We presented the final shelter plan for the municipality of Pavia last Saturday in coordination with our subject Planning Workshop (P210.1) in DURP. We held it in the meeting room of the HUDCC Region VI office located in Jalandoni Street, which is across the University of San Agustin. The initial plan and location were at our classroom in the College of Management at UP Visayas, Iloilo City campus, but due to the interference of the bomb threat that morning, we decided to just transfer it.The presentation started past 1 in the afternoon as we needed to finalize a few of the slides during lunch. We also expected the first-year students of the DURP course to attend and ask questions on our presentation, so the place was pretty much jam-packed. My classmate Atty. Chad was the first to present, while Engr. Nat was the moderator/emcee. The attorney presented the legal basis for the importance of the shelter plan for every LGU and on how it is connected to the national projects. It was followed by the plan’s goals and objectives, which were presented by Engr. Louie. The next chapters that were presented were the Pavia Demographics, current Housing situation, assessment of Shelter needs, Affordability analysis, Resources assessment for Shelter provision, and lastly, the Work Plan. I presented the part on the future housing needs based on the expected population growth.

Questions were raised during the open forum that followed, wherein various topics were clarified for the first-year students. Good thing, Ma’am Eva is there to clarify and explain the scenario. There were a few corrections noted, and then after that, we wrapped up the activity with a group picture. It was nice that we were able to interact with the other class and share ideas.

This week will be our deadline for the corrected paper and to have them printed and bound with one copy for Ma’am Eva and another copy for the municipality of Pavia.

Also, this week in particularly Friday, will be our final presentation of our Site Plan with Sir Franz. I don’t know what the progress is with the write-up yet, as we still have to meet this coming Thursday, but I still hope the content is made before that day. That presentation will also serve as our final exam score so which made me a bit worried, even though this option is better than us actually answering the exam paper.

The last week of the class seems to be so slow, but for us, realizing that we will be graduating after this one feels so satisfying. Wish us luck that our presentation will be (hopingly) perfectly executed.

Agenda 21 is an action plan of the United Nations (UN) related to sustainable development and was an outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans directly affect the environment. It recognizes that sustainable development is primarily the responsibility of governments, and this will require national strategies, plans and policies. The efforts of nations need to be linked by international cooperation through such organizations as the United Nations. The broadest public participation, and the active involvement of the non-governmental organizations and other groups should also be encouraged.

The objectives of Agenda 21 require substantial assistance for developing countries.
• They need this additional support to cover the incremental costs of actions to deal with global environmental problems,
• and to accelerate sustainable development. Money is also needed to allow international bodies to implement the recommendations of Agenda 21.

What is Philippine Agenda 21?

Philippine Agenda 21 is the nation’s blueprint for sustainable development. In concreting the vision, it describes a path for individuals, families, households and communities; an action plan for each ecosystem (coastal/marine, freshwater, upland, lowland, and urban); and across ecosystems in consideration of the interaction of the various lifescapes and landscapes found therein. The path is grounded on respect and active advocacy for the empowerment of the various social groupings of society to manage the economy, critical resources, society and culture, politics and governance and in the arena of foreign relations.

Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21) is our own national agenda for sustainable development. It is basically made up of: – The Principles of Unity – The Action Agenda – The Implementation Strategies

Philippine Agenda 21 advocates a fundamental shift in development thinking and approach. It departs from traditional conceptual frameworks that emphasize sector-based and macro concerns. Philippine Agenda 21 promotes harmony and achieves sustainability by emphasizing; A scale of intervention that is primarily area-based. The national and global policy environment builds upon and supports area-based initiatives. Integrated island development approaches where applicable. This recognizes the archipelagic character of the Philippines which includes many small island provinces.

People and integrity of nature at the center of development initiatives. This implies the strengthening of roles, relationships, and interactions between and among stakeholders in government, civil society, labor and business. Basic sectors have an important role to play in achieving equity and managing the ecosystems that sustain life.

Sustainable Development Principles

Primacy of Developing Full Human Potential This puts man at the center of all development efforts.

Holistic Science and Appropriate Technology. Implies development of appropriate technology to solve development problems with due consideration to its impact to society and ecology. Cultural, Moral and Spiritual Sensitivity. Considers the inherent strengths of local and indigenous knowledge, practices and beliefs, while respecting cultural diversity, moral standards and the spiritual nature of the Filipino society.

National Sovereignty. Self-determination at the national level to pursue social and ecological concerns in its governance to achieve human, environmental and food security.

Gender Sensitivity. Recognize the importance of complementary roles and empowerment of both women and men in development.

Peace, Order and National Unity. Makes sure that the right of everyone to a peaceful and secure existence is respected.

