Future Master Development Plan of Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal, Philippines

Future Master Development Plan of Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal

The master development plan of the Municipality of Rodriguez (formerly Montalban)1 is anchored on the national and Rizal provincial development plans.

Infrastructure (including Light Rail Transit [LRT]/MASS RAPID TRANSIT [MRT] Plans for Rizal)
1. National
  The Philippine Government, through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), has four infrastructure projects2 for Rizal (see Figure 1) and twelve flagship projects3 in the neighboring/bordering provinces of Rizal (see Figure 2). The four DPWH’s infrastructure projects are: Amang Rodriguez-Wawa Road (on-going); Sumulong Highway (on-going); Manila East Road and Laguna Widening (starting 2002), and; Tanay-Sampaloc Road (on-going).
2. Provincial
  The Provincial Government of Rizal recognizes that the province has insufficient infrastructures, as well as support facilities, as stated in the Final Provincial Physical Framework Plan/Comprehensive Provincial Land Use Plan for the Province of Rizal covering 1993 to 2002 (FPPF/CPLUP-PR-1993-2002).
  
  Land and water transportation infrastructure, including power, water and communication utilities and hazard-mitigating facilities are not enough to meet the fast-growing activities in the province.
3. Municipal
  According to the draft master development plan of Rodriguez, the administration of Mayor Pedro Cuerpo broadly outlined the following infrastructure projects:
  1. Roads
    1. concreting of roads
    2. permanent farm to market roads
    3. Roads leading to: 1) Wawa from Antipolo City, 2) Tabing Ilog from San Mateo, Marikina and Quezon City, and 3) Macabud from Quezon City, Caloocan City and Bulacan
  2. Drainage and Creek Maintenance and Improvement
    1. drainage system
    2. Riprapping of rivers and creeks
    3. covering of open canals
  3. Bridges and Culverts
    1. Rosario/Balite to Relocation Site
    2. Wawa to Sto. Niño
    3. Manggahan to Burgos, Daang Bakal
    4. San Rafael to San Isidro
    5. Culverts to mountain barangays
  4. New Center of Municipal Government
    1. Modern and bigger municipal building
    2. Offices of municipal agencies
    3. Beautiful park and plaza
    4. Center office for different organizations
  5. Other Infrastructures
    1. construction of Municipal Memorial Park
    2. construction of Local Water District
    3. housing for the poor
    4. construction of Municipal Industrial Park
    5. construction of Municipal Youth Center and Municipal Sport Center
    6. Cuerpo basketball courts in every barangay
    7. construction of barangay high schools, technical and vocational college, additional school buildings and a new public library
4. LRT/MRT Projects
  As regards LRT/MRT projects in Rodriguez or in the nearby areas, the most likely applicable to the residents of the municipality or to the Province of Rizal as a whole would be Line 4 (see Figure 3). Still in the planning stage, Line 4 will extend from Manila to Novaliches passing through Quezon Boulevard, Philcoa, Tandang Sora, etc. The LRT/MRT project along Sumulong Highway going to Antipolo City is not an infrastructure project but a depot for LRT’s equipment and a garage for its coaches.
Commercial/Industrial
1. Provincial
  Antipolo City and the municipalities of Cainta, Taytay and Tanay are considered the urban centers of the province where most of the economic activities are situated. Other minor urban areas are also concentrated along the coastal municipalities of Angono, Binangonan, Cardona, Baras, Pililia, Jalajala and along the town centers of San Mateo, Rodriguez, Taytay and Teresa.
  The industrial establishments in the province can be found along Ortigas Avenue in Cainta and Taytay and along Felix Avenue in Cainta. Isolated industrial firms can also be found in Antipolo City, Taytay, Binangonan, and other towns of the province.
2. Municipal
  Commercial establishments in Rodriguez are mostly in the town proper. Industrial establishments, on the other hand, are spread throughout the municipality. Business activities in Rodriguez are expected to increase given the favorable infrastructure plans of the municipality to business.

