IN 2021, the Philippines will be celebrating the 500th anniversary of its discovery by the Western world.

In 2050, the Philippines will hopefully be the 16th economy in the world if we promptly start addressing
corruption, criminality, climate change and other challenges. According to the United Nations, by 2050,
two-thirds of the world’s population will be living in urban areas. Here in the Philippines, 50 percent of
our population already live in cities based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. As an
architect and urban planner, I am always excited to share my development visions for our country,
especially with younger professionals because they are the planners, builders and leaders of our future.
As our population gradually rises to 146 million by 2050, we would need 100 new cities, and we begin to
ask, “What will the future of our cities be?” Growth will inevitably continue to surge in our cities, which
is why we should strongly support the creation of growth centers outside of Metro Manila.

In 1975, the Planning and Project Development Office (PPDO) of the Department of Public Works,
Transportation and Communications (DPWTC) submitted the National Physical Framework Plan. It
emphasized that in order to spur overall national development, a spatial strategy is vital, which would
encourage the geographical distribution of economic progress and inclusivity that would counterbalance
the glaring dominance of Metro Manila. The plan identified emerging metropolitan areas like the
following: Cebu City, Davao City, Iloilo City, Baguio City, Bacolod City, Naga City, Cagayan de Oro City,
Olongapo City, Laoag City, Dumaguete City, Dagupan City, Zamboanga City, General Santos City,
Cotabato City, Lucena City, Sta. Cruz in Laguna, Iligan City, San Fernando City, Batangas City, Angeles
City, Tacloban City, Tagbilaran City, San Fernando City, Legaspi City, Dipolog City, Butuan City, San Pablo
City, Tarlac City, Tuguegarao City, and Cabanatuan City. At Palafox, it is our goal to help promote
regional development beyond Metro Manila while still enhancing its livability, sustainability and
resilience. We work with the government and the private sector to plan and design new urban centers
and communities that are inclusive and sustainable.

Luzon has several promising growth centers such as Pampanga, Clark, Calabarzon and Metro Ilocos. The
province of Pampanga is known as the business and financial core of the Central and Northern Luzon
regions. Located in the province is Clark, which provides an ideal setting to establish our very own “city
of the future,” and it will play a pivotal role in Central Luzon’s progress. It is where we can apply proper
urban planning and design for smarter, greener and more efficient and resilient areas that were not duly
implemented in our cities in Metro Manila. These will hopefully prevent us from duplicating the urban
ills of Metro Manila. The massive development comprises New Clark City, Clark Green City, Clark
Freeport Zone, and other areas. With a newer Clark International Airport to be completed in 2020 along
with other major projects such as the Malolos-Clark Railway Project directly connecting Manila to the
airport and the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Extension Project, Pampanga is in position to
become the Gateway to Asia.

Metro Ilocos, particularly Ilocos Norte, holds amazing opportunities for sustainable tourism
development. The land area of Ilocos Norte can fit approximately five Metro Manilas and four
Sinagapores. The region is brimming with historical heritage sites and stunning natural landscapes that it
can capitalize on. With intensified ecotourism, heritage conservation and infrastructure projects, Metro
Ilocos will be a main contributor to Northern Luzon’s equitable and sustainable development.