(Eagle News)– Urban planner and architect Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. on Friday (September 23) said the granting of emergency powers to President Rodrigo Duterte was needed to cure the country’s traffic issues.
“The most pressing challenge today is traffic…To answer the problem of chronic traffic congestion was a more complicated issue: it being a symptom of poor planning and, at the same time, being the root of other problems,” Palafox said during a lecture at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Makati.
Palafox gave an affirmative answer when asked if the traffic situation can be considered a matter of national emergency that needs special powers of the President.
“Because of our analysis-paralysis, too much bad politics, it needs to be easy [to act]. But with the condition that they (administration) must write the scope of work, the deliverables with a timeline,” he pointed out.
He noted that emergency powers are crucial to hasten bidding and procurement procedures for the much-needed road infrastructures, among others.
On the other hand, Palafox also agreed on Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) plan to open the roads of some government properties and private subdivisions for public use.
“As I said, the government must be the exemplar, open up the government lands before they open the private subdivisions,” Palafox noted.