Millennials are the natives of the digital infrastructure. They have the privilege of having been born in a time when everything is within reach through the click of a button. Having worked in Dubai in the 1970s, I learned that there are three kinds of infrastructure: progressive, hard, and soft. Progressive infrastructure refers to the international airports and the seaports. The hard infrastructure are the roads, highways and the like. Lastly, the soft infrastructure refers to the ease of doing business. Back in the day, the Sheikh of Dubai would mention, what is good for business is good for Dubai. Later, I added two more; these are sustainable and institutional infrastructure. Even if you have the best plans in the world, without the right institutions to implement these, these plans would not come to fruition. Lastly, infrastructure should be sustainable in order to last for generations. With the advancement of technology, this is the Age of Digital Infrastructure.

FELINO A. PALAFOX, JR.

Social media has also taken flight – more than 100 hours of videos are uploaded in YouTube per minute; there are over 500 million tweets a day in Twitter, and there are over 150 billion friend connections made through Facebook. Many businesses have already taken advantage of this ability to reach out and advertise to such a vast amount of people. This also opened a new business field—selling online services and products. For businesses now, if you are not in the digital age, you are out of the game. Digital infrastructure has not only helped businesses market themselves to all, but it has also helped them efficiently monitor their employees, inventories, and sales. With the aid of technology, profits, risks and losses can be easily projected, helping businessmen with decision-making.

Similarly, this digital infrastructure has paved way for international collaborations. National projects may now be done by a team of international individuals working in their own countries, allowing for greater synergy of thoughts and an exchange of cultures. Data are being transferred via cloud storage; the team can access these data no matter where they are. In our office, projects and reference materials are stored in a database so our offices in Cebu and Davao can access these data as well, allowing for easier exchange of information across the country. With cloud storage as well, projects can be readily produced, archived, and retrieved, allowing our teams more time for enhancing the projects, providing better output for our clients. Our office has been moving towards digital database so our administration can better monitor our employees’ performance, and our employees can easily do transactions. This also allows for less use of paper, which is more environment-friendly. Our library also makes use of the digital infrastructure through creating a portal to easily find and retrieve reference materials.

Likewise, other businesses, and even government agencies, have started to create their database. This would better provide private stakeholders the information they would need about the area, allowing for more investments. Storing information on a cloud database would likewise help the local government handle their data and monitor their different offices easily and efficiently. Most importantly, the presence of online payment systems could hinder corrupt practices.

With artificial intelligence (AI), approximately 50 percent of the present jobs will be lost and replaced. New skillsets will be needed to cope with the advancing digital infrastructure. Take the supermarkets in Canada for example; cashiers are all operated by machines. Even the toll and parking are all automatic. In the near future, most of the cars would be self-driven as well.

To be globally competitive, the Philippines has a lot of catching up to do in terms of digital infrastructure, starting with faster and more affordable internet connection. Accessibility of information and communication technology (ICT) throughout the country should also be looked into. A strong digital infrastructure paves the way for the creation of truly ‘smart’ cities in the Philippines – cities that are better connected, efficient, and integrating technology and innovation. Imagine being able to measure the performance of our cities towards smart mobility, smart environment, smart economy, smart governance, smart living and smart people.

This story was originally published by The Manila Times, Philippines

The times call for active measures to combat climate change. People have again and again relayed the words: reuse, reduce, recycle. I would like to add—refuse. Refuse to add to the pollution, and refuse to commit unhealthy practices.

FELINO A. PALAFOX, JR.

Best practices in local context
As provided for in RA 9003 and in relation to the Local Government Code 1991, or RA 7160, the local government units (LGUs) are given the power to enforce laws on cleanliness and sanitation, solid waste management, and other environmental matters. Thus, the different LGUs across the country, and in partnership with several private institutions, are making efforts to efficiently provide a system for solid waste management. Some of the best practices of solid waste management need not be from abroad but can be found locally.

One example of best practice in our country in solid waste management is the “Basuranihan” project of Sta. Rosa, Laguna, which involves individuals or groups who register with the Environmental and Natural Resources Office of the municipality to bring recyclable waste materials during the monthly Basuranihan Day. These recyclables are then sold to their junkshop of choice, and points are simultaneously acquired. Accumulated points qualify the participants to claim various prizes.

