Ongpin goes car-less on the day before Chinese New Year

Dubbed as “Pedestrian Day in Chinatown,” the entire stretch of Ongpin Street will be closed to motor vehicles. This is a joint project of the Chinese Filipino Business Club, Charity First Foundation, and with the assistance of the City Government of Manila.

 

This event is part of the “Road Revolution Program,” a “road-sharing” program calling for a road system that will allow equal sharing of roads for pedestrians, bicycle lanes, and efficient mass transit systems.

 

The “Road Revolution Program” encourages “Pedestrianization” of the city’s streets by discouraging the use of motorized vehicles through closure to motor vehicle traffic, and compelling the government to act upon it. 

 

Countries around the world are beginning to realize the benefits of such a system, and some examples include: Shanghai’s Nanjing Road and Beijing’s Wangfujing Road, where entire streets are appropriated only for pedestrians; Bolivia’s “National Day of the Pedestrian,” where two million cars were taken off the streets on Sunday in nine cities; Jakarta’s main avenue where car-free day is held every 2 weeks on Sunday; Mexico’s Ciclovia where miles of major boulevards are closed to auto traffic and taken over by cyclists, rollerskaters, walkers, dogs, and children; and Brazil’s Curitiba where a major street in downtown Curitiba was transformed into a Pedestrian Street.

 

“Pedestrian Day in Chinatown” is meant to give people a firsthand experience of what it would be like to have no vehicles on the road, less pollution, cleaner air, and more road to themselves. It will also allow them to enjoy the activities planned for the day, and to have a sense of community and interaction with other pedestrians, without the obstruction and inconvenience caused by motor vehicles.

 

This Sunday will likewise be filled with cultural activities and festivities. Several tents are showcasing Chinese culture and tradition such as Chinese Calligraphy, Fan Painting, Paper Cutting and Paper Folding, Abacus Demo, Chess Demonstration, Feng Shui and Fortune Telling, Lantern display, Acupuncture, Dragon and Lion dances, Wu-shu exhibitions, and a lot more

 

The “Road Revolution Program” is a brainchild of Atty. Antonio Oposa, Jr., a Harvard law graduate, a multi-awarded and internationally acclaimed environmental lawyer, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee, and the founder of the Law of Nature Foundation.