Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

General Tinio, Cabanatuan City
Graduate School - MASTERS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

REFLECTION P A P E R N O. ______

______ Semester A.Y. 20___ to 20___

Name: ROSALIE Q. CAPISTRANO

Program: MASTERS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Course Code/Title: PA 225 – URBAN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Topic: C04 – URBAN PLANNING POLICIES, ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND
POLICIES, LAND USE POLICIES, POLICIES ON WATER RESOURCE USE,
PROBLEMS IN URBAN PLANNING, CHALLENGES TO URBAN
SUSTAINABILITY
OBSERVATION:

The topics are well chosen and timely, it is also well discussed by my
classmates. Issues within the urban cities are dealt with different
policies and laws enacted and enforced by our government, both local
and national. In the Philippines, one main concern of the government is
its growing population that creates more pollution and abuse of our
environment. In the reports made by my classmates, these issue of
abusing our environment was discussed and how our government tries
to alleviate the same. Also, since the Philippines is blesses with natural
resources, we may also utilize the same for our progress but we seem to
be distracted by the worldwide trends of industrialization. Thus, instead
of developing our farmlands, developing our bodies of water, preserving
our forests, we tend to convert the same to commercial infrastructures,
letting capitalists exploit them non-stop. Thus, in this topic, we learn
that there are actual laws enforced to curtail these acts, however, it may
seem that these policies and laws are disregarded. Here, in our province,
it may not seem so polluted but once you go to the capital, which is
Manila City, we will see what these concerns are about and what these
laws seem to protect us from.

Imagine, what if the above-captioned laws are not being implemented,

how much more will our country suffer. Topographically speaking, the
Philippines has one of the most beautiful landscape in Asia, plump
forests, beautiful bodies of water, acres of tillable lands and abundant
food supply. An ideal settlement for communities to flourish. Also, these
 Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
General Tinio, Cabanatuan City
Graduate School - MASTERS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

laws are enforced for the preservation of our natural resources and
creation of sustainable urban settlements.

ANALYSIS:

The Urban Cities in the Philippines aims to develop its towns and cities
to make them more sustainable. The underlying purpose is to create
communities that are more sustainable and functional, which is better
as places to live and work. Philippine towns and cities face serious issues
which comes with faulty urban planning policies and lack of efficient
implementation of environmental laws and policies. Historically, a
settlement grows in an environment where all the basic necessities of
the community is met, food and water, shelter and clothing. However,
these resources are limited and needs to be protected from abuse, the
reason why we have policies enforced for its preservation. One of the
main problems is the worsening poverty and environmental degradation.
These include the need for greater housing affordability, concerns about
safety and security, and a desire for greater social, economic and
environmental sustainability. Community design crucially affects the
performance of towns and cities in achieving the objectives of
sustainability and a better quality of life. The design and layout of a
community are fundamental determinants of urban form and settlement
patterns because they set the urban character and design of an area,
allow or inhibit social interaction and thereby influences the likelihood
of community formation. In the Philippines, we normally find
communities which are there since the start of times, like our indigenous
people, some of them lived in their settlements for a long time and have
adapted to its surroundings so much that it became their way of life.
Thus, in order to preserve their way of life we must set policies and laws
to abide by, we must ensure that these policies and laws are one with
sustainability of urban settlements in the Philippines, one that can
withstand through the rapid changes that is happening in the
environment as well as our society. While we aim to preserve and take
care of our settlements, we are also conflicted due to economic struggles,
one that forces us to turn to livelihood with better income and less work,
one that is more convenient. Also, the Philippines being a beauty of
 Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
General Tinio, Cabanatuan City
Graduate School - MASTERS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

nature, tourists flock our Cities and Provinces and can’t help but leave
their traces behind, one of the cause of pollution that hinders urban
sustainability.