Cebu City has the best practice in terms of the decentralization of composting, and resource recovery system of their solid waste management program. The program has a strict enforcement of the “no segregation, no collection policy.” The program also provides for the recruitment and deployment of Barangay Environmental Officers who serve as information disseminators and policy enforcers. There is also a provision for financial and technical assistance from the city government to construct materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and composting centers in the barangays. Furthermore, the government works closely with its stakeholders, e.g. homeowners associations, local NGOs, waste pickers, and academic institutions, in conducting a series of awareness campaigns.

Finally, in Metro Manila, Marikina is well-known for having maintained its cleanliness because of its strict implementation of solid waste management policies and also because of its effective programs. One of its remarkable programs is the Food Waste Truck Program, which implements the collection of kitchen wastes from restaurants and food stalls. These wastes are then transformed into fertilizer to be used in the city’s urban garden. There is also an Eco-Savers Program to raise awareness among the children and youth on the importance of proper waste management by allowing them to participate in the recyclable trading activity.

It can be observed in these situations that the best means to establish an effective waste management system in the country is by ensuring the active participation of all the stakeholders of the LGU or the nation as a whole. By allowing the stakeholders to be involved in such projects and programs, they do not only become more aware of the need to maintain the cleanliness of their surroundings and protect the environment, but they also learn to incorporate the proper practices of solid waste management in their daily lives.

Solid waste and disaster resilience
Amidst the exacerbating condition of climate change across the globe, it is relevant for the country to deploy mitigating and preventive measures for disaster risks related to climate change. There is an evident need for an integrated urban infrastructure that are resilient to climate change and disaster risks. An example is the investment in efficient drainage systems as a risk mitigation. However, we should keep in mind that these measures also require an improvement in the performance of sectors such as solid waste management, to prevent the blockage of drains that contribute to flooding.

Solid waste, if not responsibly managed, can be very detrimental to the environment and to society. Eliminating the negative impacts of waste materials on human health and safety and the environment is one of the objectives of solid waste management. However, every solid waste management approach can contribute to the worsening climate change as they are sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs) not just due to the emissions from their processes and the energy they consume, but also due to the methane (CH4) produced when they are disposed of in landfills. However, the overall benefit of solid waste management will still depend on the amount of GHG it emits and it saves.

Open burning, dumping in bodies of water, non-segregation of waste, disposal of biodegradable wastes in landfills, and operation of dumpsites are among the waste management practices that result in GHG emissions. To effectively mitigate climate change, solid waste management should therefore shift to more sustainable approaches such as waste prevention, recycling, and composting.

Improper solid waste management practices may also lead to disastrous events. Extreme rainfall caused by climate change can be engendered by uncollected and mismanaged wastes. Human lives may also be at risk from these malpractices as they can lead to massive flooding and storm surges. Therefore, for solid waste management to strengthen disaster resilience, the approach should include continuous clean-up, declogging, and dredging of waterways. Climate-proofing infrastructure and waste management facilities should also be taken into consideration.

Instead of viewing ecological waste management as a compulsory activity, we should view it as a means to create a more progressive and livable city/municipality for its citizens. The public should actively participate and learn from the best and most effective practices. As they always say, cleanliness starts with one’s own home; practicing to segregate our waste can go a long towards preserving our planet.

This story was originally published by The Manila Times, Philippines

Christmas of 1976 was a turning point in my life. It was the afternoon that Sultan Khalifa of Dubai personally met me at the Mandarin Hotel. He said that His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, had sent him around the world to look for planners to help plan, design, and develop Dubai and transform it from the Third World to the First.

FELINO A. PALAFOX, JR.

While Sultan Khalifa was presenting the goals and vision for the development of Dubai, in my mind, I was thinking about what would I do in Dubai. Back then, Manila was probably 50 years ahead of Dubai in terms of infrastructure, paved roads, transportation and airports. Today, the Philippines is probably about 50 to 100 years behind Dubai in terms of planning and infrastructure.

