On 23-24 November 2023, the Municipality of San Mateo, led by Mayor Bartolome “Omie” N. Rivera, Jr., organized a workshop with the theme “Transforming Smart Mobility Ideas into Local Government Solutions” that is aimed towards assessing the transportation needs of San Mateo and transforming them into concrete transportation action plans.
The event, with the support of Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) for Freedom, is in partnership with the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), and in cooperation with AltMobility PH, a civil society organization of transport practitioners and professionals from various industries that advocate for safe, inclusive, and efficient transportation in the Philippines.
The San Mateo officials and transportation experts also held site visits and sectoral consultations prior to the workshop to inspect the condition of roads, sidewalks, signages, parking areas, transportation stops as well as the mobility of people and flow of public transportation.
The goal of San Mateo is to mainstream mobility andaddress present mobility gaps to help improve people’s access to vital basic services, employment, and other social opportunities.
Having more and wider sidewalks, more visible bike lanes, accessible walkways to PWDs, more connected transportation routes, clearer road signages, better loading and unloading zones, stricter implementation of traffic rules and regulations, and alternative roads and bridges, are among those identified as priorities by San Mateo.
CALD Secretary General Francis “Blue” Abaya, who previously served as Congressman of the 1st District of Cavite, expressed that San Mateo’s smart mobility initiatives and plans are crucial to change the way the public perceives transportation. “Smart mobility is about thinking-forward and thinking out of the box for the welfare of the people by enhancing our transport systems, developing public transport infrastructures, and expanding pedestrian and cycling infrastructures,” Abaya added.
“Transportation is the nervous system of cities where roads act as arteries that empower people to take advantage of its many opportunities,” said Ira Cruz, Director of AltMobility PH. “But judging from the way the roads are congested, our cities are primed for a heart attack.”
Moving forward, San Mateo agreed to focus on building sustainable communities with safe and walkable residential neighborhoods and with public transportation as the backbone of mobility services.
Mayor Rivera said that smart mobility falls under their local government platform to transform the municipality into ahappy and vibrant community. “As we welcome developments and a growing population, San Mateo needs to adapt to smart mobility concepts and systems not only to attract new businesses, but help build healthierand more livable communities.”
Through the help of CALD and AltMobility PH, San Mateo was able to take the first step to study the transportation situation, to plan ahead and address the appropriate ordinances and legislation, to coordinate and cooperate with neighboring municipalities and cities, and to engagevarious sectors to address issues inclusively. “We’ve seen that when we all participate, ideas flourish…and we can all look forward together towards progress,” Mayor Rivera added.
The event is part of CALD’s ongoing Smart Mobility Project, which serves as a platform for liberal local governments to push for urban and rural mobility systems that put people at the heart of the solution. Apart from the municipality of San Mateo, CALD also worked with the municipality of Panglao in Bohol for its own transportation and mobility plans. Next year, CALD will extend technical assistance to local governments in Indonesia, Taiwan, and Thailand to radically reform transportation toward building sustainable cities and communities.
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