MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today lauded the team behind the Bayanihan sa Daan Awardsfor taking initiatives to promote ways to reduce traffic and improve the country’s public transportation system.
Legarda expressed her support to promoting a multi-modal system of movement and transportation during the launch of the Bayanihan sa Daan Awards at the Kalayaan Hall, Malacanang Palace.
Bayanihan sa Daan recognizes leaders and ordinary citizens who have been going the extra mile to effect positive change, particularly in thinking of ways to decongest road traffic.
“The horrendous traffic that we all experience, especially in Metro Manila, is costly, time-consuming and unsafe. This kind of traffic situation veers away from our goal of resilient and sustainable development as it contributes not only to climate change but also to an unhealthy and unsafe environment for our people,” she stressed.
Legarda said that the longer a motorized vehicle stays on the road, the more it contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the transport sector contributed 27% of the GHG emissions worldwide in 2010 and this could double by 2050.
Meanwhile, an ADB study showed that transport sector emissions accounted for 30% of air pollution in the Philippines and in Metro Manila, about 80%.
“As part of my advocacy to promote resilience and climate change mitigation, I have been promoting the shift to a low-carbon lifestyle. Rethinking our mode of transportation is one of the crucial steps towards this initiative. We need to promote mass rail, human-powered transport and pedestrianization. We should start venturing into transport electrification and energy efficiency,” said Legarda.
The Senator commended the Bayanihan sa Daan Team, led by Atty. Antonio Oposa, Jr., for promoting a paradigm shift from the motor vehicle-based transportation system to a multi-modal system, wherein people are not dependent on their own motorized vehicles every time they go out, instead, they can choose different modes of transportation depending on their needs—walking or biking for short distances, and safe, reliable, inexpensive and convenient public transportation system for long distance trips.
She added that many highly-urbanized and great cities in the world, including London, Melbourne, Seattle, are actually walkable.
“It is not easy to promote an idea that for many is too idealistic, but with the right agenda, strong will to effect change, persistence and an effective information and education campaign, we will be successful, I hope sooner than later. With the concept of Bayanihan we may just be able to capture the interest and the heart of Filipinos to support this initiative,” Legarda concluded.
