Maricel and Renato
How people experience the Philippine urban transportation system in 2030
Maricel and Renato are a young couple who just welcomed their first child and are working entry-level jobs. Maricel works retail in a department store. She works the morning shift. Renato is a construction worker, and he works the evening shift.
Their newborn is less than six months old so Maricel and Renato make sure they spend at least one hour together as a family each day. Maricel is home an hour before Renato leaves for work; Renato arrives from work an hour before Maricel leaves in the morning. He then brings their baby to the daycare in the building. Renato catches some sleep and then picks up the baby before Maricel gets home.
The government incentivized Transit Oriented Developments (TOD), including affordable housing around train and bus stations. Maricel and Renato signed up before they got married and were assigned a home in one of the newer buildings. They pay socially subsidized rent. Their building, like all the other buildings in the TOD, is mixed-income and inclusive. Market rate, affordable, and subsidized housing are all next to each other and, from the outside, you can’t tell the difference which is which.
Maricel just walks a short way to the train station that is easily accessible from their building. From there, she takes the train to the department store. She could also bike to work because her workplace has showers for employees who do.
Renato saved enough to buy a folding bike that he rides to the station. There are safe, protected bike lane networks that connect to train, bus, and e-jeepney stations. There are places to store bikes at the station, but he prefers to take the bike on the bus. The buses are comfortable and are air-conditioned. From his destination station, he rides his bike to the construction site.
On the return trip, Renato leaves his bike at the station. There are secure places to park or store bikes even overnight for not much money. The station is well organized and has comfortable places for passengers to queue for the train or for buses and e-jeeps. There are also convenience stores and food vendors in the station so commuters can catch a quick meal or buy some food to take home or to the office before they board trains, buses, or e-jeeps.
Renato, though, hopes to get on a saner schedule. He’s applied for a city job working with the road and sidewalk maintenance crews. Renato promised Maricel to help his sister-in-law to help get a lease on an e-jeep once he gets the job. The investment will help with their household income.
Maricel and Renato’s commutes are not stressful. They qualify for subsidized public transportation fares. Getting to work and back (or just getting around the city) is not a burden on their budget. Young families save time and money and stay healthy. And, they get to save their energy to spend quality time with each other and their new baby.
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