REACTION:

Learning about policies and laws enforced by our Government to sustain

our settlements, both urban and rural is helpful in understanding how
I can be of help in implementing and strengthening its effectivity. In my
opinion, what we need is a sustainable development, to create an
environment that not only suits our present needs but has also the best
chance of meeting our needs in the future which is enshrined in no less
than our constitution. These laws and policies are placed and enforced
in order to support a social, economic, environmental community with
cultural prosperity, while remaining sensitive to local environmental
features, balancing the necessity for social interaction, jobs, housing,
transportation, recreation, and sense of belonging to the preservation
and nurturing of our country’s natural resources. Humans are an
evolving specie, we continue to evolve as time changes, and thus, as our
needs and aspirations evolve and as conditions change, we need to
facilitate the creation of more sustainable and high quality new urban
forms as well as continuous development and implementation of policies
that is suitable for our changing needs. Urbanization has long been
associated with human development and progress, but recent studies
have shown that urban settings can also lead to significant social,
economic and health problems and these issues are what the enforced
policies and laws are trying to get rid of.

CONCLUSION:

Successful implementation of the policies and laws discussed in the

class depends on the willingness not only of the government but as well
as the communities living in urbanized cities. Sectoral agencies and
administration must commit to a stronger implementation of these laws
and to set aside political issues and sustain programs employed by a
past administration in order to attain its purpose and goal, in order to
 Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
General Tinio, Cabanatuan City
Graduate School - MASTERS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

attain a sustainable urbanized settlement. The laws and policies being

enforced are so far reasonable, it might be complex in some aspects but
this is only to ensure the success of developing cities in the Philippines.
The processes in place are made not to burden us in following pointless
policies but instead, implemented so that we can continue to live our life
as conveniently as possible with the aim to preserve it for posterity.
Politicization of urban planning and personal interest can jeopardize
technical planning efforts, ultimately hampering socio-economic
development. Also, these mandates must complement each other, with
the same goal of developing our nation without exploiting our natural
resources. Therefore, we must further practice acts that will ensure that
residential areas are adequately serviced with sewerage, water, fire-
fighting, electricity, street lighting, communications services, and gas in
a timely, cost-effective, coordinated and efficient manner.

APPLICATION:

As human needs and aspirations evolve and as conditions change, we

need to facilitate the creation of more sustainable urban communities.
We urgently need a stricter implementation of laws that helps in
developing and maintaining our steady urbanization. In order to have an
urbanized nation that is reflective of Filipinos' economic and social
needs, and is specifically suited to our unique environment, we must not
forget that in development, we must also give importance to what we
already have.

In the Philippines, we are lucky to have potable waters readily flowing

out from our faucets. However, I order to maintain such convenience we
must abide by the laws enforced to protect this. Also, communities must
come together in realizing that in order to have sustainable potable water
as well as renewable energy, we must work together with the
government. Also, environmental laws have been enforced in the
Philippines but not much of it is heard of since we’re all busy with our
lives, trying to make a living, trying to get by. Thus, the strengthening of
the application of the already enforced laws must be done in order to
 Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
General Tinio, Cabanatuan City
Graduate School - MASTERS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

avoid multiple issues that might be cause by lack of care and putting
value in our environment and natural resources.

RECOMMENDATION:

1. A stronger, more consistent and effective implementation of different

laws and policies concerning urbanization, environment and natural
resources;
2. A national agency in charge in aligning plans and agencies of both local
and national government, this is necessary to improve cooperation;
3. We must work on the basic level of community and that is barangay
level, in order to make communities more aware of policies and laws they
should be following;
4. Explicit legal measures should be defined to ensure the separation of
personal businesses of Politicians and their function and power in order
to avoid using their office to make commercial/infrastructure contracts
in their business’s favor;
5. Public accountability, to reiterate, conscious effort by the citizens and
the government is needed to ensure sustainability of our Urban
Settlements; and
6. A fair, reliable and comprehensive system of environmental laws and
land use rights.