Social Justice, Inter-and Intra-Generational Equity and Spatial Equity. Equal distribution of resources to everyone (including future generations) and the provision of equal access to development opportunities and benefits to all.

Participatory Democracy. Puts value and support to the participation of all in the decision-making process.

Institutional Viability. Since SD is everyone’s concern, institutional structures should promote joint responsibility, unity and partnership among all.

Viable, Sound and Broad-based Economic Development. Requires working for development that is based on stable economy, where everyone equally shares the benefits of progress.

Sustainable Population. Needs to maintain a number of people that can be supported by the limited capacity of our natural resources.

Ecological Soundness. Requires that we recognize the earth as a common heritage that belongs to all of us, and everyone should care for its capacity to support us and the future generations.

Bio-geographical Equity and Community-Based Resource Management. Means entrusting to the people residing near or within an ecosystem the primary right to manage its resources.

Global Cooperation. Requires international solidarity of every nation’s effort to build a better life and safer environment.

What are the Visions of PA 21?

PA 21 envisions a better quality of life for all Filipinos through the development of a just, moral and creative, spiritual, economically vibrant, caring, diverse yet cohesive society characterized by appropriate productivity, participatory and democratic processes, and living in harmony and within the limits of the carrying capacity of nature and the integrity of creation.

Poverty Reduction: Poverty is a central concern of sustainable development. Consistent with this, the various consultations for the updating of PA 21 have yielded poverty reduction agenda that includes measures to create an enabling economic environment for sustained and broad-based growth; improve employment, productivity and income; and attain food security.

Social Equity: Social equity should mean allocation of resources on the bases of efficiency and equity to achieve balanced development. Efficiency and equity mean the channeling of resources to developing areas where greater economic benefits accumulate and where there is greater need, distribution being dependent on the practicality and urgency of needs.

Empowerment and Good Governance: Empowerment is a precondition of informal choices. Good governance is a necessary precondition to empowerment, as empowerment is to good governance. These two are a defining element of each other.

Peace and Solidarity: The cycle of poverty and conflict goes on as the costs of war escalate in terms of various kinds of destruction while withholding funds for basic services, resulting in more poverty and underdevelopment.

Ecological Integrity: In general, the path towards enhancing the integrity of the country’s ecological domain will have to involve heightened and sustained implementation of environmental laws, as well as the continued pursuit of resource conservation, and environmental restoration/enhancement programs.

Sharing a part of the term paper that we submitted last semester for the subject P203 – Land Use Planning. We were grouped in pairs and was tasked to research on the town planning of other countries and I have chosen Hong Kong as our subject for my group. My recent trips there for the MTG Grand Prix somewhat influenced my decision and also on my visit at their Museum of History.

Introduction

Choosing Hong Kong as the subject country for the study of its land use is because of its resemblance and several similar features to that of the Philippines, being another archipelago nation. It is fascinating how this seaside village and is called the “Gateway to China” became one of the progressive countries in the span of decades. The British colonization is one of the main reason, bringing progress in terms of economy.

History of Town Planning in HK

The town planning and development in Hong Kong was initiated and took as a main role by the government, as with any other countries. It evolved in concert with the emergence of a formal planning body which was institutionalized within the government.

Town planning concept did not exist in Hong Kong before the 1930s, and zoning control was done by land leases, intensity control was done by Buildings Ordinance (“Town Planning Development History of Hong Kong,” 2012).

The earliest history of institutionalized planning essentially began with the enactment of the Town Planning Ordinance in 1939 – It was in this Ordinance that the aim ‘to promote the health, safety, convenience and general welfare of the community’ was first proclaimed. Under the provisions of the Ordinance, the Town Planning Board was appointed by the Governor to prepare draft plans for the future layout of existing and potential urban areas as directed (Hong Kong TP, 1984, p. 12). The development of New Kowloon and Kowloon were the priority projects, with the latter being patterned to the Garden City concept.

The Ambercrombie Report (1947)

In 1947, Sir Patrick-Abercrombie was appointed to advise the Governor of Hong Kong on the general lines and principles to be followed in planning the future development of the port and urban area of Hong Kong, to outline general plans for this purpose, and to advise on what such plans would involve and in particular, what planning organization would be required.

The Ambercrombie Report contains the first strategic plan for the territory of Hong Kong as a British Crown Colony. It was funded by the Colonial Office under the Colonial Development and Welfare Scheme of 1945 and was intended to help the Hong Kong Government in the development aspect of its post-war administration.

