MODULE 12: HISTORY OF PLANNING IN THE principal buildings, recreation

PHILIPPINES spaces, cultivation and pasture

lands, and sites for garbage-
Source: Beat Architect Blog
producing uses.
Pre-Colonial Age o Also prescribed within the code
is the relationship protocol
 Old world explorers from the West between the Spanish and the
noted the uniformity of the pre-Spanish natives
Filipinos' dwellings o This could have been the
 Natives' communities were either near Philippines' earliest land use
the bodies of water or dispersed around and zoning law and building
the land they cultivated for farming. code.
 According to history there existed a
kingdom of Moros located along the  The royal ordinances dictated that each
banks of the Pasig 200 years prior to the town should be located on vacant and
coming of the Spaniards high ground, properly oriented to sun,
 When the Spanish armada came, the wind, and water areas.
Moros resisted but were overwhelmed  The site should also be on or near fertile
by the power of the former's forces. land and accessible to sources of fuel,
 When rebuilding the city after the timber, and water
ravages of war, the Spanish colonists  Because the law is based on the Greco-
employed local materials, technology, Roman Renaissance design principles, it
and craftsmen. favored the use of the gridiron pattern
 El Admirante - was commissioned to in the establishment of roads and
undertake the construction of the blocks
walled city of Intramuros  The plaza was the starting point of the
 Mountain dwellers in Cordillera believe construction, around which were the
that territory should be institutionalized important buildings like the church,
by the atu or ward casa real, town hall, bandstand for
 The Tagalogs were taga-ilog [river zarzuelas and other edifices for health
dwellers] while the Maranaws were and defense.
lake dwellers  Other lots surrounding the area were
Spanish Regime reserved for merchant shops and
prominent family [or principalia]
 Law of the Indies dwellings
o A code that served as guide to  The code also specified that there were
all colonized territories of Spain to be as many farm lots as town lots
o Provided guidelines for site  The law likewise states that each house
selection; layout and dimension should have stockyards and courtyards.
of squares, streets and other  The instruction of the Laws of the Indies
land uses; and the main phases further aims at providing health, safety,
of planning and construction. order, and beauty
o Details were also written  The final product—i.e. the town—
pertaining to the location of the served as the instrument of colonization
 and the staging ground for exploiting o Thriving industries during the
mineral and land resources mid-19th century were in the
 Reducciones Policy production of cotton, silk, dairy
o aimed to gather dispersed and cigar. This was the same
communities "under the bells.” time that the Philippines
o created the "plaza complex" became a player in the world
with its town residents [taga- trade.
bayan] o The population of Manila hit
o Within the town [or pueblo], the 300,000 mark at the turn of
people lived around the plaza the 20th century
with the ilustrados located o Almost five percent of the
closest to the center and the population were living in
lower classes living at the Intramuros while others were
periphery but still "within the living in the suburbs.
sound of the bells." o Urban design by the Spaniards
o The taga-bukid constituted a left a lasting physical mark in
small minority who had to be in the landscape of Philippine
the fields or rural areas cities [as there was an emphasis
attending the agricultural on the use of stones for
activities. building].
o Spanish town planning was
 Philippian Principle of Planning principally done "first for the
o best exemplified by the city of purpose of defense and second
Manila for grandeur
o "all roads lead to Manila and o Regional planning was
Madrid nonexistent
o Manila became the colonial o What only has been done was
Capital during the time of the establishment of hierarchy
Legaspi of the political territories: the
o Although Spanish architects and country is divided into
engineers envisioned Manila as provinces [or alcaldias]; the
a city of stone, she rather was province is divided into
developed into a city of pueblos;
fortification. o and the pueblo is further
o The Manila Bay was palisaded divided into barangays
to protect the city from Chinese
pirates [led by Limahong] and  Maura Law of 1893
other foreign invaders as well o extended autonomy to the
as the Muslim and Japanese provinces
inhabitants. o established a municipal tribunal
o Despite the shortcomings of or council for each town with at
this primate city, Manila least a thousand taxpayers.
expanded partly due to the
American Era
success of the galleon trade
  Unlike the Spaniards, the Americans  Resorts were also to be developed near
gave greater emphasis on other social Manila but the ultimate escape during
values like sanitation, housing, and the summer season would be the city of
other aesthetic improvements Baguio.
 The ideas of urban development  Burnham's plan also called for the
through sanitation practices and mass development of Binondo as the center
housing were born as a reaction to the of business and merchandising.
ills of industrialization in Europe  In addition to extension of the port
 Planning under the influence of the along the Pasig, it would also be linked
Americans is typified by the Daniel H. to railroads extending to north and
Burnham's plan of Manila south provinces.

