WHAT IS URBAN DISPERSAL?

WHAT IS URBAN DISPERSAL?

Metro Manila is choking. Too many people, too many vehicles, too little space, and far too few resources to sustain its swelling population. Every flood, every traffic jam, every water shortage reminds us of one truth: the National Capital Region is carrying a burden it was never designed to bear. The question is not whether to act, but how. And one solution already exists—urban dispersal.

Urban dispersal is the strategic relocation or redistribution of people, services, and economic activities away from heavily congested centers toward surrounding provinces and secondary cities. The concept is hardly new. In fact, we already have the laws and policies for it, but the execution has been painfully slow. Why is that? If the legal basis is there, perhaps what’s missing is political will, funding, and a clear sense of urgency.

Let’s break it down.

First, population redistribution. Metro Manila’s population is over 13 million by official count, but the daytime population swells to more than 16 million because of commuters from neighboring provinces. The NCR’s density exceeds 20,000 people per square kilometer—among the highest in the world. By contrast, many regional cities like Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, or General Santos remain underutilized, with room to grow. Offering housing, livelihood opportunities, and incentives in these areas could ease the pressure on Metro Manila, but such measures must be concrete, not just promises on paper.

Second, decentralization of services. Why must almost every key government office, major university, and tertiary hospital be crammed into NCR? Decentralization could mean relocating agencies to secondary growth centers, as has been attempted with Clark (for government and BPO services) and Batangas (for industry and ports). The Department of Information and Communications Technology, for instance, could build innovation hubs in Visayas or Mindanao. If people can access services closer to home, there’s less need to migrate to Manila in the first place.

Third, disaster risk reduction. Metro Manila sits on a ticking time bomb: the West Valley Fault. Add to that the recurring floods and gridlock, and we have a recipe for a humanitarian catastrophe if a major earthquake hits. Urban dispersal is not just about comfort; it is about survival. The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) already recognizes this, urging us to shift growth to regional centers. The problem is that awareness hasn’t translated into urgency.

Fourth, economic deconcentration. The rise of Clark, Iloilo, Cebu, and Davao as hubs for BPOs, manufacturing, and logistics proves that dispersal works when infrastructure and incentives align. Clark, for example, is steadily growing into a logistics and services hub, thanks to its international airport, freeport, and connectivity projects. But these are exceptions rather than the rule. We need a deliberate push to replicate this model across the country.

Now, let’s talk about existing programs. Executive Order No. 72 (1993) and EO 124 (2021) already mandate spatial planning to support dispersal. NEDA and HUDCC have long included it in development frameworks. More recently, the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program (BP2) was launched in 2020 to encourage families to resettle in their provinces, particularly in the wake of COVID-19. Unfortunately, BP2 has not gained enough traction, partly due to limited funds and weak follow-through. It showed potential, but like many well-meaning programs, it fizzled without sustained investment.

So, what can be done to fast-track this strategy? Three things come to mind:

1. Appropriations, appropriations, appropriations. If Congress is serious, it must allocate substantial funds for infrastructure, housing, and livelihood programs in secondary cities. Roads, railways, and digital connectivity are the arteries of dispersal. Without them, people will have no reason—or ability—to leave NCR.
   
   

2. Private sector participation. The government cannot carry this alone. Developers, BPO companies, universities, and hospitals should be incentivized to expand outside Metro Manila. Tax breaks, land grants, and infrastructure support could accelerate this shift.
   
   

3. Community preparation. It is not enough to push people out of Manila. Receiving cities must be prepared with schools, hospitals, transport systems, and jobs. Otherwise, we risk creating new pockets of congestion and poverty in smaller cities.
   
   

Urban dispersal is not a magic wand. It requires patience, resources, and coordination across multiple agencies and local governments. But the alternative—doing nothing—means Metro Manila will continue to buckle under its own weight, vulnerable to both daily dysfunction and catastrophic disaster.

We already have the legal basis. We already have the strategy. What we need now is action backed by serious funding. After all, dispersal is not about weakening Metro Manila—it’s about strengthening the entire Philippines. If growth and opportunities are spread more evenly, we don’t just decongest the capital; we uplift the regions. And perhaps then, for the first time in decades, we can imagine a Philippines where Metro Manila is no longer the only center that matters.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 

01-18-2026