Abercrombie’s report published in September 1948, outlined various physical planning proposals including the provision of a cross-harbour tunnel, reclamations, railways relocation, removal of military establishments, creation of industrial and residential zones and development of new towns in rural New Territories. As part of these proposals, he also recommended the establishment of an office to draw up detailed plans and to administer them (Hong Kong, 1984, p. 12).

Planning Achievements (1953-1973)

With the setting up of the Planning Branch in 1953, emphasis was put on the preparation of statutory plans under the auspices of the Town Planning Board. By the end of 1958, planning work had included either background studies or surveys and the district plans initiated over 70% of the urban districts. This is also along with some layout plans prepared and intended to be used for the several small townships in the New Territories.

Apart from preparing plans, the Planning Branch also undertook joint studies with other government departments. A comprehensive review of the Territory’s road system was conducted in 1958 by the Planning Branch, the Road Office and a consultant from the British Road Research Laboratory. Planning staff contributed to and participated in a number of committees and working groups concerned with the coordination of the physical development of the Territory.

Planning from 1972 Onwards

A ‘Ten-Year Housing Target Programme’ was approved to be used by the Governor-in-Council and that led to the new era of town planning in Hong Kong. The program aimed to provide adequate housing for another 1.8 million people by the mid-1980s. The agency in-charge, Housing Authority, played an important role as public housing can only accommodate this demand. In response to the need for this major housing programme within the 10-year period, the Government decided to accelerate the development of new towns and to expand market towns in the New Territories. To do this, the New Territories Development Department was formally set up in 1973 within the Public Works Department to be responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing the development programme of new towns. Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Tuen Mun were the first three new towns to be developed.

A table summary of the development history of Town Planning in Hong Kong from 1954 to 1996 by Zou and Li (2011) is shown below:

Phases, Time & Town Planning Events

Post-war preparation for renovation
1947 The first Town Planning Office was set up
1948 Sir Patrick Abercrombie’s Hong Kong Preliminary Planning Report was published
1953 The Planning Branch was set up
1954 The Town Planning Regulation was promulgated

Ordinance Enactment
1961 The New Town development was approved
1965 The Colony Outline Plan was formulated
1968 The Urban Improvement Scheme was launched and Outline Plan Preparation
1972 The Ten-Year Housing Programme was published
1974 Hong Kong Outline Plan was completed
1976 The Country Parks Ordinance was enacted

Strategic Planning and AdministrationRe-organisation
1980 The Urban Area Development Organization was set up
1982 The Town Planning Office was reorganized to become a new Town Planning Division
1983 The computerized Land Use-Transport Optimization Model was set up
1984 The first Territorial Development Strategy was completed
1986 The Port and Airport Development Strategy was completed
1988 The Metroplan was completed

Planning System Improvement and Comprehensive Review
1990 The Planning Department was established
1993 The Metroplan Selected Strategy was approved
1994 The Provision of Industrial Premises for New Industrial Area and Business Parks was completed
1996 -The Town Planning White Bill was published
-The Urban Renewal in Hong Kong was published
-The last Territorial Development Strategy Review was completed

*header image taken from https://www.s-ge.com/en/company/swiss-business-hub-hong-kong

It was another rainy day or weekend as per the weather permits and while I am not yet 100% recovered, I decided to just stay the boarding house today after last night’s hotpot and MTG session at Mawe’s place. I might or might not write a separate post for that and so the question now is: what did we do today?

Yeah well, it was supposedly laundry day today based on old regular schedule but when there was no chance of sunlight and that the other peeps here were also doing theirs, I decided to just cancel this task and went to check the Pro Tour Day 2 results.

I opened the stream this morning in time for the Semifinals of the Silver Showcase. The format was the Rochester draft of cards from the oldest sets Beta, Arabian Nights, Legends and the like. I think they only drafted Beta but nevertheless their decks composed of these old iconic cards which were at that time I was only a child in my Elementary days. The semis match 1 was between Hall of Famer Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa and Jason “Amaz” Chan, a popular Twitch streamer while the second match was between Stanislav Cifka and Jon Finkel, which also one of the iconic players of this game. I would also applaud Cifka’s achievement from being a Chess champion to that of winning a Pro Tour and next gaining high finishes in Hearthstone major tournaments. I wish I am also that intelligent and skillful.

After being done with the live stream, I turned to check my blog and looked at the pending topics that I should be writing and not this sort-of-a-rant. I then decided to just go with another decklist, a budget Mono White Cats as per price basis. I finished and posted the list around lunchtime and took the food break pondering on the minor topics.

