Fact: Walking is healthy, with those walking at least 2,000 steps per day cutting their risk of heart disease, cancer and premature death by 10%; and those who walk at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, having 43% fewer sick days.
But here’s another fact: For us in Metro Manila, the roads aren’t conducive to walking. Have you seen the sidewalks along EDSA? They’re there for the posts or the vendors, and not for pedestrians.
In Iloilo, a solution was established: the 9.29-kilometer-long Iloilo River Esplanade, which was opened on August 18, 2012.
So, naglakad kami… healthy nga kasi, di ba? And here are some observations.
@outragemag Discover #Iloilo by #walking along #IloiloRiverEsplanade, as we did during this #LGBT trip to the #cityoflove ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine
Una, considered as the longest linear park in the Philippines, covering 13 sections connected by 11 bridges, this was designed by landscape architect and PGAA Creative Design founder Paulo Alcazaren. This is part of the Iloilo River Rehabilitation Project.
Ikalawa, the esplanade connects various districts in Iloilo like the city proper, Mandurriao and La Paz, even crossing the Carpenter Bridge in Mandurriao and Molo districts, and Drilon Bridge in the city proper and Lapuz districts. So you’d see a lot when navigating it, particularly if you consider the additional sections that expand the esplanade network to over 16 kilometers.
Ikatlo, note that many parts of the esplanade are “dead”, so to speak. Not too far from the provincial capitol in the city proper, for instance, there’s an area with a dilapidated structure, and near that is where a fully-naked homeless person stays. So those nearer more developed areas may be safer.
And ika-apat, the pavement is thankfully well-kept, but the esplanade needs fine-tuning – e.g. there’s hardly any rubbish bins, and parts of the Iloilo River are in need of attention.
Filipinos take walking for granted, truth be told. Though this may, partially, be because of bad infrastructure. But in Iloilo, the esplanade highlights the good that can be had if much-needed infrastructures are actually built. If they can’t really stop themselves, at least bawas kawat kasi dapat ang mga pulitiko…
But here’s to more walking as we head off to the next rampa…
The Iloilo River Esplanade runs along the Iloilo River in Iloilo City.
