MMDA to launch 'Green Print' for Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines – A development blueprint for Metro Manila that aims to transform the metropolis of about 14 million people into a development hub by 2030 will be unveiled by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) today.

Called the “Metro Manila Green Print 2030,” the comprehensive urban development program will serve as a roadmap of the government and private stakeholders in further developing Metro Manila’s economic potentials and make it at par with the most urbanized metropolitan areas in the world.

“While Metro Manila propels the economy of the Philippines, its performance lags behind many competing Asian cities. We need to have an in-depth and multi-faceted plan to identify Metro Manila’s potentials for development and implement it with the close participation of national and local governments, the private sector, and other key stakeholders,” MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said.

Tolentino said the MMDA project is supported by the World Bank, the Australian Agency for International Development, the 17 mayors of Metro Manila and by various national government agencies.

According to Tolentino, the blueprint identifies key factors that will contribute to Metro Manila’s improvement as an urban system: economic clustering, neighborhood scale development, overall physical structure, and transportation access.

He said program involves raising the awareness of stakeholders on Metro Manila’s development options, identifying key initiatives and investments that can leverage the region’s potential, and systematically translating the strategy into a structural plan.