Come afternoon and still no motivation for another blog post and so I decided to check on my laptop’s Movies folder to see which ones I have not watched yet. I found this one my Downsizing starring Matt Damon, a science-fiction type but still have implications in a way to the society, government and economy. It was fascinating to see their concept of downsizing people in order to save the environment and the Human species in the end part but then again it has its pros and cons.

What to do this evening? Maybe have more readings. I am partially preparing myself for the hectic semester of DURP next weekend and since this will be the last one, I would expect to be more knowledgeable and spend more time studying. This is sort of redemption of my school performance last semester. While this may not be subject specific but I am looking to be more on learning the related concepts of urban planning or maybe just the basic concept of ‘planning’ in a sense to make it personally make sense.

Again, wish me luck and that is a wrap. It is not that lost, is it?

Last Saturday afternoon, the two groups in our class on P205 – Project Development Planning has decided to check on the possible sites in the municipality of Pavia which is our LGU of study, and wherein the project proposal will be located.

Me and my groupmates, Ma’am Mabel, Ma’am Robel, and Ma’am Vanessa are proposing a Multi-purpose center for the Pavia LGU wherein it will cater the local products and SMEs. We identified the core problem which is the absence of a venue to showcase Pavia’s ethnicity, social events, and local products. Because of the rapid development of infrastructures in the municipality in which the LGU is more focused, this affects on the local culture and products being less prioritized. This center will be the venue that will somewhat mitigate that problem and will also become a source of long-term revenue for the LGU.

We arrived at Brgy. Mali-ao, Pavia after about 30 minutes of travel and one of the Brgy. Kagawads there assisted and guided us to the place. it was the initial location in which the other group of Sir Louie, Sir Arnold, Atty Chad, and Sir Cyrus decided to locate their Municipal Slaughter House project. It was a narrow and muddy road to go inside but after that there was a widespread grassy area that was near the Aganan river.

Here, the group scouted the area while enjoying the afternoon sun and estimated how wide the slaughterhouse would occupy. Group A and Group B represent!

After the short visit, we headed back to the Municipal Hall but not after we drop by Golden Treats pasalubong store located beside the highway. We bought a lot, like buko pie, egg pie, Mamon, and Maja Blanca.

We then proceeded to the Pavia DTI office beside the municipal wet market. It also housed their LEIPO office which Ma’am Mabel usually went to on a daily basis. We decided to eat there while resting and setting up the group discussion of the projects.

I enjoyed this cup of hot Healtea while munching on two slices of special Maja Blanca. We started the discussion right away before we fall asleep due to a full stomach.

Sir Arnold’s group did a recap of their project and did some edits and documentation before going ahead of us. We discussed ours on the features of project draft and with the help of Ma’am Robelle’s architect team, she was able to present the look of structure and the surrounding amenities. We then have to work for the writeups of the project features and make the initial presentation. That is to follow this week.

To wrap things up, it was a good experience visiting the site for the project though we need to schedule it on an earlier hour like in the morning next time so as it won’t be that hot.

It was just the second meeting of our classes for the second semester of the Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning and it was already seem to feel very bloody. That is because of a number of assignments that needs to be accomplished within the next two weeks for our subject P299.

For this weekend, each of us is required to come up with a three-page concept paper discussing our planned research topic. The issue that Gaia and I propose to tackle on is water scarcity in the barangays in Iloilo city. I have yet to look for reference documents and previous data for basis as well as journal articles published on education websites online.

We should also come up with a specific Research title for the concept paper, maybe mentioning a district or a particular number of barangays in the city such as in the coastal areas. As mentioned in the guide, the title of the Concept Paper should be a stand-alone statement that can fully describe the project by summarizing the main idea of the manuscript.

For a quick recap, the rest of the elements of a concept paper should be as follows: Statement of the Problem, Preliminary Literature Review, Goal Statement, Research Questions, An Abridged Methodology, Timeline and References. We shall see how it goes for the rest of the day once we can finish step 1.

The term Third World is used in reference to “the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America”. The term usually suggests poverty and low level of industrial development and thus it is the opposite of the term developed nations.

Almost half of the world’s countries are under the category of Developing or Least Developed countries including the Philippines. With the past influences being a colony of Spain, United States, and a little of Japan, the country still continues to struggle in its economy with almost a decade since its independence. We can say that a few important factors are affecting this and being a Third World country has these common characteristics in its cities.

Under Mercantile Colonialism Policies. Aside from the economic structure, the influence of Spain in the traits of most of Filipinos had a somewhat negative effect. The focus is on exportation and not on the maximization of natural resources that the country has. This then results to a rapid urbanization in most of the cities.

