Redesign Manila’s vision: Pretty, costly...doable?

A clean, colorful city without hanging wires, trash, and dirt: "Redesign Manila" shows a city you'd be happy to live and work in.

"Redesign Manila", as reported Katrina Son by Balitanghali on Wednesday, takes the historic city of Manila from its drab and dirty reality to an imagined future state in which it is cleaner and more liveable.

The innovative video is part of an initiative by advertising and content production house Go Motion Philippines, which recently created the group Boboto Na Ako to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the EDSA People Power movement and the 2016 electoral polls.

Go Motion aims to garner enough support to to have local government units pick Redesign Manila up from like-minded netizens, corporations, and organizations, some of whom have already responded to the call.

"A lot of people have humbled us because they've been calling people who are on the team from Go Motion, friends of Go Motion, asking how they can be part of realizing the dream. I'm talking about urban planners, engineers, architects," Ringo Sanchez, Go Motion creative director, said.

Such an undertaking would undoubtedly require a huge financial investment to make happen and, more importantly, long-term public discipline to maintain.

Manila residents Mayet Luna and Brian Silang remain skeptical that change can still come to what was once called Asia's Paris.

"Kung gagawin natin ang makatotohanan, napakahirap gawin. Bangungot," Luna said.

"Wala. Wala hong nakikitang pagbabago," Silang lamented.

But dreams are free, and hope springs eternal, especially if enough people can be convinced to work for the same goal.

"Yung optimism naman driving force parati," said Sanchez. "I go back to, 'it's a dream'."

In Aling Mayet's words, "Kaya tayo nabubuhay, kaya tayo tumatagal—yun ang pinaghahawakan natin: pag-asa." — Rie Takumi/BM, GMA News