Establishment of Metro Manila

The former MMDA headquarters along EDSA and Orense Street in Makati

On November 7, 1975, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 824 creating Metro Manila and its managing public corporation, the Metropolitan Manila Commission (MMC) after the residents of the affected cities and municipalities approved the creation of Metro Manila in a referendum held on February 27, 1975. The move consolidated the Philippine capital Manila and adjacent Quezon City with two cities and twelve municipalities of the province of Rizal and one municipality of the province of Bulacan into Metro Manila and designated Metro Manila as the national capital region of the Philippines.^[4] Marcos appointed his wife, First Lady Imelda Marcos, as governor and Ismael Mathay Jr. as vice governor. The office was located in front of the present-day GMA Network at EDSA corner Timog Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City. November 7, thus, is marked as the anniversary of both the region and the government body that supervises it, the MMDA.

On May 29, 1976, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 940, restoring the City of Manila as the capital city of the Philippines, and designating Metro Manila as the permanent seat of national government.^[5]

The MMC became effectively defunct when on January 9, 1990, President Corazon Aquino issued Executive Order No. 392, in accordance to Article 18, Section 8 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which replaced the commission with the Metropolitan Manila Authority (MMA).^[6] The Metro Manila mayors will choose from themselves as chairman. Jejomar Binay of the municipality of Makati served as its first chairman. The agency transferred to its office at the intersection of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and Orense Street in Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati. Binay was followed by Ignacio Bunye of the municipality of Muntinlupa in 1991, Ismael Mathay Jr. of Quezon City in 1992 then Prospero Oreta of the municipality of Malabon in 1994.

Since the elected chairman is one of the mayors of Metro Manila, the role to their constituency gave less attention. Thus, the Congress of the Philippines, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives, passed Republic Act No. 7924 creating the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on March 1, 1995. President Fidel V. Ramos appointed former Malabon mayor Prospero Oreta, who did not run in the Malabon municipal election, as the first Chairman of the MMDA in May 1995 and made him independent of the Metro Manila mayors.

Current developments

In August 2017, the MMDA has adopted the use of a black beret in order to improve its public image.^[7] The berets are used by the traffic enforcers under the agency, which alternate these with a black baseball cap.

On May 23, 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte inaugurated the new headquarters of the MMDA at the intersection of Doña Julia Vargas Avenue and Molave Street in Ugong, Pasig. The building was initially conceptualized by a collaboration between former MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim and the Makati chapter of the United Architects of the Philippines in 2018, with the conceptual design being done by architect Daryl Van Abaygar and was constructed by the Robinsons Land Corporation.^[2]

Agency chairpersons

Current Metro Manila Council members

The council consists of voting and non-voting members. Voting members are the mayors of the localities in Metro Manila, as well as the Presidents of the Metro Manila Vice Mayors League and the Metro Manila Councilors League. Non-voting members are representatives by the following who serve as council members ex-officio:^[8]

• Department of Budget and Management
• Department of Tourism
• Department of Transportation
• Department of Public Works and Highways
• Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development
• and the Philippine National Police National Capital Region Police Office

MMDA Media Stations

MMDA had TV and radio stations sometimes carrying the same brand, MMDA Teleradyo. They ceased on August 17, 2010.

• MMDA Traffic Radio 1206 - Traffic updates can be heard on this station. It was started as a test broadcast on September 24, 2007.
• MMDA TV - Traffic updates are Live Feed by Monitoring Cameras Along the streets of Metro Manila with simulcast over MMDA Traffic Radio 1206. It was started as a test broadcast on August 20, 2008.

To compensate for the closure of these communication mediums, the MMDA turned to social media such as Twitter to broadcast traffic updates to users following them. Live billboards, particularly at EDSA, have been also constructed. The MMDA app for iOS and Android have also been made available for free, broadcasting traffic updates directly.

Pasig River Ferry

Since 2014, the agency took over the mothballed Pasig River ferry system in anticipation of huge traffic along the metropolis, from the Skyway Stage 3 construction. In reviving the defunct transportation, many of the old ferry stations were reactivated and new vessels purchased. Ridership of the waterway service increased over time since the agency's takeover, with the offering of discounts to students and senior citizens, until these were made totally free of charge. The MMDA intends to continue operating the ferry service until a private investor takes over.

No Physical Contact Policy

Since 2003, the MMDA has implemented a No Contact Apprehension Policy in apprehending traffic violators in Metro Manila using traffic enforcement cameras and closed-circuit television to capture violators without the presence of an on-site traffic enforcer.

Mabuhay Lanes

To ease traffic congestion on main roads in Metro Manila, the MMDA under Chairman Francis Tolentino launched Christmas Lanes, marking 17 alternative routes for motorists during the Christmas season of 2014. Since then, they have been renamed as year-round Mabuhay Lanes, designating alternative routes on roads that should be cleared of obstructions at all times. This was underscored by strict parking restrictions, where parked motor vehicles along these priority roads would be immediately towed.^[9]

Illegal Parking and Towing

The MMDA is tasked to clear obstructions from the roads at all times, and conducts daily clearing operations against stalled and illegally parked vehicles, with subcontracted towing companies. Illegally parked vehicles will be given 5 minutes to leave, and will be towed otherwise. Incapacitated vehicles are almost immediately towed to clear traffic.

Primary and secondary roads, unless with designated parking areas, are considered "No-Parking-Zones".