Transportation and Communications

Provincial
As outlined in the FPPF/CPLUP-PR-1993-2002, there would be 17 national and provincial road projects, including 4 bridge projects in Rizal (see Table 1). A provincial telecommunications exchange is also to be put up to boost the communications signal of the area.

Table 1. Infrastructure Projects in Rizal for 1996-2002
Description		Location
National Roads
1.	Construction of Taytay-Angono-Binangonan Coastal Road	Taytay, Angono, Binangonan
2.	Improvement/Construction of Existing Tanay to Sampaloc National Intermittent Road	Tanay
3.	Improvement/Construction of Existing San Mateo to Rodriguez National Road	San Mateo, Rodriguez
4.	Construction of C-6	Cainta, Taytay, Antipolo, San Mateo, Rodriguez
5.	Construction of Binagonan-Cardona-Morong-Baras Road	Binangonan, Cardona, Morong, Baras
6.	Construction of Skyway	Binangonan, Cardona, Morong, Baras
Provincial Roads
1.	Improvement/Construction of Existing San Mateo to Maarat-Antipolo Road	San Mateo, Antipolo
2.	Improvement/Construction of existing Roman Roxas Road to Marikina-Infanta Road	Teresa
3.	Improvement/Construction of Existing Pantay-Buhangin Road to Marikina-Infanta Road	Teresa
4.	Improvement/Construction of Existing Morong (Lagundi)-Pinugay Road to Marikina-Infanta Road	Morong
5.	Improvement/Construction of Existing Baras-Pinugay Road to Marikina-Infanta Road	Baras
6.	Improvement/Construction of Tanay-Pinugay Road to Marikina-Infanta Road	Tanay
7.	Improvement/Construction of Existing Darangan to Antipolo Road	Binagonan, Antipolo
8.	Improvement/Construction of Existing Don Mariano Santos Avenue	Angono
9.	Construction of Cardona to Morong Diversion Road	Cardona, Morong
10.	Construction of Access Road Leading to Talim Bridge connecting Talim Island from Mahabang Parang to Diablo Pass	Binangonan
11.	Construction of Circumferential Road to Talim Island	Binangonan
Bridges
1.	Manggahan Bridge 2 Across Manggahan Floodway from Taytay Industry Road 2000 to Sandoval Avenue Extension	Taytay
2.	Manngahan Bridge 1 across Manggahan Floodway from Taytay-Angono-Binangonan Coastal to North Laguna Lakeshore Dike	Taytay
3.	Bridges along Taytay-Angono-Binangonan Coastal Road: a. Bangiad Bridge b. Angono Bridge c. Bilibiran Bridge d. Darangan Bridge e. Binangonan Bridge	Taytay, Angono, Binangonan
4.	Talim Island Bridge Across Diablo Pass from Mainland to Talim	Binangonan

Municipal
The municipality of Rodriguez can be reached via several routes: 1) Marikina-San Mateo-Rodriguez, 2) Commonwealth/Batasan-San Mateo-Rodriguez, and 3) Commonwealth/Litex-Payatas-Rodriguez. Jeepneys, FX taxis and buses ply the said routes as early as 5 o’clock in the morning and as late as 12 o’clock midnight. It is anticipated that there will be a rise in the number of jeepneys, FX taxis and buses plying the said routes as settlers in Rodriguez increase. Tricycles are also a mode of transport in the different barangays of Rodriguez and likewise seen to expand in number.
As regards telecommunications, the municipality of Rodriguez has not yet received any intention from companies wishing to put up additional telecommunications equipment such as telephone lines and cell sites because Rodriguez has already a good reception of landline and mobile telephones at present, which facilitates, among others, the connection to the internet. Besides, a call from Metro Manila to Rizal, in particular to Rodriguez is not considered long distance thus making the place an alternative location for business.

