (first published in 1798), Malthus proposed that while resources tend to grow linearly, population grows exponentially. He argued that, if left unrestricted, human populations continue to grow until they would become too large to be supported by the food grown on available agricultural land, causing starvation which then controls population growth.[vi] In the case of Manila, its population has grown too much that resources seem not enough at all for everyone.
Actually, all of the major problem categories discussed above may be rooted from the population problem. Without population explosion, then there might be less pollution as there would be less carbon emissions from vehicles; healthier people with clean sanitation facilities and enough resources; more supplies and materials for educational learning; less pressure on urban housing, less transportation problems, and infrastructure problems. But migration to urban centers has become an inevitable trend. In fact, it may reasonable for rural folks to migrate because there are fewer opportunities in their local places. The missing link lies on the fact that social inequity is still prevalent in the Philippine society as opportunities are disproportionately distributed to citizens in the countryside.

Inequality
Manila is a microcosm of the complexity of the Filipino society, one that depicts colors of opulence, violence, destitution, apathy, corruption, laughter, and survival. It’s a sad picture of wide societal gaps. Basically, the Filipino social strata may be divided into three: the wealthy, the middle class and the poor. The first category represents only less than 3% of the total national population and they are those who can enjoy the privilege of eating in the finest restaurants, play in exclusive golf course parks, ride elegant automobiles along palm-lined streets of the business districts and so on. A middle class family is typical of having a parent who works abroad as migrant worker, another parent rearing two or three schooling children and has either an average-size house or affordable car and has easy access to social services. At the base of the social layers are the millions of shanty dwellers and illegal land settlers who try to seek the good life here in the city. They have grabbed the chance to somehow lift their social status economically, at least primarily, by having jobs “totally” different from the native livelihood of toiling the farmlands under the sun or catching fish in the case of coastal rural communities. Some stray migrants though have sadly fallen into illegal operations that lurk in poorly-governed districts and clusters of the metropolis. Indeed, Manila is a city of irony and inequity. This issue of inequity, as far as socio-politico-economic systems are concerned, plays a crucial role in answering why Manila is still far from being reasonably considered a city of dreams.
Thus, who is responsible for this social inequity? -- the government and the people themselves. Given that these problems grew more complicated due to the people’s apathy or perhaps cowardly attitude to face the challenges, and the lack of good governance in the system, then pulling the roots of convoluted predicaments is likewise their responsibility, an action worth of great effort, support and cooperation from both parties. Simply put, working together as a body is the answer.

