Makati Business Club and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung organized a Citizen Assembly with the Pasig City government on June 24, 2021, to understand what Metro Manila residents thought about enforcing a 30-kph speed cap in Pasig’s urban centers. A total of 465 people voted and the results were presented to the Pasig government. 

Frei Sangil, CEO of Layertech explained that cyclists, pedestrians and commuters generally agreed with the proposed 30 kph speed cap in Pasig, while car-owners were hesitant. Both groups, however, agreed that walking and cycling improves health, reduces traffic and is good for tourism and local businesses in Pasig. They also wanted more information on speed limits in Pasig. 

The following were the key takeaways from citizen participation in Pasig’s Online Closing Assembly.  

(1) Road users must be educated to follow the rules and understand the reasons behind low speed streets 

(2) Infrastructure in Pasig should be engineered strategically to include clear signage, designated pedestrian and bike spaces. 

(3) enforcement of policies around speed limits must be designed to instill trust in the system and allow for the employment of digital solutions such as contactless apprehension. 

Citizen participation is an essential ingredient of the democratic process. Through this project, Pasig city showed that it is possible to engage and interact with citizens in a meaningful discussion about an issue and gain valuable insights that will inform their approach.

What will Pasig do next? According to Robert Anthony Siy, Head of Pasig Transport, “It is much more important to start with pilot areas where we can be absolutely sure of consistent and transparent enforcement.“