Residential Development
1. Provincial
  The Provincial Government of Rizal welcomes housing and land developers in the province to cater to the housing needs of its residents. Provided, however, such housing projects will not be environmental hazard or life-threatening.
2. Municipal
  Residents of Rodriguez are expected to increase in number in the coming years because of the following:
  1. strong economic activity, not only in the town proper, but also in other barangays of Rizal
  2. relocation sites of most squatters from Metro Manila
  3. location of Erap City
  4. location of Pamayanan ng Tagumpay (Iglesia ni Cristo’s Housing for its members)
  5. conversion of Rizal State College last August 2001 into a university status
    Given the above housing projects of the government, there are also subdivisions owned and operated by private corporations or individuals. Mayor Cuerpo is also planning to provide houses and lots to Rodriguez residents who do not have their own. Details of this plan have not been firmed up yet.
Environmental Concerns
1. Provincial
  The Province of Rizal has liquid and solid waste disposal plans. The details of such, however, were not discussed. Moreover, Rizal will be putting up flood control device infrastructure in the municipalities of Rodriguez, San Mateo, Angono, Binangonan, Morong, Baras, Tanay & Pililia.
  
  Environmentally-constrained areas in Rizal are those which are 1) subject to natural hazards (weather-related and earthquake-induced), 2) fault lines, 3) coastal zones and Network of Protected Agricultural Areas or Network of Areas for Agricultural Development (NPAA/NAAD).
  
  Areas considered to be protected under National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) cover almost 410 sq. kms., which are located in five municipalities. These municipalities are Antipolo, which has the largest area of 166 sq. kms., followed by Rodriguez, covering an area of 159.05 sq. kms. The total area under severely eroded area is 5.25 sq. kms., which are found in Antipolo and Rodriguez. The total area under protection land is 533.21 sq. kms., whereas NPAA/NAAD are covers 67.75 sq. kms. Of all the municipalities, Antipolo, Rodriguez and Tanay must be given due attention because it is in these places where the bulk of land under environmentally-constrained areas are located.
2. Municipal
  The Municipality of Rodriguez has agreed to accommodate the garbage of Metro Manila through an engineered landfill to be set-up in Barangay San Isidro provided certain conditions must be met: 1) that the Payatas Dumpsite be totally closed, 2) that roads leading to the engineered dumpsite be properly paved and reinforced before the start of dumping in Rodriguez, and 3) that residents of Rodriguez be given priority in the salvaging of garbage and that the garbage trucks have no stop-overs in Payatas.
  
  To be situated in Lukutang Munti, San Isidro, Rodriguez covering an area of 5 hectares, the landfill will be used for five years. Afterwhich, a permanent landfill covering 100 hectares will be used, which will be located in Lukutang Malaki, also in Barangay San Isidro. The dumping of garbage in Rodriguez will start on the first week of December 2001. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has already earmarked P40 million (M) for the operation of the landfill and for other related support facilities like widening and patching of roads going to the garbage site.
  
  As stated in the draft municipal development plan of Rodriguez, there will be a waste segregation and recycling program to be implemented on top of the regular collection of trashes. Moreover, the dumping of garbage in the town’s rivers will be highly prohibited.
  
  The draft municipal development plan of Rodriguez also pointed the following actions in the preservation of the town’s environment:
  1. establishment of Reforestation Program and Integrated Social Forestry
  2. establishment of municipal and barangay nurseries or plant centers
  3. assigning of municipal forest guards
  4. stoppage of illegal quarrying and limitation of quarrying area
1. The master development plan of the Municipality of Montalban is still being prepared by the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (MPDC), which will cover 2002 to 2004. The national plan is based on the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) covering 2001 to 2004. The provincial plan of Rizal is based on the Final Provincial Physical Framework Plan/Comprehensive Provincial Land Use Plan for the Province of Rizal (FPPF/CPLUP-PR) covering 1993 to 2002. MTPDP is prepared by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) while the FPPF/CPLUP-PR is prepared by the Provincial Development Council of the Province of Rizal (PDCPR).

2. These are on-going and completed projects included in the DPWH Regular Infrastructure Program and other infrastructure projects implemented by DPWH with funding allocations from other government agencies.

3. These are projects identified by the Presidential Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects of the Office of the President.