Metro Manila runners reclaim streets in push for safer public spaces

MANILA, Philippines – At 2:30 am, Richard Ngo laces up his running shoes. He’s about to set off on a 30-kilometer recovery run as part of his ultra-marathon training. But in Metro Manila, distance is not the only challenge for runners like Ngo.

Along his route, he will dodge dangling powerlines, uneven concrete, and speeding traffic. “Sometimes the road itself feels like an obstacle course,” Ngo said. 

But Ngo continues running for the love of it. He started his running journey two years ago at a Spartan Race, further motivated by his diabetes diagnosis. “That triggered a change in my lifestyle,” Ngo said. “Because I don’t want to die young.”

His determination and persistence show that the Metro Manila public is demanding safe and healthy spaces to move in.

Safety in numbers

He’s one of many Metro Manila runners reclaiming the streets as a place to exercise, doing so as part of a run club. What started as a small group looping around Bonifacio Global City has grown into an informal run club. Early in the morning, runners join in from across Metro Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Taguig, and even as far as Laguna.

“There’s safety in numbers,” said fellow runner Ferdinand Bora. “There are places that are just dangerous if you go alone.”

Community-run clubs like Snail Runners Alabang also help runners feel safe by organising group runs and events. Founder Paulo Lalas shares his knowledge on how to stay safe with new members: wear high-vis, run against traffic, and plan your run in advance.

“Off the top of my head, there are maybe ten places around Metro Manila that I feel comfortable in as a solo female runner,” University of the Philippines Diliman student and runner Patricia Perez said.

One of those places she runs is at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus in Quezon City. With sidewalks shaded by towering trees, it has become an oasis for runners. 

“It’s well-lit, there are security guards, and there’s space to move,” she said. “UP has been branded as one of the very few green spaces in Metro Manila. The entire space itself prioritises the environment. The air quality is better because there are lots of trees.”

Creating safe spaces to run

The metro has just 0.65 square meters of green space per person, far below the World Health Organisation recommendation of 9 square meters. Even where parks exist, they are often small, overcrowded, or privately controlled. 

Instead, runners are forced onto the roads, even on flyovers, sharing space with cars, buses, and motorcycles.

So, Manila’s runners are getting creative, with mobility advocacy groups like the Move as One Coalition working with local governments to create safe spaces to move for all citizens.

In the early morning and late evening hours, in Mandaluyong, joggers circle a 700-metre loop around the city hall, where traffic cones extend out onto the road, providing some space to exercise. 

The Greenfield District community encourages locals to run around the nearby Lab. With fewer roads to cross, it provides runners a car-free loop so they can focus on their speed, endurance and enjoying moving their bodies. 

PSC track ovals in the cities of Pasig, Manila, and Baguio are also now open to the public daily and free of charge.

Several cities hold regular car-free streets on Sundays, which pack out with keen exercisers reclaiming space in their communities. 

Abigail Modales, Move as One’s Active Transport Lead, said car-free Sundays are a great model of how communities can reclaim their streets for the people. 

“They are a starting point or demonstration of what cities could look like when people are prioritized over vehicles,” she said.

Move as One is also engaging with government institutions to help shift policy direction. The coalition would like the metro’s streets to be redesigned to slow vehicle speeds, improve crossings, and prioritise the safety of vulnerable road users, such as runners. 

“Progress has been made in the last few years with a shift from car-centric policies and infrastructure to people-centred mobility,” Modales said.

The organisation has held events, such as walks along EDSA, to create opportunities for people to experience the streets differently. 

“Not just as spaces for cars, but as public spaces meant for everyone,” Modales shared. “This shows that safer, more walkable and bikeable streets benefit not only pedestrians and cyclists, but communities as a whole,” she added. 

But, for Modales, the shift did not happen by accident. 

“It reflects years of continuous engagement by civil society, where the lived experiences of pedestrians, cyclists, commuters, runners, and everyday road users were consistently brought into policy discussions.”

With the upcoming Manila Marathon next month, organisers have positioned it as an opportunity to showcase the capital as a global running destination. The eyes of both local and international runners will be locked along the 42-km route along EDSA, Metro Manila’s busiest highway, to see how it’s made safe for competitors. 

“But we need more intentionally designed spaces for movement, where people can move, run, and exist comfortably alongside each other,” UP runner Glen Lovitos said. – Rappler.com

Samantha Mythen is a Rappler Intern from Aotearoa, New Zealand. She has worked as a reporter in Kiwi newsrooms for several years, alongside growing her storytelling career through freelancing while travelling and living overseas. She is passionate about covering Asia-Pacific and the issues that connect this diverse region.