Bayanihan tapped vs another crisis

We have chosen EDSA to start mitigating Climate Change, as in our country, Climate Change is due mainly to greenhouse gasses, which came from exhaust emissions from vehicles.

In the quest to turn the country’s busiest road, EDSA or Epifanio de los Santos Ave., into a healthy roadway, trade organizations and the government have joined hands to reduce traffic and pollution in the roadway.

Dubbed as the Green EDSA Movement (GEM), it displays solidarity to transform EDSA into a tree-lined Greenway that prioritizes people over vehicle mobility, thus, also addressing the requirements to mitigate climate change.

GEM’s convener, Clairmont Realty and Development Chairperson Eduardo Yap said during the worldwide celebration of the 51st Earth Day, the organization is heeding the call of United Nations Secretary General Antonio Gutteres for countries to declare a Climate Change Emergency.

He stressed that this endeavor is in response to the calls of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, designated as Climate Change Commission Chairman, for a strong collective action against the environmental crisis.

“We have chosen EDSA to start mitigating Climate Change which is due mainly to greenhouse gasses, which came from exhaust emissions from vehicles. We know that EDSA is the most congested traffic corridor in Metro Manila. During the Christmas Season, almost 500,000 vehicles use EDSA and include about 3,000 passers. So exhaust emission and traffic control must be instituted, that’s why we believe that the transformation of EDSA actually has to start,” according to Yap. Among the strong supporters of the movement is the Aboitiz Group. Aboitiz Equity Ventures Chief Financial Officer Manuel Lozano delivered the message of support of the Aboitiz Group: “To the Aboitiz Group, EDSA has been the main thoroughfare since we expanded our business from north to south Luzon. We believe that all of us play a critical role in helping our communities overcome the challenges of climate change, air pollution, and traffic congestion, compounded by the challenges of the pandemic. There is no better time than now to make the commitment to be part of the solution in restoring the city by establishing green spaces and sustainable transport solutions.”

Reforms provide lift

He also gives Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade a pat on the back for instituting reforms in public transportation with the rehabilitation of the MRT-3, putting up a new busway and the new carousel line in EDSA.

“So this transformations provide the opportunity to reallocate road assets in EDSA to reclaim the sidewalks that were previously lost due to road widening, in accordance with the National Transportation Policy of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in 2017.”

Yap said to solve pollution and congestion in EDSA, GEM targets the prioritization of people mobility through public transportation, listing road assets, use of clean energy and public transportation vehicles and the institution of traffic management similar to Singapore and London wherein high occupancy vehicles are allowed free access to the city core, but those not meeting the minimum specified passenger load are charged a congestion fee, which is an effective way to regulate traffic volume.

“Our coding schemes became ineffective as people buy more vehicles. So the solution we wanted to advocate is the full implementation of the National Transportation Policy at both the country and local levels. If you look at EDSA now, it seems that the policy is not being complied with because if you remember before the pandemic, there were three car lanes allocated for private vehicles. Now it was increased to four and then the bus way, previously two lanes, were reduced to one lane. This is not in accordance with the transportation policy,” Yap explained.

Add to this, he said the GEM infrastructure proposals, including the bus way bridge with a concourse will be financed by the private sector, was a very significant development.

“We were able to get private sector companies to donate the construction of bridges with concourse, overloading busway/bus train because we know the challenges of budgetary allocation from the government, it will take time for the budget to be approved,” he added.

“We were able to get private donors and you will be seeing the ground breaking very soon. This structure blends aesthetics with function, unlike bridges we had before, which are more functions without aesthetics.”

He said the bus trains are the latest that use electric power, with high capacity that can move more people and commuters using less broad space.

Heartwarming response

“That’s why with this, then that opens the possibility to reclaim broad space for sidewalk expansion widening for planting trees. This is very doable. It is heartwarming to see the response of the government officials, LGUs and green organizations. They all enthusiastically and overwhelmingly responded quickly to our goal to support the movement,” he added.

He stressed that moving forward, GEM will continue to push their advocacy to transform EDSA into an environment-friendly major road through robust advocacy for public-private partnership in carrying out Green improvement projects, as well as for the preparation of its concept plan, with the help of Dean Antonio Lavinia of Ateneo de Manila University, urban landscape planners and architects and other environmentalists from the University of the Philippines.

The SM Development Corp (SMDC) participated during the GEM launch on Thursday, and planted 6 balitbitan trees along the long EDSA frontage of its new huge FAME condominium complex.

Also notable is the participation of Energy Development Corp. (EDC) which has signified that it will lend its deep botanical and tree planting expertise to the GEM and donate seeds of special carbon-absorbing trees for the greening of EDSA.

Backing GEM’s cause are the largest business, professional, civic and green organizations, in the country, including the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), Makati Business Club (MBC), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCI), Employer’s Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), PhilExport, and Move-As-One Coalition.