Footbridges

An MMDA public urinal

Starting from Bayani Fernando's term, there has been a large increase in construction of footbridges all over Metro Manila. It has been continued, albeit fewer than before, by succeeding chairmen. It has been hailed due to providing safe passage and crossing for pedestrians in otherwise risky pedestrian lanes, while also criticized for not being accessible to people with disabilities (PWDs), posing dangers to pedestrians with steep steps, slippery surfaces, and poor lighting,^[10] and prioritizing motor vehicle travel speeds over the convenience and safety of pedestrians.^[11]

No left turn scheme

A no left-turn scheme at the intersection of Bonny Serrano Avenue and Katipunan Avenue (part of Circumferential Road 5) in Quezon City, Metro Manila.

The MMDA under Bayani Fernando implemented a "no left-turn" scheme in the early 2000s along several major roads in Metro Manila, prohibiting motor vehicle traffic from turning left at intersections and instead requiring them to make a U-turn at designated U-turn slots and making a right turn after. These U-turn slots were designed to mimic the Michigan left turn design by creating continuous traffic, mitigating bottlenecks caused by traffic light signals.^[12]

The scheme was controversial due to longer travel time and difficulties in navigating to these U-turn slots. Several academic studies also summarized that the "no left-turn" design was only beneficial under low traffic conditions and minimal lane changing, as the U-turn slots also became congested themselves.^[12][13] Following the end of Fernando’s term, many of these U-turn slots were closed and left-turning at most intersections was restored, although some still remain along roads such as EDSA, Quezon Avenue, and Circumferential Road 5.

Public Urinals

A short-lived curiosity all around Metro Manila is the pink urinals made popular by Bayani Fernando, which he implemented prominently in Marikina in an effort to curb public urination. They have since been removed, however, with remaining urinal units distributed instead to local government units.

Pumping Stations

The MMDA operates and maintains several pumping stations in strategic areas of Metro Manila with the aim of mitigating flooding risks, especially during inclement weather. Old pumping stations that previously used diesel engines were upgraded in 2015 to use electric motors. Of the 54 pumping stations across the country, 12 stations have been equipped with new pumps in 2016.^[14] Additional pumping stations are also being constructed in flood-prone areas as part of the agency's flood mitigation program.

Waterway dredging

Starting with Bayani Fernando's tenure, the Estero Blitz (Waterway Blitz) became an annual waterway clearing operation with emphasis on river dredging activities, particularly at flood-prone areas, to reduce the risk and impact of flooding all over the metropolis. The clearing operation is usually conducted during the dry summer season.

Gwapotel

The Gwapotel Inn is a cheap hotel run by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.^[15] A second Gwapotel was announced in December, 2007.^[16]

The Gwapotel along Roxas Boulevard is renamed the MMDA Workers Inn, and operated until 2017. It was closed due to deteriorating structure and will be rehabilitated/transferred at an unspecified date. The Abad Santos Gwapotel has since been converted into their training barracks.

Anti-smoking campaign

The Court of Appeals says the MMDA is not among the government agencies deputized to implement RA 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003. The CA added that the MMDA has no police or legislative power to implement the law. It declared invalid MMDA Resolution No. 11-19, which the agency used as basis to implement its anti-smoking campaign.^[17]

Kamuning footbridge controversy

The controversial Scout Borromeo Street-NIA South Road footbridge along EDSA.

In October 2018, the MMDA constructed a 10 meters (33 ft) high steel pedestrian footbridge in front of the Manuel L. Quezon University along EDSA, near the EDSA-Kamuning intersection in Quezon City. The project's contractor was the BF Corporation, owned by former MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando.^[21] and was stated to cost around ₱10 million.^[22]

On October 31, 2018, the footbridge went viral on social media due to its perceived tall height and steepness as it crossed over the MRT-3's tracks,^[23] The issue also drew attention to other tall footbridges along EDSA in Cubao and Magallanes, as well as a footbridge along Commonwealth Avenue that crosses over the MRT Line 7 at its intersection with Central Avenue as compared to the footbridge in the Kamuning area, these were not only much shorter in height but also wider and made out of cement.^[23]

In a statement, the MMDA defended the design, with MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia claiming that the footbridge is meant to deter people from jaywalking across EDSA by giving "healthy" people an option to cross EDSA there instead of at the nearby Kamuning intersection. Garcia also suggested that the addition of elevators and escalators to remedy the steepness, but cites that there is no budget for it yet.^[21] The MMDA clarified that the height of the footbridge was designed to conform to the 5 meters (16 ft) vertical clearance from the at-grade MRT-3's overhead catenary wires on the EDSA median. The MMDA also defended its frequent use of steel materials for footbridges, stating that it makes construction "easier" and cuts down on construction costs.^[21]

Later in November, the footbridge was slightly redesigned to include an additional landing to remedy the steepness of the steps. The footbridge was later opened to the public on November 27.^[22]

The footbridge received attention again in June 2022 after the consul general of the Netherlands in San Francisco, Dirk Janssen, tweeted an old image of the footbridge on June 25, 2022, stating in Spanish that the footbridge shows "no better way to make it clear to pedestrians that they don't matter." As the tweet went viral, he called out policymakers in the Philippines for being "heartless" and having "no regard for pedestrian and commuter rights, much less for human rights".^[24]