First-world Philippines by 2050, possible – urban planner

by Patricia B. Mirasol, Producer

A renowned urban planner said that improved infrastructure, good governance and transparency are key to achieving a first-world Philippines.

“We may have the best plans in the world, but if we don’t have good institutions to implement them, we’ll never make it,” PALAFOX founder Felino A. Palafox, Jr. said at the campaign launch last July 1.

The ‘Philippines 2050: A First-World Country, A First-World Economy’ campaign of PALAFOX aims to create 100 sustainable cities and enjoin the government, private sector, environmental advocates, civil society, and every Filipino towards this first-world vision.

The Philippines 2050 campaign recommends that the new cities should be built to be smart, sustainable, and resilient. Failure to do so may result in already existing cities becoming as problematic as Metro Manila.

“We should dream big, plan long, [and go] beyond the electoral calendar of three years and six years,” Mr. Palafox said.

The initiative stems from the Goldman Sachs’ projection of the Philippines being the top 16th economy in the world by 2050.

The Philippines also has one of the largest gold reserves in the world, and is a marine biodiversity hotspot .

Mr. Palafox, who promotes vertical cities to prevent urban sprawl to encroach into forests, said the country “uses the wrong model.”

“After the war, we copied Los Angeles, which was designed for the automobile and not pedestrians,” he said.

Mobility, accessibility, and connectivity are also key factors to consider in development, Mr. Palafox added.

“Let’s develop the provinces, [and] let’s involve the private sector,” Mr. Palafox said.