Facing the Giants
I can say that indeed, Manila is facing the usual challenges that thriving megacities also face. Rather than being downhearted, one should be compelled to build the city walls. Now, more than ever, working together as a team is the best thing to do in order to pick up the city’s scattered and fallen blocks in an aim to one day see the unfolding of a true city of dreams founded in part by the people’s courage to face the noble task of ushering the next generation into a brighter and fresher society. And it all starts with you and me.
As for me, I believe that simple but very basic steps should be done cordially to transform Manila into the city of their dreams.
It starts with knowing the problem. Given the above-mentioned challenges, the next important step is to have a bright aspiration. Looking at kids searching for edible goods on heaps of garbage just outside a condominium in a well-off village where I work hits my heart so deeply. I used to just hear such stories when I was young. But as I explore more of Manila everyday, this sad reality really strikes me. Especially when it comes to children, my desire is to usher them into a brighter future – a scenario where they carry their lunchboxes as they cheerfully walk while singing towards school. Heart-lightening isn’t it?
To make that aspiration possible, one must act sincerely together with his team. Based on my personal experience as a youth, getting involved in socio-civic activities sponsored by a church ministry, community youth bodies, school councils, club outreach and other community welfare projects may contribute to the development of a small community. As a city is composed of clusters of communities, then small efforts must begin in such small areas. Manila’s multi-angular problem is too big when seen at first glance yet as one zooms into the city’s society, he sees that the big rock is only made of tiny dense materials that look hard to break, but surely, possible. It is, in any way, worth it. I feel “fulfilled”, yet still unfinished. I need to do more.
More than physical development, my city needs social revolution. Because it faces enormous complicated problems, a revolution is necessary to sway the impediments clogging the road to city progress.
The distribution of resources in the city is unequal. Therefore, even though foreign and local investments are concentrated in the city yet the resource profits are not proportionately distributed through the city dwellers through taxes, progress is felt slowly. If there is synchronized development in the various sectors of the urban society, there would also be rapid growth in its economy and there would also be great possibilities of progress. But in the case of Manila, there have been wide gaps between the urban poor and the rich. Picture this: you walk through Payatas and you’re in Manila. You walk through walled subdivisions like in Forbes Park, yet you’re in Manila. Big difference. Big gap. And big inequality. A picture of social imbalance in an urban setting.
Facing the giant predicament of social imbalance demands the primary task of eradicating urban poverty. There is a need for a comprehensive reform program in the services where the basic necessities of the poor would be given attention. Such program must incorporate all urban development projects and ideas solicited from the national government, civil society and private sectors i.e., from church ministries, business organizations, education, health, youth development, livelihood development clubs, cooperatives, and other sectors – big and small – because they deserve a voice for change, and play significant roles in contributing to urban development and social participation. These sectors, working together as one body, to fight against urban poverty can produce good yields for the society at large. The business sector and livelihood development clubs can hold seminars, forums and hands-on activities to tap draw out hidden skills from both people in the communities who are not given enough opportunities to show their capabilities. It would also be helpful to conduct entrepreneurial programs for people with potential business skills and/ or job fairs for the unemployed and underemployed. They all deserve attention and chances. In our church, recently, health practitioners and other church volunteers worked together as one strong body to push through a reach-out project in San Jose, a thriving urban community on Manila’s periphery, aiming to render dental and medical services. Although counseling and evangelism are the main agenda, the villagers especially the children benefited largely from the program. I believe God truly heard our prayers for them. I felt overwhelmed to belong in a body of concerned and sincere “missionaries” who live up one of the golden rules “Love your neighbor as yourself” manifested in the members’ willingness to give anything they can – be it time, expertise, talents, and finances for the less-privileged. This picture also displays active partnership by the church, health workers and community youth as they, in one accord, worked together to accomplish the mission.
The government also renders proper response through the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority which has recently launched the Metro Guapo (handsome city) program aiming to give the metropolis a facelift. Although this complements and benefits the city, it does not have direct impact to the urban poor. Their houses may have been painted with blue and pink (MMDA colors) but as you get inside, you can see a young mother feeding her crying baby with “rice milk” or extract from cooked rice mixed with water as an alternative for milk. The mother herself finds it hard to breastfeed her baby because she herself is deficient of vitamins and minerals. What would they do with a painted house when their stomachs ache in hunger? More than city aesthetics, what these people really need are concrete health, food and livelihood programs. Manila’s classrooms likewise need more supplies and up-to-date educational materials as part of the upgrading programs that already initiated by the city governments in partnership with non-government organizations. Similarly, more funds are needed to build additional classrooms. In Caloocan, a Metro Manila city, public schools are so crowded (with teacher-students ratio of 1:75). As a “temporary solution,” also due to the lack of good teachers and too many students, class shifts were made. If there are sufficient health services and medical supplies free of charge for poor families, then one child’s parents could go to work or take care of their young children instead of being sick and coughing in bed.
In this light, three avenues of urban mismanagement should be fixed and paved with concrete solutions: politico-administrative, economic and socio-cultural aspects. It is politico-administrative in that the goals, policies and programs concerning urban development are the ones followed and implemented by city executive officials in maneuvering the engine of urban growth. This however needs suave implementation and large support from all the sectors of the city. Economically speaking, city resources are concentrated in the business and already well-developed centers leaving the poor in desperate squalor and absence of adequate services and resources. There is an enormous inequality problem in the socio-cultural aspect. Many migrants to the city unequipped, unskilled and untrained for most jobs available in the city face employment discrimination. Even in the lowest ranks of the labor supply, they suffer from unequal treatment by their employers who highly favor those who graduated in the city. If they’re not given chances, how can they improve their potential competence in the labor segment of the city’s economic force.
Together with my peers, the most feasible action that I can do and impart with them for our fellow city neighbors is in line with education. Educating young minds may be one of the keys to open up bright new ideas that will shape the city of their dreams. I and my friends have been living in Manila for over two decades yet instead of seeing rapid development, we see how slow the latter has come to transpire in our city through the years. Perhaps, by educating the youth who follow our footsteps, we can take part in rolling a new and grand avenue of fresher ideas, more liberal and more radical perspectives in shaping an urban society. In a way, we serve as facilitators and escorts to the youth and encouraging them to continue whatever efforts have been done already in the past. As for the present, we are here, willing to provide them with our books, educational materials and most of all, time to teach them through tutorial sessions and follow-up activities. The harvest may be less likely seen or incompletely enjoyed by the present generations but will benefit and hopefully be enriched by the succeeding ones.
I thank the Lord for giving me countless opportunities to share the blessings He loves to rain upon others who happened to be born in poor families for reasons that only God knows. But one thing’s certain, as “neighbors of our neighbors,” living in the same society. Given this, we are indeed responsible for the welfare of each other. Despite the intense pressures tied with the challenges of living in an urban setting, the vision and desire in taking part in the unfolding of a dream must continue to light the torch that will be used to light the way as urban folks walk hand in hand into their new and fresher Manila, a city of their dreams. Perhaps, I should now replace the pronoun their to my as I join this exodus so one day, I can also call Manila as the city of my dreams.
[i] Divya Abhat, Shauna Dineen, Tamsyn Jones, Jim Motavalli, Rebecca Sanborn, and Kate Slomkowski. “Cities of the Future” in Green Living (http://www.emagazine.com)
[ii] World Bank Report 2000
[iii] Raising educational outcomes among poor and disadvantaged youths, Education Policy Notes by World Bank Philippines, 2005
[iv] Meeting Infrastructure Challenges, Philippines. World Bank Group in the Philippines, 2005
[v] Manila Times Special Report, November 11, 2002.
[vi] Malthus, An Essay On The Principle Of Population (1798 1st edition) with A Summary View (1830), and Introduction by Professor Anthony Flew. Penguin Classics. ISBN 0-14-043206-X.

The most prestigious universities, high-quality colleges, and best secondary and elementary schools are concentrated in the city. Although some quality schools may also be found in major cities in the provinces, the best teachers are said to be “available” only in Manila. But in spite this “good” setting, not every Manila youth could avail of quality education even from “public elementary and high schools and government-subsidized universities and colleges.”