列国鉴丨记者观察：“交通炼狱”——菲律宾大都市堵车困局背后

Core Viewpoint - The Philippines faces a chronic issue of traffic congestion and inadequate infrastructure, which hampers economic productivity and investment attraction, exacerbated by fragmented governance and ineffective institutional frameworks [1][2][12]. Infrastructure Challenges - Manila's traffic congestion is the worst globally, with average commuting times exceeding 50 minutes, leading to daily economic losses of approximately 3.5 billion Philippine pesos (around 61 million USD) [2][3]. - The current government plans to invest 9.5 trillion pesos (approximately 165.6 billion USD) in infrastructure, yet many projects face delays due to governance issues, land disputes, and corruption [3][4]. Project Failures - The Makati subway project, initiated in 2018, has not progressed due to legal disputes over land ownership, leading to the withdrawal of the Philippine Infrastructure Development Holding Company from the partnership [4][5]. - The project’s failure highlights systemic issues in the Philippines' infrastructure development, including fragmented governance and lack of effective coordination among local governments [7][8]. Governance and Institutional Issues - The fragmented governance structure in Metro Manila, composed of 16 independent cities, complicates cross-city infrastructure projects, leading to delays and inefficiencies [7][8]. - The reliance on public-private partnerships (PPP) has proven problematic, with insufficient contract preparation and unclear risk allocation, resulting in failed projects like the Makati subway [8][9]. Land and Legal Complications - The Philippines' land ownership issues, including unclear property rights and inadequate compensation mechanisms, create significant barriers to infrastructure development [9][10]. - Legal disputes over land ownership have further complicated infrastructure projects, as seen in the Makati subway case, where the Supreme Court ruled against the city’s jurisdiction over key project areas [4][9]. Cultural and Systemic Barriers - The lack of long-term governance commitment and effective cross-government collaboration has led to a cycle of project failures, with political changes disrupting ongoing initiatives [11][12]. - The historical context of colonialism has contributed to the current deficiencies in the transportation system, necessitating not just physical infrastructure but also improvements in governance and institutional frameworks [13].