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https://itsmorefuninthephilippines.co.uk/manila/

https://www.dti.gov.ph/regions/ncr/profile/

https://www.planetware.com/philippines/top-rated-tourist-attractions-things-to-do-in-manila-phi-1-2.htm

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MMDA to explore use of technology in solving MM traffic woes

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The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is eyeing the use of latest technology in solving traffic congestion in Metro Manila. MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim on Wednesday said the agency was exploring innovative solutions to decongest the Metro’s roads.

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The traffic situation in Southeast Asia is famous for all the wrong reasons. Although some countries have taken steps to minimise congestion such as Vietnam's ban on motorcycles by 2030, and Singapore's deployment of road tolls and an expensive certificate of entitlement to reduce the number of car ownerships, the traffic situation in the region could still use some help.

Tech companies and developers are constantly looking for opportunities to come up with further solutions that will help governments and motorists. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing have been making waves as newer technology reaches the region's shores. This has led to more companies looking towards these technologies for solutions to help ease traffic woes.

Last January, Malaysia became the first country outside China to adopt Alibaba's City Brain solution - a traffic management system that uses big data, AI and cloud computing to help cities manage their urban transportation needs. The system was first implemented in Hangzhou, where Alibaba's headquarters is located. Operational since late 2016, there has been a 15 percent decrease in traffic congestion in the Chinese city.
How does it work?
With the use of cloud computing, AI and data processing capabilities, the flow of vehicles and traffic signals can be optimised by calculating the time vehicles take to reach intersections. It is also able to generate structured summaries of data, such as traffic volume and speed in particular lanes, which can be used to facilitate other tasks including incident or accident detection.

In addition, programmes such as the City Brain will be able to connect with various urban management systems including emergency dispatch, ambulance calls, traffic commands, and traffic light control. By integrating and analysing real-time data generated from these systems, urban traffic flows can be optimised for emergency vehicles. For example, the quickest routes can be identified so that ambulances can arrive at a specific location within the shortest time frame possible.

Apart from managing traffic, cloud computing with the aid of AI is also realising the vision of driverless cars for the region. According to Alibaba Cloud president Simon Hu last September, Kuala Lumpur was making "good progress in traffic management". Local planners said there are plans for the project to be implemented in other parts of Malaysia.

Research organisation McKinsey Global Institute stated in a report that tools such as City Brain can help reduce fatalities by eight to 10 percent, accelerate emergency response times by 20 to 35 percent and shave average commute times by 15 to 20 percent.

The abovementioned report titled 'Smart cities: Digital solutions for a more liveable future' was published in June 2018 and was based on a study that assessed how dozens of current smart city applications could perform in three sample cities with varying legacy infrastructure systems and baseline starting points. It found that such tools could cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 10 or 15 percent.
Implementation in other countries
Malaysia's implementation of City Brain is indeed a significant milestone as it gives hope for other countries in Southeast Asia grappling with horrific traffic conditions such as Indonesia and the Philippines.

Jakarta was ranked as the third most congested city in the world after Mexico City and Bangkok last year, and the Indonesian capital has more than 13 million motorcycles and 4.4 million cars on its roads. It is estimated that more than 2.1 million trips are made from the outskirts of Jakarta into the city daily.

In Manila, a hub of 13 million people, traffic cost the city nearly US$70 million in economic activity in 2017, according to the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The Philippine government embarked on a US$180 billion program to modernise its aging transport infrastructure last month, although the fruits of that labour will not be enjoyed for many years to come.

These two cities, which traditionally have recorded the highest traffic throughout the region, could also look into employing technology like cloud computing and AI to ease their traffic woes. Should other countries in the region follow suit in implementing these systems, the prospect for Southeast Asia becoming a leader in the smart city space will be bright and promising.

This article was first published by The ASEAN Post on 3 March 2018 and has been updated to reflect the latest data.

Related articles:
Cloud computing services race heating up in the region Alibaba and Malaysia: A win-win relationship Jokowi wants Jakartans to use public transport

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The traffic situation in Southeast Asia is famous for all the wrong reasons. Although some countries have taken steps to minimise congestion such as Vietnam's ban on motorcycles by 2030, and Singapore's deployment of road tolls and an expensive certificate of entitlement to reduce the number of car ownerships, the traffic situation in the region could still use some help.