During the conversation, one thing that Sultan Khalifa said stood out, as these were the specific instructions of the late founder of “Modern Dubai,” His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. “Design Dubai as if there is no oil. Plan a city for two million people (in 1977 the population was 270,000). Create a garden city out of the desert. Travel around the world and take the best practices that we can adopt. Make Dubai a pacesetter city in the Middle East and North Africa in 15 years; bring Dubai from the Third to the First World.”

After finishing the MMETROPLAN, I went to Dubai and brought with me the envisioned Metro Manila as one of the models for the emirate city. I was the only Southeast Asian and Filipino, and I brought with me my family. My daughter, Karima, was the first Filipino born in Dubai.

Looking back today, after 40 years, what has happened to Dubai?

What I learned from Dubai
It only takes one generation to transform a country. The first instruction of His Highness Sheik Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum was to travel around the world to copy and take inspiration from the best practices of First World cities and countries. He said: “Dubai will run out of oil, design Dubai as if there is no oil.” So, we needed to find models that would make Dubai globally competitive in other industries and non-dependent on oil. My colleagues went to the more famous cities: London, Paris, and New York. I, on the other hand, visited the new emerging fastest growing cities which became First World in less than 15 years. I went to cities such as San Francisco, Hong Kong, Zurich, Singapore and Geneva. From these so-called instant cities, my colleagues and I adapted and copied the global best practices, and learned from their mistakes.

In 1977, the population of Dubai was only 200,000. But the instruction we were instructed to design Dubai to accommodate two million people as well as build mega airport and mega seaports. By the 1980s Dubai was building seaports for the ships that were never built, airports for the tourists and industries that were yet to come. We were importing garden soil from Pakistan, irrigation from Germany, and flowers from Holland. Dubai quickly became a garden in the desert. Today, it has more landscaping than Metro Manila. In less than eight years, the Dubai port became one of the most important ports in the region, most especially during the Gulf War.

Five types of infrastructure
There are five types of infrastructure, and Dubai had adopted all. These are soft (ease of doing business and policies), hard (roads and highways), progressive (mass transport, airports and seaports), institutional (government centers and places for institutional memory and continuity), and green/sustainable infrastructure.

The ruler of Dubai told us that, “what is good for business is good for Dubai”. He emphasized the importance of the ease of doing business. The permits should be signed immediately; if there are objections from the council, they have two weeks to explain why it will not be signed. Government offices also avoided having desks with drawers, and conversations should be kept short. Today, it is encouraged for all permits be done electronically so that everything is well-documented.

Five ingredients of development success
Whenever I share inspirations from other countries, many will downplay the possibilities. Some will say that the Philippines is different, that won’t work, etc. But a good question to ask is, have we ever tried? A friend of mine said that the problem for some Filipinos is that for every solution that you suggest they will find problems.

After my experience in Dubai, I was inspired to come home to the Philippines during the mid-1980s. I saw the possibilities; in terms of resources, the quality of education and current infrastructure then, the Philippines had more than enough to become a First World nation. But I believe that the Philippines still has the chance!

After visiting more than 2,000 cities in 67 countries, and having worked in 39 countries, I have come to the conclusion that there are five ingredients of successful cities: visionary leadership, strong political will, good planning, good design, and good governance.

Let us learn from Dubai, and from global best practices.

This story was originally published by The Manila Times, Philippines

Metropolitan Davao is one of the fastest growing cities in the Philippines. According to the 2013 economic research of the Urban Strategies Group of the University of Asia and the Pacific, Davao City ranks second in the index of market potential for cities. The index has three dimensions, namely market growth, market spending capacity, and business and commercial support.

FELINO A. PALAFOX, JR.

I believe that the realization of the full development potential of the Davao Gulf megalopolis is one of the missing pieces that will bring the Philippines to the top 20 economies of the world.

Emergence of Davao Gulf megalopolis
Geographically, the Davao Gulf area (more than 300,000 hectares) is much bigger than Manila Bay (over 200,000 hectares). The Davao Gulf can house the biggest seaport of the country and become the trading gateway to Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and to the Oceania continent, especially with Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

The total land area of all the cities and municipalities around the Davao Gulf is 868, 598 hectares. This includes the municipalities of Panabo, Carmen, Tagum, Island Garden of Samal, Mabini, Maco, Pantukan, Banaybay, Lupon, San Isidro, Governor Generoso, Davao City, Sta. Cruz, Digos, Hagonoy, Padada, Sta. Maria, Malita, Don Marcelino, and Jose Abad Santos.

