Is It Time for the Philippines to Move Its Capital City, Too?

Indonesia’s decision to go ahead with a plan to transfer the seat of political power from Jakarta to East Kalimantan has renewed similar debates in the Philippines about whether it’s time for the government to leave Manila.

Like Jakarta, Manila is notorious for its swelling population and an expanding urban area grappling with limited resources. Metro Manila is constantly plagued by flooding, traffic congestion, bureaucratic corruption, and rising criminality. The capital is rapidly becoming unlivable as it struggles to survive in an economy characterized by deep inequalities, stagnant production, and backward agriculture.

Moving the capital requires tremendous preparation and non-stop investment of resources, but it can benefit the country in the long run. The immediate impact would be the decongestion of Metro Manila, which is also the economic and cultural capital region of the Philippines. The relocation of government functions to a different region could also stimulate the rural economy, develop other urban centers in a planned manner, and perhaps encourage greater and more diverse citizen participation in governance.

The idea of establishing a new capital in the Philippines is not new; it has been done before. From 1948 to 1976, Quezon City was the political capital of the Philippines before Manila regained its status as the country’s seat of power. The transition was not painful because both cities are part of the Metro Manila region.

Proposals to transfer the capital are revived every time the deteriorating quality of living in Metro Manila is highlighted in media reports, research, and government pronouncements. Some politicians have even suggested that a new capital, either in the Visayas or in the southern Mindanao island, can reverse the concentration of wealth in “imperial” Manila and jumpstart provincial economies.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s federalist agenda could necessitate the naming of a federal capital outside of Manila, even though, so far, no formal proposal has been announced by the president. Nonetheless, there is a chance that Indonesia’s bold decision to resettle the government center in Borneo could inspire Filipino politicians to consider the wisdom of building a new capital.

There already seems to be a slow-moving initiative to transfer some government agencies from Manila to New Clark City, located near the former U.S. Clark Air Base about a two-hour drive north of Manila. A former speaker of the House of Representatives lauded the relocation of some agencies to New Clark City as a positive step to improve the delivery of services. Meanwhile, a senator has filed a bill proposing the establishment of a complete government hub in New Clark City which could be a prelude to its naming as the country’s new political capital.

New Clark City is being developed today in time for the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asia Games. Part of the plan includes the construction of a government complex, commercial center, and a mixed-use real estate project. It is situated near a major airport and accessible to Manila.

Is it feasible to transfer the capital to New Clark City? In terms of infrastructure development, this step appears to have been quietly undertaken already. But how long can the government’s resources sustain it? Its location near Manila means it won’t necessarily decongest the current capital and spread resources elsewhere, especially to underdeveloped parts of the country. Some have expressed concern over New Clark City’s proximity to Mount Pinatubo, whose 1991 eruption was among the strongest in the world in the past century.

The building of a new capital is a major political decision, and so it can never be successful if there’s no evident support coming from the public. A capital inhabited mostly by politicians and their underlings will never thrive if citizens from across sectors will not live in it. Therefore, the crucial first task is to mobilize public clamor for the establishment of a new capital. On this note, the Duterte government seems less aggressive in enticing the curiosity or interest of the public about this matter.

There must be clarity as well about the development model that the government would pursue. If the path to progress is still guided by the same principles that turned Manila into an imploding megacity, then moving to a new capital will be futile in ending the rule of corrupt politicians and their cronies. The economy will remain hopelessly dependent on urban investments while the countryside languishes in extreme poverty. In other words, establishing a new capital must be people-centered, which means there must be public participation in all stages of planning to ensure that shaping the future will be truly democratic and inclusive.