The City of Manila has been the Philippines’ crown jewel for centuries, standing as the country’s capital and one of Southeast Asia’s centers for commerce, culture, and governance. Due to this historical significance, Filipinos from all over the archipelago flocked to its streets, hoping for better opportunities and a chance for a new life. Amidst this integration, Manila finds itself faced with rapid urbanization, climate change, and growing population pressures.
One of the most pressing issues is Manila’s extreme population density. According to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the city is populated by over 1.8 million Manileños, all contained within an area of 42.88 square kilometers. This statistic makes Manila one of the world’s most densely populated cities with 42,857 people per square kilometer.
This extreme density has strained the city’s infrastructure and basic services. Informal settlements have proliferated, especially along waterways and idle lands, leading to overcrowding and unsafe living conditions. These areas often lack access to clean water, sanitation, and electricity, making residents more vulnerable to health risks and disasters.
In response, both the local and national governments have introduced housing and relocation initiatives to address the shelter crisis. Programs such as the National Housing Authority’s in-city relocation projects and high-rise socialized housing aim to reduce the number of informal settlers without uprooting them from their livelihoods. Similarly, the city’s local government units have also launched their “land for the landless” initiative, where a total of 195 heads of families were awarded certificates for their own lots through subdivided expropriated lots in different barangays.
Aside from its housing issues, certain areas in Manila are also highly vulnerable to flooding. Situated in a typhoon-prone region and built largely on low-lying land, the city experiences frequent flooding and faces increasing threats from rising sea levels. Just last year, Typhoon Carina flooded the capital, prompting the local government to shut schools and offices and leaving hundreds of homes powerless.
To address this issue, the national government is set to build the Metro Manila Flood Management Project (MMFMP). The MMFMP is composed of three main components: upgrading and building new pumping stations, enhancing the drainage system, and reinforcing solid waste management efforts. The city government, for its part, distributed free doxycycline medicines to individuals affected by the flood. The medicine, aimed at preventing leptospirosis, was directly distributed to communities in the city.
Alongside the problem of chronic flooding, environmental degradation is another deep-seated issue. Manila is famously down to its last lung, the Arroceros Urban Forest Park, comprising only 2.2 hectares but composed of 61 tree varieties and 8,000 ornamental plants. Additionally, the city’s key waterways, the Estero de San Miguel, Estero de Paco, and portions of the Pasig River, have long suffered from waste accumulation and pollution.
The lack of open green spaces further contributes to urban heat and poor air quality. According to the 2011 Green Cities Index conducted by Siemens and The Economist Intelligence Unit, each resident of Metro Manila had access to just 5 square meters of green open space.
In recent years, however, environmental sustainability has become more of an emphasis in the city. Manila has strengthened its waste segregation programs and partnered with NGOs and private groups for estero clean-ups and urban greening. The city, through the Manila Health Department Health Education and Promotion Unit in collaboration with the Division of Sanitation, has also conducted tree planting activities pursuant to the Manila City Ordinance No. 8371, known as the Environmental Code of the City of Manila.
Likewise, Manila took part in the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) “Promoting Action on Plastic Pollution from Source to Sea in Asia and the Pacific”, a project seeking to reduce marine plastic pollution and restore river and ocean health through flagship ocean programs such as coastal resilience, plastic-free oceans, ocean finance, and sustainable seafood.
Social inequality also persists, with many families still facing limited access to quality healthcare, education, and jobs. Despite this, Manila has increased investments in its public institutions. The newly opened Manila City Public Library, the renovated Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, and continued support for Universidad de Manila and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila demonstrate the city’s push to uplift underprivileged residents through access to knowledge and health.
While the City of Manila continues to face complex challenges rooted in its dense population, environmental pressures, and deep-seated inequalities, it is also showing a commitment to bettering the lives of its citizens. As a recognition of its efforts, the capital city was hailed as the second most competitive highly urbanized city in the 2024 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index by the Department of Trade and Industry.
Manila’s significance to the whole of the nation gives it the burden to carry both the weight of history and the promise of renewal. Its journey toward sustainable urban development may not be without setbacks, but the steady shift toward responsive governance, community-driven solutions, and long-term planning suggests that transformation is possible and is happening. — Jomarc Angelo M. Corpuz
