Thomas M. Orbos
BusinessMirror
United States
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Past articles by Thomas:
The 15-minute city concept as a crisis mitigation measure
I write again about the 15-minute city urban development concept as I firmly believe that this is the way for cities to survive and sustainably deal with problems such as traffic congestion, pollution, rising costs of deliveries of goods and services, and the declining general health of the population, among… → Read More
An opportunity for Marcos to do what’s right in foreign policy, security
IN a move that pleasantly caught many by surprise and contrary to his campaign rhetoric, President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed to assert the territorial rights of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea. With this, the President-elect has that opportunity in his hands to immediately establish that he is… → Read More
Attending to road transport, finally
Among the four modes of transportation—air, land, maritime and rail—that are under the purview of the Transportation department, the land transport or the road sector is considered as the most complex in terms of the challenges that it presents. This does not mean that the other modes of transport are… → Read More
The new admin’s possible transport roadmap
Now that we have Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as our incoming president, we all need to end our partisan political engagement and go back to being citizens of the republic. The government needs all hands on deck, especially with our ship Philippines facing such stormy seas up ahead. And all of… → Read More
Take out the number coding scheme
For us Metro Manilans, it is obvious that the dreaded Metro Manila traffic has reared its ugly head once more, though not as bad and worrisome as before. In a way, it is a good sign that the capital region is back on its feet, after the two-year pandemic hiatus,… → Read More
Transport for all
The elections are over and it’s understandable that sentiments are not the same across the spectrum. There are winners and losers in every election, with the May 9 polls probably one of the most participated and emotionally charged political exercise in recent years. Yet we have a country to take… → Read More
The integrity of the surveys
Can surveys be manipulated, tweaked or bought? Such a question, given the importance of surveys or political opinion polls in our electoral processes, needs to be brought out in open discussion and maybe later for serious consideration for the government to regulate or at least ensure the total integrity of… → Read More
People power | Thomas M. Orbos
There is hope in the Filipino. I say this to myself, having witnessed the genuine show of support of many, when I attended the birthday rally of Vice President Leni Robredo last Saturday. It is selfless giving and positive volunteerism that I have not seen in my lifetime. Everywhere you… → Read More
Global dependence on fossil fuel needs to stop
The Ukrainian crisis has only highlighted the global dependence on fossil fuel. With Russia controlling close to 20 percent of the world’s oil supply plus the apparent lukewarm response of the other oil-producing nations to stabilize the market, global price of oil has skyrocketed and is affecting all economies. Immediately… → Read More
Still on the Pasig River Expressway
Just to be clear, my views on this project is independent of any outside influence. No one has approached me, nor am I on the employ to defend this. I am just speaking my mind. For those who know me, I have always pushed for sustainable transport. I believe in… → Read More
An invitation for RSA to expand the PAREX dream
A welcome development is the recent pronouncement by San Miguel Corp. on their Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) project, which is now undergoing review by the national government. This project, estimated to cost P95 billion, intends to connect the western and eastern side of Metro Manila utilizing the banks of the… → Read More
Deliver us from Covid
A shared social-media post caught my attention, supposedly originating from a local TV personality who concluded that the only way he could have been infected with Covid-19 was through deliveries made to his residence. This is quite alarming and worrisome as most of us are staying home and heavily relying… → Read More
The State of the Nation’s Transport Address (SONTA)
Today will mark the fifth time that President Duterte delivers his State of the Nation Address, his penultimate Sona. Of particular interest is what he would say about the national state of our transportation. If this were a transport journey that our country took four years ago, it would be… → Read More
Life in the bike lane
The move to create bike lanes by the government is laudable, given that a lot of us have shifted to bicycles for our mode of transport in these Covid times. Bicycles provide ready transport for everyone, are affordable, and they are good for our health as well as for our… → Read More
Turning parking lots into parks
WE all hear about the resurgence of open spaces in the light of the need for social distancing brought about by the pandemic. It may be one of the good things that will come out of this tragedy given that in the past years, our societies had been finding ways… → Read More
Smart cities, smart country
There is something good brewing among LGUs nationwide outside Metro Manila. Forward thinking heads of cities and provinces are now looking at how to improve the quality of life of their constituents through the use of technology. Generally termed as “smart city” solutions, the latest information and communications technology are being tapped to improve their services in areas, such as traffic… → Read More
Air quality is quality of life
I came across an article a few months ago praising several of our cities in the Philippines having landed in the top list of cities in Southeast Asia in terms of clean air. Good to hear. However, a separate article that came out around the same time admitted that Metro Manila and other Philippine cities […] → Read More