How Quezon City, Muntinlupa, and Isabela City make urban areas liveable

MANILA, Philippines –  With more than half of world’s population now living in cities, local leaders face increasing pressure to make urban areas sustainable and livable.

At the Social Good Summit on October 19, Saturday, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon, and Isabela City Mayor Sitti Hataman shared their efforts to build vibrant and sustainable communities.

Transportation is crucial for urban livability, yet traffic congestion and inefficient transport system remain significant challenges.

To address this, Quezon City has implemented a free transportation program that allows residents to move around the city more easily via buses.

Recently, the Quezon City government acquired new electric buses joining the 90 regular buses already in service.

Insipred by Quezon City’s program, Biazon said that they will soon start rolling out buses that will ply around Muntinlupa to give free transportation service to senior citizens and persons with disability (PWD). 

Belmonte noted that cities like Makati and Pasig are also considering adopting free transportation programs. 

Quezon City is also at the forefront of active transport with its progressive bike policies and infrastructure. In the 2023 Mobility Awards, it earned the title of the most bicycle-friendly city, achieving a “gold rating.”

As part of his agenda to make Muntinlupa a more livable and sustainable, Mayor Biazon has initiated the installation of free bicycle parking throughout city.

With the North-South Commuter Railway project underway, he also plans to establish more bicycle parking near the stations, enabling residents to easily bike and park when traveling outside the city.

Meanwhile, with the MRT-7 set to begin partial operations in Quezon City by 2025, Mayor Belmonte eyes to create accessible parking spaces to encourage residents to use public transportation instead of bringing their cars into the inner city.

To discourage private vehicle use, Belmonte also wanted to impose higher parking fees for private cars in the future, similar to practices in other countries.

“We have to disincentivize people from bringing cars into the city. We put parking lots around (public