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Based on the 2020 data, the record of Metro Manila decreased to 53 percent. However, the Philippines is ranked as the fourth most congested city in the world.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 30)- Manila has the second worst traffic congestion out of the 416 cities surveyed around the world, according to a report by a location technology specialist.

The Traffic Index 2019 by TomTom, which ranks congestion in cities worldwide, showed that Manila has a congestion level of 71 percent. That means drivers spend an average of 71 percent extra travel time stuck in traffic

The Indian city of Bengaluru topped the report with also 71 percent congestion level.

It was not clear why the two cities were not considered tied at the top spot. The report covered over 306 million kilometers of road data - both highways and non-highways-in Manila, and more than 114 million kilometers of road data for Bengaluru.

TomTom said Manila has 73 percent of congestion level in highways, while 70 percent in non-highways.

The report noted that the day of the week with the worst rush hour would be Friday especially from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

"Travelling after 7 PM on Friday could save you up to 5 hours per year (for a 30 minute commute)," read the report.

Meanwhile, data by TomTom also showed that April 19 last year had the least traffic in Manila, while August 16 had the most traffic.

The report said that Filipinos lost 10 days and 17 hours for driving during rush hour over the year. Further, 29 minutes are added per 30-minute trip in the morning rush, and additional 38 minutes per 30-minute trip while driving in the evening.

TomTom said that it calculated the baseline per city "by analyzing free-flow travel times of all vehicles on the entire road network" for 24 hours and seven days a week throughout the year.

"We perform calculations for all hours of each day, so you can see how congestion levels at any time in any city, including morning and evening peak hours," said the company.

According to a study of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the country loses ₱3.5 billion daily due to traffic congestion. This could reach up to ₱5.4 billion by 2035 if it will remain unsolved.

Traffic has been a big issue especially last year when the Light Rail Transit 2 (LRT-2) caught fire. The incident made commuting more burdensome for the 200,000 passengers who ride the train daily.

However, the government maintained that there is no traffic crisis in Metro Manila.

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Manila's traffic congestion is second worst in the world, says report

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 30)- Manila has the second worst traffic congestion out of the 416 cities surveyed around the world, according to a report by a location technology specialist. The Traffic Index 2019 by TomTom, which ranks congestion in cities worldwide, showed that Manila has a congestion level of 71 percent.

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Developers and IT companies are always on the search for potential ways to assist in the everyday life. As technology are continuously evolving, the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing has made waves. As a result, more businesses are turning to these technology for traffic solutions.

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Metro Manila is the central of economic, political, education zone in the Philippines. With that being said, traffic is one of the most major problems that is being encountered in Metro Manila. The 11th SDG which is Sustainable Cities and Communities focuses on making cities safe, resilient and sustainable.

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In 2019, Metro Manila got a record of 71 percent in the annual traffic congestion which is 2nd most congested in the world. In order to achieve a sustainable community, this problem must be solved and taken into action.

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Vaccines help our bodies to establish immunity against COVID-19 virus. There are research that serves as an evidence that COVID-19 is effective and safe.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Important update: Healthcare facilities

CDC has updated select ways to operate healthcare systems effectively in response to COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more

Ensuring COVID-19 Vaccines Work

COVID-19 Vaccines Work

Research provides evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help stop the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 vaccination helps protect adults and children ages 5 years and older from getting sick or severely ill with COVID-19 and helps protect those around them.

To receive the most protection, adults and children ages 5 years and older should receive all recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Some people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will still get sick because no vaccine is 100% effective. Experts continue to monitor and evaluate how often this occurs, how severe their illness is, and how likely a vaccinated person is to spread COVID-19 to others.

CDC recommends everyone ages 5 years and older get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as one is available to you.

Do COVID-19 vaccines work?
Are COVID-19 vaccines safe?
What are breakthrough infections?

