22/09/2026
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โWalking around Lipa City presents an odd paradox: a city with infrastructure fit to accommodate moving vehicles, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ผ๐ that share the roads with them.
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โIt is supposed to be the safest path for walkers to take as they head home, to school, to work, or anywhere else within the city. But most of the time, the walkways are too narrow, pitted, obstructed, or simply absent for the safety of the pedestrian. Heavy traffic swallows up those people on foot, who are forced to squeeze through tight spaces, wait patiently until the traffic clears, or take longer routes simply because the shortest one was blocked off.
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โ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐?
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โLipa gets an assist in its efforts to unstick itself from its own traffic jams, as it started pilot-testing an AI-powered traffic analytics system with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) - CALABARZON in 2026 to reduce traffic by 15-20% on major roads during peak hours.
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โ๐๐๐ ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ด๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
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โImproving transportation should not merely be about improving the efficiency of getting people from one place to another via four wheels. The 2019 Accessibility Guidelines of the Department of Public Works and Highways recognize sidewalks and walkways as essential infrastructure for pedestrians, stating that they must be maintained as free of obstructions for the safety and ease of walkers, bikers, and those using mobility devices.
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โBut if the roadways and sidewalks feel like an obstacle course, then perhaps it is time to consider what constitutes a proper city in the first place.
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โA city can have wider roads, smarter traffic systems, modern buildings, and growing businesses. But that doesn't mean much if a student cannot safely walk home, an older adult cannot safely navigate their neighborhood, or any pedestrian must choose between a blocked sidewalk and a busy road.
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โ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ง๐๐จ๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐๐จ๐ช๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ข๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐ค๐ง ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ช๐๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ง. It is measured by the degree to which an urban environment is safe for the people who live in itโ who are most often on foot, and not inside a moving vehicle.
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โAfter all, a city is not built only for those behind the wheel. It is also built for those who walk its streets every day.
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โLipa is growing. Its sidewalks should, tooโ not merely to keep pace with traffic, but to keep pace with the people who call the city home.
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โBecause ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒโ It should be a promise that every person, whether inside a vehicle or walking beside the roadโ has a safe place in a growing city.
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โโ๏ธ: Christine Andrei Echanova
(Verity Running Up The Hill)
โ๐ผ๏ธ: Manuel Lian Gonzales