Daniel Burnham William E. Parsons

 Burnham was commissioned to prepare  appointed Consulting Architect to the

the physical development plan for the Insular Government
cities of Manila and Baguio  City planning was beginning to get
 an architect and guided by the institutionalized during Parson's time
principles of the City Beautiful  Before Parsons left, the Governor
Movement, he envisioned the city General made sure that general plans
manifesting aesthetic elements such as for the cities of Cebu and Zamboanga
wide boulevards, public edifices and and master plans for cities like Iloilo
landscaped parks were prepared
 Burnham’s objective was to make cities
"convenient for commerce and  Different interest groups attended to
attractive and healthful as a place of matters like sanitation and mass housing.
residence These concerns were neglected by the
 prescribed the grid pattern for the city architects and engineers
of Manila  In 1908, Insular Health workers
 He proposed that the Bay areas would introduced the concept of "sanitary barrios,"
be extended through reclamation and a which were exemplary in the sense that they
new port would be constructed reflected the new sanitation and building
 he further proposed the development standards.
of nine parks, two new playfields, and  Other sectors like the labor group
fountains throughout the city for public established their own barrio obrero even
leisure. without the benefit of the aid of the city
 In Burnham's plan, there were sites government.
allotted for national and municipal
Post-War Period
buildings near Intramuros, hospitals,
and colleges.  In 1936, the Interior Department
 Spaces were also set for a world-class created local and planning commissions
hotel, city and country clubs, a casino, composed of the Provincial Governor,
boat clubs, public baths, and the new district engineer, and other local
residence for the Governor General. officials.
  Although town planning was given a transition as well as definition of future
boost during this period, the practice relationships between the national and
was yet to be established as a discipline local governments.
 The problem during this  Executive Order 72 - provides for the
 pre-war period was that there was a preparation and implementation of the
limited pool of trained city planners Comprehensive Land Use Plans [CLUP]
both in the local planning commissions for the Local Government Units
and the Bureau of Public Works.
 National Planning Commission -  Memorandum Circular 54 (1993) - local
prepared and helped administer plans government can also reclassify
and regulations for the local agricultural lands to other uses
government.
 After 1959, however, some powers of  1987 Philippine Constitution
the NPC like zoning, subdivision, and
building regulation were devolved to o In Section 9, it declares that
the city and municipal governments. "the State shall, by law, and for
the common good, undertake,
in cooperation with the private
National and Local Framework
sector, a continuing program of
 National Planning Commission urban land reform and housing
o combined the functions of the which will make available at
NUPC and the Capital City affordable cost, decent housing
Planning Commission and basic services to under-
o Within ten years, some powers privileged and homeless citizens
of NPC were devolved to the in urban centers and
local government resettlement areas.
o Reorganized into: o In Section 10 it continues that
 Ministry of Settlements "urban or rural poor dwellers
 Task Force on Human shall not be evicted nor their
Settlements dwelling demolished, except in
 Housing and Urban accordance with law and in a
Development just and humane manner. No
Coordinating Council resettlement of urban or rural
 Department of Human dwellers shall be undertaken
Settlements and Urban without adequate consultation
Development with them and the communities
where they are to be
Related Laws relocated."
 Local Government Code of 1991
 Urban Land Reform Law (PD 1517)
 Executive Order 71 (1993) - seeks to o "it is the policy of the State to
ensure the efficient devolution of liberate human communities
powers to the local government units from blight, promote their
and provide for an orderly and smooth development and
 modernization, and bring about which was passed during the Ramos
the optimum use of the land as administration, decriminalizes squatting
a national resource for public in all its forms.
welfare
 Urban Development and Housing Act  RA 7924
(RA 7279)
o was passed in 1992 before the o A strategy for building up
term of President Corazon capability for regional planning
Aquino ended and development is the
o the spirit of this law is too establishment of an authority
philanthropic as it basically that will administer the
promises provision of housing development of a special region
for the homeless citizens. o "an act creating the
Metropolitan Manila
 PD 957 (1976) - mandates the Development Authority
protection of subdivision and [MMDA], defining its powers
condominium buyers. and functions, providing funds
therefore and for other
 PD 1344 - empowering the National purposes
Housing Authority [NHA] to regulated o The powers of the MMDA
and police the real estate trade and include development [physical]
business planning, transport and traffic
management, solid waste
 BP 220 - authorized the Ministry of disposal and management,
Settlements to urge the private sector flood control and sewage
to provide "economic and socialized management, urban renewal
housing" for the middle and lower and zoning, health and
income earners sanitation, and upholding of
public safety
 EO 124 (1993) - serves as a guide to the
procedure of land evaluation for
conversion

 EO 184 - directive to create socialized

housing center one-stop processing
centers to facilitate the processing and
issuance of permits, clearances,
certifications, and licenses appropriate
and necessary for the implementation
of socialized housing projects.

 RA 8368 - repealed Republic Act 772,

which is entitled "Penalizing Squatting
and Other Similar Acts." The new law,