The Davao Gulf megalopolis is 16 times the size of Singapore, four times the size of Hong Kong, and twice the size of Dubai. We need to realize that there is more to our country beyond Metro Manila and start considering what other regions have to offer.

Metro Davao as an integrator
Metropolitan Davao plays a unique role in Mindanao. It has the influence to jump-start in integrating key cities of Mindanao, as far as Cagayan de Oro. Apart from being one of the key proponent of the Mindanao Rail, it has the capacity to become a center for value-added and post-production, especially for agri-industrial produce. It is ideal for Metro Davao to be the center for value-adding services because of its fully functioning seaport, its seaport’s capacity to expand, and because of the Metro’s capacity to give high-quality education.

It can spearhead Mindanao, along with key cities such as Cagayan De Oro, General Santos City, Zamboanga, Cotabato, Surigao, and Butuan, among others, in developing new agri-industrial business and economic value-chains.

With the expected improvement of the Davao International Airport, it can expect a drastic increase in domestic and foreign arrivals. Davao offers a lot more than her famous durian and banana plantations. One cannot miss going to the Samal Islands, and visiting the indigenous communities such as the Manobos and Bagobos. Moreover, Mount Hamiguitan in Davao Oriental was named a UNESCO world heritage site. It can be expected that the 8.3 percent gross domestic output during 2016 will steadily increase, as foreign direct investments and new economic opportunities would soon emerge.

A more walkable and bikeable Metro Davao
In last week’s column, I wrote that in 1905, visionary architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham designed Manila according to the principle of the City Beautiful and City Efficient, taking inspiration from the bay of Naples, the canals of Venice, and the rivers and wide walkable boulevards of Paris. During that time, Manila was one of the best planned cities and other countries looked up to it. However, after World War II, it seems that Burnham’s plan was forgotten, and Manila has instead taken inspiration from the 70-year-old mistake that is the car-centric planning of Los Angeles.

Metropolitan Davao needs to act fast before it transforms into the next Metro Manila. No metropolis should copy the urban design of Metro Manila. Whenever I visit cities and municipalities around the country and ask the locals what is their dream and vision for their community, the response that I often receive are these: we want to be the next Makati; we want to be like Manila with all of its business opportunities. With this I respond by asking them if they want to have the “traffic grabe” of Metro Manila, as well as three-hour commutes, less family time, rising housing costs, un-walkable streets, poorly lit neighborhoods, and smog-filled air? I go as far as asking them if they want to have their own EDSA.

Metro Davao needs to develop a comprehensive transportation and mobility plan, widen sidewalks, and avoid developing more gated subdivisions in the central business district to avoid strangulating traffic, which is now happening in Makati.

The Metro can also develop its water transportation by inter-connecting cities across the Davao Gulf and entry to downtown Davao through the Davao River. The Metro should utilize all possible modes of transportation that are people-centric. In this manner, the Metro can develop a mass-transit system with the likes of South Korea and Japan.

The leaders of the Davao Gulf megalopolis area should also realize that waterfronts have amenity value and are considered as prime real estate in developed nations. The waterfront should not be treated as back of the house but as areas of value and social space.

I believe that the next six years will give our country an opportunity for genuine reform and change. Mindanao is taking a major step in the right direction by prioritizing projects that will improve connectivity, convergence, context, corridors, and networks. Instead of putting up walls, the Philippines is building more bridges. Improving peace and order as well as promoting unity in diversity will also be crucial for growth to be inclusive. With this, bringing the Philippines well into the 21st century—a globally competitive country—will soon be in the horizon.

This story was originally published by The Manila Times, Philippines

Preparing for earthquakes should go beyond first aid preparation. Most of the time schools, companies and government offices equip employees, workers, and students the basic knowledge of stop, drop, cover, hold, and then evacuate to open spaces, as protocols in the event of an earthquake. As an extra preparation, like in our offices at Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture, all of our employees are equipped with emergency kits that have a whistle, flashlight, bottle of water, compass, first aid kit, and multi-function portable tools. Identified members of the company are trained to do first aid, rappelling, and coordination for emergencies. But at the end of the day, these are things that we hope will not be necessary because preparation goes beyond first-aid reactionary measures.

