Palafox bares urban devt plan for Davao

A MANILA-based architectural firm has proposed an urban development plan for Davao City to prevent it from becoming another Metro Manila.

“There should be a comprehensive urban planning, land use planning, transportation planning, traffic engineering and traffic management for Davao City," Felino Palafox Jr., chief executive officer of Palafox Associates Philippines (PAP), said during the Ateneo de Davao University’s (AdDU) forum on urban and regional planning on Tuesday.

In his presentation dubbed as ‘Postcards from the Future’, Palafox detailed his vision for Davao City and the rest of the Philippines.

“The goal is the decentralization and integration of regions so that development will be evenly spread out. Coupled with a national sustainability plan, improved taxation laws, the freedom of information law, whistle blowers protection act, and fair-competition act, my

vision for the Philippines is realistic and attainable,” he said.

He introduced the urban development alternatives for metropolis such as megatropolis, aeropolis and agropolis.

AdDU president Fr. Joel Tabora lauded the initiative of Palafox, saying Davao City should not become another Metro Manila.

“We see Metro Manila in fiasco for lack of urban planning, lack of urban imagination, lack of urban discipline. More so, lack of serious cultivation of human discipline and human sacrifice in shared cooperation towards the achievement of a common urban good,” Tabora said.

The Ateneo Institute of Environment and Urban Studies (Atineus) spearheaded the event to create awareness on the importance of urban and regional planning not only for Davao City but including the region and the entire Mindanao Island. With CCC