URBAN PLANNERS, EDUCATORS and businessmen envision this part of Manila as “Asia’s answer to the academic boroughs of Paris, Hamburg and New York.”
Sadly, the Central University Belt or U-Belt — where some of the country’s better known colleges and universities can be found — has deteriorated over the years.
It has, in fact, been described by […]
Rediscovering heritage architecture in Manila’s U-Belt
‘Too much autonomy’ makes RP cities less business friendly
Major cities in the Philippines generally take longer to issue business-related permits and licenses compared to most cities in the world, thus constraining their growth and competitiveness, a recent study shows.
Twenty-one cities in the country are able to authorize numerous and varying procedures in starting businesses in their jurisdictions because, according to a private sector […]
Caloocan, Valenzuela execs join Marilao River cleanup drive
MANILA, Philippines—Officials of Marilao town in Bulacan province and the cities of Valenzuela and Caloocan in Metro Manila have agreed to join hands in cleaning up the Marilao River which was included last year in the list of dirtiest places worldwide.
The agreement was reached in a meeting last week among Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza, Marilao […]
Homeowners practice urban farming in QC subdivision
MANILA, Philippines—Green beds of pechay and lettuce, plots of kangkong and saluyot, and fruit-laden trellises of ampalaya and upo have taken the place of weeds and grass in several vacant lots in Mapayapa Village III, Capitol Site in Quezon City.
The homeowners association in the area used to spend quite a lot for the cleaning of […]
DA sets up urban gardening showcase
Metro Manila residents now have a place to go to see for themselves how urban gardening is done.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), in cooperation with the Philippine Seed Industry Association (PSIA), has set up an urban vegetable garden at its own compound.
Vegetable crops bred and developed by the Allied Botanical Corp. (ABC) are currently on […]
QC to convert 8 markets into mixed-use buildings
MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City government is planning to rehabilitate its eight public markets by turning them into mixed-use medium-rise buildings.
The city’s Market Development and Administration Department (MDAD) has proposed the major renovation of the public markets in Kamuning, Project 2, Project 4, Roxas, San Jose, Murphy, Galas, and San Francisco del Monte.
The MDAD […]
LTFRB: Old buses out, hybrids in
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will phase out old buses to give way to pollution free-hybrid units.
The LTFRB said the phase-out will be carried out this year on buses that are more than 15 years old.
“Buses that will not be used anymore will be bought for scrap by financing institutions and will […]
Belmonte confirms plans on VMMC property: Golf course out
Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte confirmed City Hall’s plans to “transform” the VMMC—but maintained that cash-strapped retirees need not worry.
Manila’s U-Belt site of heritage conservation
MANILA, Philippines – Unknown to many, the Central University Belt or “U-belt” area in Sampaloc, Manila, is home not only to several universities and colleges but to several heritage sites as well.
End in sight for ‘colorum’ buses in Metro Manila?
If traffic conditions on Edsa look unusually smooth lately, it’s because the “colorum” buses appear to be on their way out.