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Showing posts with the label MMDA

Sidewalk Vendors

You’ll often see them. You’ll buy from them. But when they become part of the news, you’ll get to hate them – some of you. They are people like us who simply wants to earn a living. They have a family to feed. This is the business they call “marangal” (dignified). And we call them… Sidewalk Vendors Let me define what (or should I say “who”) a sidewalk vendor is. Here in the Philippines, there is a notion that if you’re a sidewalk vendor, you mostly likely belong to the lower class of the society. For one reason, why sell on the sidewalks or streets of Metro Manila and other cities if you can sell on approved places particularly the market. For another, selling in the street on a daily basis is a risky activity – you’re prone to illnesses, effects of air pollution, dangers from vehicles passing by, and unsafe condition of your store or shop. In a third-world country where job opportunities are scarce for people with lower educational attainment, there is no reason to doub

"Singaporing" Manila – Reversing the Reality Part 3

This blog is the continuation of the previous post: "Singaporing" Manila – Reversing the Reality Part 2 When I went to Singapore in 2012, there is an estimated 163,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)in this country. When you look at the map of Singapore, it is really so small that some call this country as the “little red dot”. The government of Singapore is parliamentary (it has a prime minister) and motorists drive on the left side of the road. Now, take a look on these photos portraying the everyday life in Singapore. Singapore has 55 urban planning areas that are organized into five regions. If you take a closer look on the public transportation system of this country, you will notice how the railroads, highways, streets, and even river systems were developed. They devised the so-called 1991 Concept Plan which was introduced by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Here in the Philippines, we have the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) which was formed in 1975. Acco