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Manila, Philippines
Manila traces its origins to a small seaport established in the
twelfth century at the mouth of the Pasig River. Captured by
Spain in 1570, the wealthy Muslim kingdom of Maynila was
proclaimed capital of the Philippines. Manila remained under
Spanish rule for nearly four centuries, exporting agricultural
products to the metropolis to be used for finished goods.
In the aftermath of the Spanish-American War the Philippines
was ceded to the USA. From the outset, the goal of American
policy was to integrate the new colony into the American market.
Following independence in 1947, there was a major shift in the
Philippine economic policy from export promotion to import
substitution. The main beneficiary of the import substitution
policies was the capital region.
The industrial base of this city of 8.6 million has broadened
in recent decades to include textile production, publishing and
printing, food processing, and the manufacture of tobacco,
paints, drugs, oils, soap and lumber. Despite the seemingly
stable city composition of Metro Manila, the Philippines has not
been able to continue its growth patterns of the 1970's.
Metro Manila has serious infrastructure and environmental
problems in the areas of land, water, air, sewerage,
drainage, waste, and traffic. Land use in Metro Manila has been
largely shaped by the activities of the private sector. Due to
speculation, land prices have risen by 100-200%, thereby
reducing access to affordable housing in the city. Metro Manila
has a water supply system that is unsatisfactory, with a
distribution system that is unable to reach much of the
population on the periphery of the city. Water pumps are being
used, which is increasing pollution in the water supply. This
city has an extremely inadequate sewerage system. In total,
about 11% of the population of Metro Manila are served by piped
sewerage. The majority of sewage is conveyed through open
ditches and canals untreated into Manila Bay. Air pollution is
another major environmental problem, accounted for by motor
vehicles and industry waste. The huge amounts of solid waste
produced by the city each day often clogs the poor drainage
pipeline and causes eventual flooding. As with most other
metropolitan cities, Metro Manila suffers from serious traffic
congestion.
What has evolved in Metro Manila is largely the result of
market forces, as Metro Manila still lacks direct planning and
development. One government attempt has focused on motivating
leaders of the smallest political units, the barangay, to
organize environmental improvement projects which encourages
community self-reliance and active participation of citizens.
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