Vice President Jejomar Binay yesterday pressed the adoption of a strategic urban development plan for Metro Manila, saying its absence has stunted the country’s development and has led to urban squalor in some areas.
“Perhaps we could begin replanning our cities, towns and countryside, instead of leaving everything to the real estate industry and private developers, which has been the case for years,” Binay said in a speech at the 37th Philippine Business Conference held at the Manila Hotel.
According to Binay, large tracts of government-owned land are being used for commercial and residential purposes in areas where we should more wisely be developing parks and other facilities.
Because of this, he said there is an over concentration of high-density high-rise buildings with no adequate provisions for water, clean air, sewerage, green or open space and road space.
“The inexplicable absence of a National Land Use and Zoning Law and a strategic urban development plan for Metro Manila and other highly urbanized cities has stunted our country’s modernization and pushed us behind nearly all our Asian neighbors by years and years,” Binay said.
“We cannot regain our people’s pride and self-confidence unless we first get rid of the squalor around them and rebuild their physical environment,” he added.
Binay said development-oriented Local Government Units (LGUs) are looking for partners from the private sector to implement important projects that can be funded by the P500 billion coming from uncollected internal revenue allotments.
“I am sure they would want to invest in their own development. This is where they could use reputable partners,” he added.
Binay also asked business leaders to join him in asking President Aquino to consider using our large dollar reserve for development and to confine public borrowing to local sources.
He said if the national government would utilize its large gross international reserves of $75 billion for its development projects, Private-Public Partnership could open up in various areas, giving a big boost to business activity nationwide.
“This could also shift the source of public borrowing from foreign financial institutions to the central bank which could save the government from the rise and fall of the US dollar,” he added. –Daily Tribune
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
September –
5 Sept – Intl Day of Charity
7 Sept – Intl Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies
8 Sept – International Literacy Day
12 Sept – United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
15 Sept – International Day of Democracy
16 Sept – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
17 Sept – World Patient Safety Day
18 Sept – International Equal Pay Day
21 Sept – International Day of Peace
26 Sept – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
27 Sept – World Tourism Day
28 Sept – International Day for Universal Access to Information
29 Sept – International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
30 Sept – World Maritime Day
Monthly Observances:
Health, Safety and Sanitation Month
National Clean-up Month
Civil Service Month
National Peace Consciousness Month
Social Security Month
Rule of Law Month
National Teachers’ Month (Sept 5-Oct 4)
Weekly Observances:
Sept 17 – 23:
World Clean and Green Week
Week 2: Education Week
Week 4: Medicine Week
Last Week: National Family Week
Daily Observances:
Third Saturday:
International Coastal Clean-up Day
Third Monday: World Health Day
Last Friday: National Maritime Day
Sept 8: National Literacy Day
Sept 15: Philippine Medicine Day
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