Data on Vaccine Impact and Effectiveness

The latest data on rates of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths by vaccination status are available from the CDC COVID Data Tracker

About Vaccine Effectiveness

hand holding medical light icon

For Healthcare Professionals and Health Departments

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Important update: Healthcare facilities CDC has updated select ways to operate healthcare systems effectively in response to COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more Ensuring COVID-19 Vaccines Work Research provides evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help stop the COVID-19 pandemic.

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RECORDED NUMBER OF DOSES IN THE PHILIPPINES

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RECORDED NUMBER OF DOSES IN THE PHILIPPINES

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Billions have been affected as a result of the pandemic. In addition to lowering the sad loss of life and assisting in the containment of the pandemic, the introduction of a vaccine can help in improving this situation. The only option to reduce the pandemic's public health and economic damage is for everyone to have access to a vaccination.

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Due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, Metro Manila is the most affected. The 3rd SDG which is the Good Health and Well-Being is the suitable SDG in order to take action in this kind of issue as it ensures the safety of the community with regards to health.

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COVID-19 Tracker | Department of Health website

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CONTACT INFORMATIONSan Lazaro Compound, Tayuman, Sta. Cruz, ManilaPhilippines 1003Telephone No. (632) 8651-7800

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Based on the recorded data of COVID-19 cases, Metro Manila or NCR has the highest number of total cases with 858,130 and new cases in the last 14 days by date of onset illness. Quezon City has the highest number of cases with 176,256 among other provinces or cities.

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The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are at its core in which they represent an urgent call to action for all nations to work together in a global partnership. They understand that eradicating poverty and other forms of deprivation must be accompanied with efforts to enhance health and education, decrease inequality, and boost economic growth as well as combating climate change and protecting our seas and forests.

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Source: Philippine Statistics Authority. Highlights of the National Capital Region (NCR) Population 2020 Census of Population and Housing (2020 CPH).

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Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2019 List of Establishments (LE)

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RECORDED NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS IN 2019

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RECORDED NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS IN 2019

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Metro Manila is the Philippines' financial, commercial, and industrial hub. Makati is the country's major financial and commercial zone in which it is the location of the many greatest firms, including the Ayala Group of Companies, as well as the country's main banks. It is known as the central business district (CBD). Chemicals, textiles, apparel, electrical items, food, drinks, and tobacco products are among the industrial products produced in Manila. The rise of services and industry spurred the growth of construction and manufacturing in the NCR, making it the country's greatest contributor to the creation of goods and services.

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According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, the population of the National Capital Region (NCR) as of May 1, 2020 is 13,484,462. (2020 CPH). In 2020, this will constitute for around 12.37 percent of the Philippine population.

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Manila has a tropical wet and dry climate. The temperature range is quite narrow, rarely falling below 20°C and rising over 38°C. The humidity, on the other hand, is frequently very high, making it feel considerably warmer.

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Metropolitan Manila or National Capital Region (NCR), is the country's political, economic, and educational hub. It is the Philippines' smallest area, yet it is also the most densely inhabited, with nearly 12 million Filipinos living here. The National Capital Region (NCR) is the country's sole non-provincial region. It is organized into 17 local government units (LGUs), with 16 cities and one municipality.

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Updated August 16, 2021

Current evidence of the COVID-19 vaccines with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approvals by Philippine Food and Drug Administration.

Pfizer-BioNTech

Oxford-AstraZeneca

CoronaVac (Sinovac)

Gamaleya Sputnik V

Johnson and Johnson's Janssen

Bharat BioTech

Moderna

Sinopharm

COVID-19 Vaccines Tracker (Selection Process and Approval)

Updated June 2, 2021

Information you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccines on our current portfolio:

Technology Platform

Issuance of Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

How many doses and interval in which each dose is taken

Storage and cold chain requirements

How well it will do in preventing symptomatic and severe COVID-19

Common side effects you can expect following the latest Phase III clinical trials data

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Know Your Vaccines (Vaccine Matrix: Current Evidence) | Department of Health website

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Updated August 16, 2021 Current evidence of the COVID-19 vaccines with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) approvals by Philippine Food and Drug Administration.