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Throughout our history, social innovations have played a central role in our technological transformation. By applying technology to resolve social innovation challenges, the Philippines is looking to solve the urbanisation challenges of Metro Manila.
Metro Manila, the most densely populated region in the Philippines
Accounting for 36.5% of the country’s GDP, Metro Manila is home to more than 12 million people.
It is also the most densely populated region in the country with a population density of 20,785
persons per km2, more than 60 times higher than the national level.
Every day, residents of the city have to deal with one of its most pressing concerns: traffic congestion. A 2017 survey ranked Metro Manila as the 3rd-worst congested city in Asia. People had to spend 66 minutes on average stuck in traffic every day.
According to a study, traffic congestion costs the Philippine economy up to P3.5 billion (US$67 million) a day. If no intervention takes place, this amount is likely to increase to over P5.4 billion (US$104 million) a day by 2035. Over the same period, transport costs will have risen by 2.5 times, drastically affecting the livelihoods of lower-income groups more than the rest.
By 2030, Metro Manila is expected to house 14 million people. This growth will further complicate the urbanisation issues and add more stress to the city. To resolve this, the government has embarked on the New Clark City project to decongest the city.
