Bilin ng Mamamayang Konsyumer PROMOTING NMT IN 2005 Going through 2005, this is the year the issues concerning non- motorized mode of transportation (NMT) came into public attention in the Philippine development work. It is the PATH CANADA supported Project on NMT that brought into highlight the pressing need of the times to promote the utilization of NMT to minimize air and noise pollution, to encourage healthy lifestyle, to facilitate people’s physical mobility amidst rapid urbanization and as an economical alternative to expensive motorized mode of transportation. The pedicab as a mainstream means of public transportation belonging to the informal sector was also highlighted as a means of livelihood for the unemployed workforce. To drive home these messages, the Filipino Consumers’ Will, FILCONWILL (Bilin ng Mamamayang Konsyumer, BILMAKO) reached out to both private and public sectors. I. List of activities in 2005 FILCONWILL conducted the following activities: 1. Networking a. In January, FILCONWILL contacted those who have personal interest in cycling. Knowing that pedicabs are widely used in certain areas in Metro Manila, interested drivers and operators were invited to join in the consultation meetings. b. The networking activities continued when FILCONWILL extended its operations to the provinces. The four provinces, namely Western Samar, Southern Leyte, Block 7, Lot 3, Metrogreen Subdivision, Quirino Palanca Apartment No. 1, Brgy. San Ave., San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City, 1 Roque, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines Philippines Mobile No.: +63-9287242362 Tel. No. +632-4183490 Email address: [email protected] Northern Leyte, and Biliran were chosen to be the expansion site because of the information that NMT is a popular mode, either as leisure, sports or public transportation. FILCONWILL focused on the pedicab drivers & operators’ associations and cyclists’ organizations. 2. Consultation meetings a. Small group discussions A series of focus group discussions (FGD) were held from January to February to get the views of different civil society organizations on Non Motorized Transportation. There was consensus among the groups to hold a Metro Manila wide consultation meeting to know more about the extent of the problems confronting the NMT utilization. b. Metro Manila wide consultation meeting The FILCONWILL organized a national consultation meeting on February 6, 2005. Eighty six representatives and officers from 14 cyclists’ organizations and pedicab drivers’ & operators’ associations attended the consultation. c. Follow up consultation meetings A series of small group discussions were conducted as a follow up to the national consultation meeting. This time, the meetings only involved interested groups such as the pedicab & operators’ associations in the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela. The output of these consultation meetings was the establishment of the Federation of Pedicab Drivers & Operators Associations in these four cities. Block 7, Lot 3, Metrogreen Subdivision, Quirino Palanca Apartment No. 1, Brgy. San Ave., San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City, 2 Roque, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines Philippines Mobile No.: +63-9287242362 Tel. No. +632-4183490 Email address: [email protected] 3. Research a. Rapid appraisal The rapid appraisal, the first activity that FILCONWILL did, was roughly done to generate fast information on who are into NMT advocacy and what are they doing. The information was used for networking purposes. b. National This focused on the available researches and plans on Non-Motorized Mode of Transportation. Several documents were secured, among them are: • The World Bank’s Project Appraisal Document on a Proposed Loan By The Philippine Government for the Metro Manila Urban Transport Integration Project • Metro Manila Urban Transport Integration Project (MMURTRIP) • Metro Manila Urban Transportation Integration Study (MMUTIS) • Air Quality Improvement Program • Resolutions, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) c. Local This focused on the ordinances passed by the different Local Government Units including the 12 cities and 5 municipalities comprising Metro Manila, the different cities and municipalities of 4 provinces in the Visayas region. 