Subject: Re: Something conservative...
Personal experience? I'm assuming you mean in the 40m zone? I would think govt would handle that since it's their land.

I did note a lot less squatter areas when we were in Manila in January. A lot of things had changed, but I remember a few specific locations, and the ramshackle dwellings in some places were gone (e.g. a particular set of railroad tracks we had to go by to get to the house in Santa Rosa; they had been built in the strips on either side of the tracks).

I also noticed that the roads were a bit better. Jeeps were still running, even though supposedly a new law was taking effect while we were there. It was an anti-pollution law. Which I would totally support, but I think the government should help Jeep operators bring their vehicles up to whatever the code is because the Jeepney is iconic of the Philippines. I also noticed a lot less tricycles, and more tuk-tuk style bikes. Which was interesting. My BiL owned an electric tuk-tuk that he used to zip around Santa Rosa. I still wouldn't want to drive in the Philippines, but it was better (in general) than my previous visits.