FELINO A. PALAFOX, JR.

But a question hangs over our heads: after 25 years who will be made accountable if proven that the design and the materials used for the structure was sub-standard? Even if it is in the interest of a client to reduce costs, are developers, contractors, and designers allowed to lower down specifications? The local government is mandated, through the city engineering office, to check and audit structures if certain areas are fit for occupancy; so, in the event of a building collapse, what is the accountability of government officials who signed the occupancy permits?

The earthquake in Surigao is an unfortunate one, but nature should not be used as an excuse for complacency. For the past hundred years, earthquakes have always been a consistent event. There are even departments created to study fault lines to aid zoning and development in certain areas. For the Philippines, as well as Japan and other countries that are in the Pacific Ring of Fire, earthquakes have been part of history. But if we look at Japan, casualty and collapse during earthquakes of high intensities yield relatively low casualties.

When an earthquake devastated Haiti in 2010, Anna Coren of CNN interviewed me on the possible impact of an earthquake with a similar magnitude should it happen in Metro Manila. I cited a study done by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 2004 on “Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction,” also known as the MMEIRS study. It assessed and somehow quantified the impact and damage the earthquake will cause. With the West Valley fault ripe for movement, as the PHIVOLCS says, it will be important to look back to the MMEIRS report for guidance. It should also be updated using today’s data to see the extent of the possible consequences.

The first 72 hours
According to the MMEIRS study, around 170,000 residential houses will be heavily damaged or collapsed (13 percent of total buildings), 340,000 will be moderately damaged (26 percent of total buildings) and 10,000 alongside the Manila Bay will be affected by liquefaction in the first hour of impact by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

Eleven percent of mid-rise buildings (10 to 30 stories) and 2 percent of high-rise buildings (30 to 60 stories) will be severely damaged or collapsed. Twenty-seven percent of mid-rise and 12 percent of high-rise buildings will be moderately damaged.

Eight to 10 percent of hospitals, schools, fire stations, police stations and government offices will be heavily damaged or collapsed. Twenty to 25 percent will be moderately damaged. Death tolls in the first hour could reach around 34,000 people and another 20,000 could become casualties in the succeeding hours because of widespread fires and successive tremors that will occur.

In the event of a “Big One,” rescue activities will be limited. As it is, it takes two hours to travel five kilometers on an average day in Metro Manila but with buildings and electrical posts toppled down, thousands of homes on fire, no water supply and debris, among others, it would take longer for rescuers to reach devastated areas. This is also assuming that our government forces and volunteers are safe and pieces of equipment are intact and operational. According to international assessment, help will come after 72 hours but because of Metro Manila’s urban sprawl and poor urban design, I think we can expect that it will take more time.

Immediate action and long-term preparedness
Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture Group have sent 145 recommendations on disaster preparedness to the Office of the President—from Presidents Arroyo, Aquino, and Duterte. We recommended that we should immediately implement a strict structural audit of buildings that are earthquake- and fire-hazard. Structures weaken over time because of numerous vibrations caused by smaller intensity movements. Houses and buildings that are old as well as houses and buildings that have sub-standard designs should also be checked.

The government should most especially retrofit and repair our major bridges, government buildings, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure. They also need to dedicate more open spaces for evacuation sites and these sites should have a quick response team that can set up a clinic, clean water station, food quarters, place of worship and mobile communication, among others.

There are about 44 signatories for government permits before a developer can build. This could be an obstacle course for corruption. Bureaucracy and red tape in securing building permits do not only pain the developer but are also hazardous to the end-users. Quality is sacrificed to offset the cost paid for corruption. Ultimately, corruption kills. It will take visionary leadership and a strong political will from the government to ensure public safety through good planning, good design, and good governance.

This story was originally published by The Manila Times, Philippines

The Philippines has so much to offer to the world, not only ecological treasures by way of tourism, but brilliant minds, visionaries, and craftsmen. Other nations find the uniqueness and diversity of our ecology unimaginable—such as having the third-longest coastline in the world as well as endemic species of plants and animals. Another unimaginable phenomenon, our economy remains strong despite the fact we are crossed by an average of 21 typhoons a year and is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire—prone to eruption of active volcanoes, and earthquakes.

