In its 130th Regular Session, the Manila 12th City Council led by Vice Mayor John Marvin “Yul Servo” Nieto, passed a city ordinance prioritizing health and fitness in the city. It will temporarily close a portion of Roxas Boulevard north and south bound from Padre Burgos Avenue to Quirino Avenue to all motorized vehicles every Sunday from 5:00 to 9:00 in the morning starting this Sunday, May 26, 2024.
The ordinance was filed by minority floor leader, Councilor Salvador Philip Lacuna of the Sixth District. The MOVE MANILA Ordinance which stands for a Motor-vehicle and Pollution Free Health and Wellness Program of the City of Manila aims to encourage Filipinos to move more and engage in age and health appropriate regular exercises, which is also aligned with and implement the Philippine National Guidelines on Physical Activity published in 2010 by the Department of Health(DOH). It promotes mental well-being as provided in the Mental Health Act (Republic Act 11036).
In his sponsorship speech, he pointed out the importance of having a fit lifestyle while creating memories as he recalled his childhood, biking in the vicinity while seeing the famous Manila Bay sunset. The said ordinance was also patterned after the global trend of having “car-free or carless day” in certain metropolitan cities such as Paris, New York, Vancouver etc. It was also tried in nearby cities such as Makati, Pasig, Taguig and Mandaluyong.
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The filed draft ordinance was encouraged and supported by the members of the council. All of them are looking forward to experiencing a car-free Sunday in the City of Manila. This is also a way of letting people enjoy the mixture of man-made and natural beauty of the city, particularly the view of Manila Bay.
The said ordinance was signed by Mayor Maria Sheilah “Honey” Lacuna-Pangan on the morning of May 13, 2024 at the Manila City Hall. She also commended the city council for the passage of this landmark ordinance. She added that the concerned city hall departments, such as the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau(as the lead agency) along with others, will be all hands by notifying the buildings, businesses, residents, and offices along Roxas Boulevard so they can participate and make the needed adjustments to their Sunday schedules in May and June.
As per the Manila Public Information Office(MPIO) post in their Facebook page, Mayor Lacuna also said “The walkers, joggers, runners, and bikers will get to see for themselves the results of the road reblocking and improvements underway on Roxas Boulevard. Waste management and public safety measures will be done to ensure the success of our pro-environment, healthy lifestyle activity.
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