4. Support to the establishment/strengthening of organizations and federations Two organizations were formed in 2005, as an offshoot of the organizing work conducted by FILCONWILL. These are the Federation of Pedicab drivers and operators associations, KASAMPADYAK and the organization of priests and lay persons, PADYAK. FILCONWILL also initiated to support the establishment of a cooperative of pedicab drivers in Sogod, Southern Leyte. Block 7, Lot 3, Metrogreen Subdivision, Quirino Palanca Apartment No. 1, Brgy. San Ave., San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City, 3 Roque, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines Philippines Mobile No.: +63-9287242362 Tel. No. +632-4183490 Email address: [email protected] 5. Advocacy a. Policy makers b. Media c. General public The FILCONWILL’s advocacy on NMT was directed to policy makers, media and the general public. To achieve this, the FILCONWILL sponsored several events that were covered by the media and eventually stimulated a renewed interest in NMT. Please see the appendix for the media coverage. FILCONWILL produced streamers, banners and pamphlets and distributed these to organizations of cyclists and pedicab drivers. Constant distribution aided the popularization of NMT advocacy specially during town fiestas and other festive activities in Metro Manila and countrysides. II. Results of the activities A. First Quarter Research and networking In January 2005, the FILCONWILL conducted a rapid appraisal of the extent of utilization of Non-Motorized Transportation NMT in Metro Manila. One of the results was a list of organizations of pedicab drivers and operators and people who are into cycling. Block 7, Lot 3, Metrogreen Subdivision, Quirino Palanca Apartment No. 1, Brgy. San Ave., San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City, 4 Roque, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines Philippines Mobile No.: +63-9287242362 Tel. No. +632-4183490 Email address: [email protected] After the initial orientation, a FILCONWILL team got in touch with biker’s organizations and their leaders, pedicab drivers and owners organizations. The initial networking covered the suburban streets of the cities of Manila, Malabon, Caloocan, Navotas, Valenzuela and Novaliches, Quezon City. These are blue collar workers’ places. A focused group discussion (FGD) was conducted with a group of cyclists and representatives from organizations of pedicab drivers and operators. The discussions centered on the barriers to the utilization of NMT especially in Metro Manila. The more prominent barriers are as follows: • hostile and dangerous street conditions, • lack of cycling lanes and cycling routes, • lack of appropriate physical structure for NMT, • chaotic traffic management system, • over-dependency on road-based motorized public transportation modes such as buses, jeepneys, and more recently, the 10- seater air-conditioned utility vehicles • increasing number of private vehicles, • lack of over-arching national policies that would address the need for a sustainable, environment friendly mode of transportation, such as the NMT , • lack of awareness among various sectors about the use of NMT, • lack of political commitment of the government to develop the transportation sector and integrate the NMT with the other modes of transportation, • public stigma against the use of pedicab as public utility transport as a sign of backward development. Metro Manilans who prefer to reach their destination by bike have to take risks while snaking through the streets. Block 7, Lot 3, Metrogreen Subdivision, Quirino Palanca Apartment No. 1, Brgy. San Ave., San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City, 5 Roque, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines Philippines Mobile No.: +63-9287242362 Tel. No. +632-4183490 Email address: [email protected] However, despite these barriers, the use of NMT has thrived in a variety of ways, among them are: • Two main streets within the University of the Philippines, Diliman Campus are closed to traffic on Sundays for families who would like to bike, walk, exercise, • Pedicabs, or bicycles with attached passengers’ seats like the rickshaws. These are being used in short trips within the residential and business areas in Metro Manila, cities and town proper in the provinces. These are also used for long trips such as far as 50 kms to transport goods. • Cyclists who are sports and health enthusiasts, • White and blue collar workers who report to their work in bikes. • The NMT is a popular grassroots issue, and a mode of public transportation utilized most especially by the low income population. The FGD initially served as a venue to discuss the relevance of NMT’s advocacy and its role in social development in the Philippines. The FGD likewise paved the way for several initiatives on the popularization of NMT. One immediate recommendation was to Block 7, Lot 3, Metrogreen Subdivision, Quirino Palanca Apartment No. 1, Brgy. San Ave., San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City, 6 Roque, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines Philippines Mobile No.: +63-9287242362 Tel. No. +632-4183490 Email address: [email protected] conduct a Metro Manila wide consultation meeting to deepen the understanding of the issues related to NMT. These initiatives are as follows: First Metro Manila Wide Consultation on NMT On February 6, 2005, FILCONWILL