FELINO A. PALAFOX, JR.

Smart cities
Two concepts are used interchangeably: Green Cities and Smart Cities. There are only slight differences between the concepts. Green Cities refer more to the passive integration of architecture and urban plan to the overall ecosystem. This concept is concerned in keeping carbon emissions sustainable, and manageable enough for the livability of the city. Smart Cities, on the other hand, are more focused in pro-active actions in becoming a green city—integrating technology, innovation, and citizenship in making the entire ecosystem and city livable. Though slightly different, both concepts are actions toward a more livable and sustainable quality of life.

In 2013, a project titled “Reshaping San Juan City: Planning Toward a Future of Green Consciousness” was awarded in Berlin, Germany. The event called “Smart City: The Next Generation” was organized by Aedes East-International Architecture Forum.

The formulation of the “Comprehensive Land Use and Zoning Plan for San Juan City,” done by our firm Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture, was applauded by the international community as a model city plan. San Juan City was called the “Smart City of the Future.” I was invited to present in a forum in Berlin, New York, and Shanghai the plans for San Juan and “Postcards From the Future.”

San Juan: Smart City
At the peak or at the highest point of Barangay Addition Hills, one can enjoy the scenery of a beautiful sunset. A kilometer down the hill lays access to one of Manila’s main river systems: San Juan River. Going to Ortigas Ave., one will pass by a barangay fondly named “Little Baguio,” used to be known for its towering pine trees and cool temperature. Apart from the special ecological terrain of San Juan City, Pinaglabanan Shrine heritage site known as the site for the start of the Filipino-American war.

There are five emphases in the plan for San Juan: land use, zoning, mobility, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster responsiveness. San Juan has a hilly terrain that is situated along one of the major river systems of Manila, citizens who work and live in San Juan always experience floods. During the wrath of Typhoon Ondoy, in 2009, many portions of the city were submerged.

The mobility plan focuses on being mass-transit-engaged and pedestrian-oriented. It gives priority to walking, biking, and commuting over private cars and vehicles. One of the major causes of systemic traffic congestion is prioritizing cars over public transit, walking and biking. The plan dedicates bike lanes and elevated walkways that connect the buildings and streets to the LRT stations. An elevated monorail was also proposed to connect various areas of San Juan with the LRT stations in Aurora and EDSA-MRT.

By creating elevated walkways for pedestrians, it prepared the entire city during flooding. Instead of people bracing the floods going to work, school, or home, the elevated walkways allow people to move in safety. It also puts people out of harm’s way because they do need to walk beside speeding cars or very narrow streets.

On the other hand, the plan also integrated a flood detection and awareness system. The citizens were asked to be involved in identifying areas that always get flooded, and electric posts were painted with flood-height measurements. Palafox Associates and Palafox Architecture created flood overlay zones and Hazard overlay zones for the city of San Juan when it was still not a national requirement for the Comprehensive Land Use Plans and Zoning Ordinance. (Thankfully, it is now a requirement.)

Another recommendation is to bring down of high walls. The concept is known as “Eyes on the street” and “Security by Design.” Lessons I’ve learned elsewhere say that criminals are not afraid of walls and high gates because people wouldn’t know a crime is happening inside the house. Compared to a street where everyone has a view, criminals are more afraid with more eyes on the street. They should also be coupled with the installation of CCTV cameras and integrated police patrol.

One of the recommendations for the zoning ordinance is the transfer of air rights. Lot owners can sell the air right of the property if they do not plan to construct a much taller structure.

Future city plan for implementation
The plan is feasible and viable. It helps that the international community is keeping an eye on San Juan City’s transformation based on our plan. Often, plans for the future are not implemented due to bureaucratic red tape.

In my observation of thousands of cities and 67countries I’ve been to, what we need are: visionary leadership, strong political will, good design, good planning, and good governance. With the vision, mission, values, and goals of San Juan translated in a plan, the city has a bright future.

This story was originally published by The Manila Times, Philippines