Rapid Urbanization. People tend to go into the cities for more work opportunities rather than stay in the farms in the countryside/provinces. They then suffer a low level and inadequate living standards just to gain a stable and maybe a reasonable income for them. With the small elites living in big towns and cities, a majority of them owning and handling major businesses and enterprises,the gap between the rich and the poor within the individual LDCs continues to grow.

Informal Economy. With the lack of job opportunities suited for people with skills, some tend to just accept the work even with inadequate employment conditions such as below minimum wage, unsafe working environment, and no employee benefits. This in effect causes low levels of labor productivity.

Youthful Age Structure. The young age population with almost 40% of the total population can cause deficit in the production and labor force of the city. Most of them tend to consume than to produce.

Informal Settlements. Overcapacity in the living/housing areas in the city results in informal settlements to cater to the rest of the low-living population. With an estimated 25% of the world’s urban population living in informal settlements, most of these were either unemployed or engaged in the informal economy. Urban conflicts and crimes usually occur within or near these areas.

Vulnerability to Disasters and Health Risks. The Third World countries not only have low per capita incomes but also have to fight a battle against malnutrition, diseases ill-health etc., and protect their population against natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes. The most vulnerable are again the population in the informal settlement areas.

Recipients of approaches, knowledge, and technologies from more-developed nations. Probably the one major good thing that the developed countries give to us is the LDCs. These nations under certain agencies conduct major projects related to the economic, social, and infrastructure benefits of the cities, especially helping in the development of low-living areas.

This is now the major challenge to the urban and environmental planners on how to devise and formulate plans to encourage sustainable development in the cities. That is not only the application of theories based on the concepts and references but also on the development of policies in relation to the current situation and based on the data gathered. That might need a lot of manpower and resources but I think that this bottom-up approach is more effective in knowing the scenario and needs of let’s say a certain barangay. One of which that we did last time in the office was the Barangay Disaster Risk Assessment survey wherein we gathered data on the disaster preparedness of each of the 180 Barangays in Iloilo City. Acting upon the situation is the first step and then later on is the formulation of a long-term action plan so that the solutions can be monitored and maintained.

These along with the political will of the legislators in the conversion and implementation of the state policies can be a major drive to a more sustainable and developed city.

So I have finally finished my requirements for the enrollment in the University of the Philippines Visayas Graduate School for the course Diploma of Urban and Regional Planning. This will be the first time that I will be back in schooling after my graduation way back twelve years ago at University of San Agustin. Taking this course is basically what is needed for my current work as Project Development Officer I in the Iloilo City Planning and Development Office and this should be a good start to help me learn and understand my actual job roles.

The DURP course covers a total of four semesters with two subjects per semester. The class schedule is every Saturday with one subject in the morning and one in the afternoon. The first two subjects that we will be taking are P201 which is on the Fundamentals and Practice of Planning and P210 is on the Planning Process. Our classroom will be at the College of Management building located at the back part of the UPV Iloilo City campus. The actual class might begin this coming Saturday and that means that I will be giving up my Saturday Magic tournaments. I bid goodbye to Standard Pauper and Saturday Showdown.

Hopefully I could get to enjoy learning the concepts and practices of Urban and Regional Planning and implement them in my work and also contribute to the society.

So after a few months of waiting it is finally here. I am finally taking the entrance exam to University of the Philippines Graduate School’s Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning this Saturday. I remembered the last time

I went to pass my requirements was last May 12, 2017 and expected the exam date last June 3, 2017. Luckily they postponed it maybe because of lack of enrollees and they extended the application deadline to June 16 and scheduled the exam this July 8, 2017.

For a quick background, I am to enroll to this course as a major requirement of my work here in the City Planning and Development Office of the Iloilo City Government. This is the first step as after completing this one, I will then proceed to the Masteral course for Urban Planning.

To Wiki quote, “Urban planning is a technical and political process concerned with the development and use of land, planning permission, protection and use of the environment, public welfare, and the design of the urban environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportation, communications, and distribution networks.

An urban planner is a professional who works in the field of urban planning for the purpose of optimizing the effectiveness of a community’s land use and infrastructure. They formulate plans for the development and management of urban and suburban areas, typically analyzing land use compatibility as well as economic, environmental and social trends. In developing the plan for a community (whether commercial, residential, agricultural, natural or recreational), urban planners must also consider a wide array of issues such as sustainability, air pollution, traffic congestion, crime, land values, legislation and zoning codes.”

With little to no background to this field, I think I am obliged to study and learn and also as a part of my job position. I have been attending related seminars and workshop such as on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction but the correlation still seems vague. Hopefully upon taking this course, I can be knowledgeable of the role of an urban planner and help design and develop accordingly based on the current state and data available of the city.

Wish me luck this Saturday.