A LOT of the daily suffering and stress of millions of Filipinos has to do with the difficulty of travel around their cities and towns. They face streets that are unwalkable, unbikeable and unsafe; they face inadequate, unaffordable and unreliable public transport. Even those with their own cars or motorcycles are stuck in traffic. Dream jobs and economic opportunities are foregone because the commute would be too costly or onerous. Despite the worsening situation, the government response has consistently fallen short. Let's analyze why.

Filipinos face an 'everyone for herself' environment when it comes to transportation. There is no government obligation to ensure that Filipinos have sufficient, dignified and environmentally sustainable mobility options such as walking, cycling and public transport. All of us are pedestrians and yet the quality of our pedestrian infrastructure is perhaps the poorest in Southeast Asia. Sidewalk infrastructure almost everywhere is converted illegally into vehicle parking spaces without anyone being penalized. Roads and bridges are designed to serve the needs of private car owners, even though only 6 percent of households nationwide own a 4-wheeled motor vehicle.