Transfer the sinking capital
Greenpeace studies in various regions in the ASEAN have indicated that Metro Manila is sinking by no less than 10 centimeters per annum. By simple calculation, this means that by 2050, or in 26 years, the National Capital Region (NCR) will be 2.6 meters below the level it is at now! Rapid urbanization and the extraction of underground water are reported to be the main causes. This is exacerbated by rising sea levels.
Outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo has boldly begun to hold office in Nusantara, South Kalimantan (Borneo Island) which he has designated as Indonesia’s new capital precisely because of similar concerns. Jakarta is like New York-DC, and LA in which business, government, and entertainment are all centered in one place. Metro Manila is the same. Traffic in Jakarta is unbelievably worse than in Metro Manila, if that is at all possible. And the quality of air is worse than in Metro Manila.
Today, with the destructive reclamation of Roxas Boulevard, floods are making the capital city unlivable. The destruction is not only to the physical infrastructure. Worse, it has ruined one of the most beautiful things about our National Capital Region — the awesome view of the sunset on Manila Bay. Driving along Roxas Boulevard back then was always a pleasant experience. Now it is actually depressing! Especially when you see the disastrous reclamation of that fake dolomite beach. Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga has finally stopped further reclamations on Roxas Boulevard because she reveals that the extra land area slows down the exit of flood waters. So, now we discover this, after the trauma of Typhoon Carina!
Meanwhile — probably because our legislators and Cabinet officials live in the area — budget priorities continue to focus on dealing with the major symptom of overpopulation in the NCR: traffic.
So now billions are being invested in building a subway (and even a long bridge from Cavite to Bataan) — in a place that will be under water in 25 years!
Almost 30 years ago, when he was running for president, Lito “Promdi” Osmeña said that the capital should move to Clark. If we had taken this seriously, we should have accomplished this by now. If Clark is found to be a good idea, since it already has an international airport, and nearby Subic has first class seaports, infrastructure investments to make it easier to travel to Clark from the current NCR should facilitate and expedite the transfer.
Other areas considered less prone to typhoons and other calamities are Palawan and Davao.
Then there is Dumaguete, a lovely city in Negros Oriental. It has preserved its four-lane seaside boulevard all the way from the provincial capital to Carlos City whence a ferry crosses to Toledo City in Cebu. It is a pleasant four-hour drive along the seawall. It is right in the center of the country. However, this university town might lose its precious gracefulness if it becomes the national capital.
Cebu City can continue to be a business hub, like New York. But it is already too crowded to take in National Government and entertainment. Metro Cebu City already has 80% of the province’s population. But perhaps with the transfer of the provincial capital to western Cebu (in Balamban), there will be more breathing space in Cebu City which is in the east. The transfer is also expected to improve the economy of western Cebu where there is a lot of poverty.
Government and private land developers continue to invest in the NCR, making it more and more attractive to businesses and people who leave their provincial homes for better-paying jobs there. It is time for Government and these developers to consider the not-so-distant future. Are they putting more and more money to waste?
Negros Island is in the middle of our archipelago. Can we relocate the government center there? Joko Widodo has chosen Nusantara as the new capital of Indonesia because, he says, it is central to their archipelago. The incoming president (in October) Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo — who was endorsed by Widodo and whose vice-president is the son of Widodo — is likely to proceed with the ongoing transfer of the Indonesian capital.
If President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. takes a look at Greenpeace’s and other studies on the sinking of Manila, he might, like Widodo, make some bold decisions while he is in power for four more years. To ignore these studies can be truly disastrous for our country and our people.
Teresa S. Abesamis is a former professor at the Asian Institute of Management and fellow of the Development Academy of the Philippines.