Have you ever been into a tedious day where the only thing that you can do is lie down and scroll through your Instagram or Facebook newsfeed for countless hours? Well, maybe if you have, you most probably came across a social media post whose caption writes “Life is too short to break down and be dejected in the Philippines. Heal in (insert: a famous city in the world) instead.” Such posts become more common during December— the perfect month for vacation, and inarguably a “break-up” season. Everyone could attest to the latter due to a series of mainstream couple split-apart controversies (e.g., Kathniel, Xian and Kim Chu, and Kyline Mavy break-ups). But aside from common reasons why people move or visit other cities, has it ever tickled your mind, to ask yourself why these people prefer to “heal” or do errands abroad instead of here in the Philippines? Today, that is one of the questions that I will be answering throughout this essay.
WHY DO PEOPLE MOVE OR VISIT OTHER CITIES?
This is a question for you, as a reader. Have you ever been to Western or Eastern countries like Switzerland or Japan? If you do, then congratulations, for you have experienced a quality of life and world-class services that could be at par with global standards. However, if you haven't been to any of these places, we share a common denominator. But if you are a student like me, it is advisable to just focus on our strengths and later on, use them as a steppingstone to our well-anticipated “travel life” future.
Most of the people in the world have dreamt of living the best lives for themselves, their families, and their relatives (Davin, 1999). And that served as one of the fundamental and core reasons why they work hard and aim for higher wages. In a contemporary context, considering the drive of people towards a better future, they have been incessantly working abroad or outside their origins. Deep inside their hearts and minds, working in a foreign country would be their last or primary resort to uplift their lives from the quicksand of poverty. In other circumstances, especially in today’s world, the importance of mind detoxification has become one of the primary reasons why people move or visit other countries. Along with this, travelers wanted to experience firsthand the globally recognized cultures, systems, traditions, and practices (Maricar, 2023). It paves the way for their personal development and character building, they justify it with a simple quote “You will grow, only if you strive farther away from your comfort zone”. Economic Security is what people long for. In this case, it covers a variety of aspects involving health services, job opportunities, efficient transportation, quality education, safety, and rights protection, and it overlaps with the reverie of living in amenities. It is axiomatic to infer that people would choose a country that would offer them an opportunity to fulfill their life yearnings.
Quality of Living Rankings have provided the top 5 cities in which most people move as of
2023 (Mercer, 2023 as cited in Grothaus, 2023).
1.) Vienna, Austria
2.) Zurich, Switzerland
3.) Auckland, New Zealand
4.) Copenhagen, Denmark
5.) Geneva, Switzerland
Do you ever notice the common ground that these cities share? Well, you got it right! Those cities
were branded as Global!
WHAT IS A GLOBAL CITY?
The global city has been a term coined by American sociologist Saskia Sassen in her book entitled “The global city” which was officially published in 1991. It could be referred to as a “world city” or a “power city” (Maricar, 2023). In her works, she defined the term as a place wherein there is a presence of financial, skills, cultural, political, and economic hubs (Renn, 2012). The global city widely influences the workings of society’s different aspects across the world. It also established a reputation of bearing standards when it comes to leveraging technology to foster efficient policymaking, stimulating economic activity, and increasing social justice and security. Some of the best examples of global cities are Singapore City, New York City, London, Taipei, Seoul, and many more are on the list. The question that arises from these facts is “What are the characteristics of a global city?”.
Saskia Sassen has laid down a myriad of bases to declare whether or not a particular city could be
branded as “global” or “power”. According to Renn (2012), the following are the standards that a
city should be at par with, to be recognized as global:
● Cultural and Political Hub
● International Mobility Hub
● Business Capital
● Better Quality of Living
● Safety and Security
The global cities served as a model that developing countries wanted to emulate. Political leaders around the world have been crafting policies that could potentially help them better the lives of their constituents. Most third-world countries are learning from these global cities, hoping that one day, if luck favors them, their city will also be written on the list of the most influential in the world.
In the case of the Philippines, although we are branded as one of the third-world countries
due to the rampant boom in population and seemingly decreasing national income per year, I would still argue that our country is trying its best to align itself with global standards. The Philippines is not destitute tracing back to history — colonizers tenaciously pierced our country with their sharp talons, renouncing our liberation all because of affluent resources (De Leon and De Leon Jr, 2014). The problem with us is our system. We have everything that we need to ameliorate our situation, but the vast majority chose to remain stagnant. Blatantly speaking, the bar has already been set high, and the Philippines despite its effort to reach the standard, still struggles.
But if there is a city in the Philippines that I would choose as a Global City contender, it would be Cebu City. There is a gigantic probability that most of you would disagree. Arguing that the City of Manila suits all the above-mentioned standards, but hold, take time to appease yourself. Yes, the City of Manila has been one of the most prosperous cities in the Philippines. Before, I considered it as one of my bucket lists. Now that I have experienced being there, my expectations were obliterated by reality. Manila has a variety of services to offer— from education, legal, cultural, political, and entertainment. However, as Manila faces incessant and palpable urbanization, the city struggles to keep up with its underlying repercussions. Some of the problems that Manila faces are pollution, congestion, high cost of living, and crime rates. Although according to the data from the Crime Information Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS), the police force registered a total of 32,031 crimes from January to October in 2023— it had decreased by about 2,877 cases from 34,908 cases logged in the same period last year. However, if you would still insist on walking alone at night in the streets of Manila, maybe you should consider surrounding yourself with a huge and intimidating dog for safety purposes.
Now, why do I choose Cebu City? Does it satisfy the 5 standards above?
Cultural Hub. History has spoken for Cebu City. During the period of Colonization, the city has been one of the places where major events have taken place. The 333 long years of the Spanish regime have brought significant cultural changes in the city. Cebu City has been immortalizing its cultural identity through artistry and architecture (Minty, 2017). Some of the oldest churches in the Philippines can be found here! The best example is the Santo Niño Basilica. If you want to experience an abundant culture, Cebu City is an impeccable place for it.
International Mobility hub. What I mean by an international mobility hub is the presence of airport (s). The latter enables the stimulation of economic activity by connecting people from a particular place to another in a short period. (Adecs Airinfra BV, 2022) With that, the tourism sector will flourish.
Business Capital. Cebu City takes pride because of its strategic locations, robust infrastructure, competitive and skilled workforce, economic stability, and government support (Lofranco, 2023). From there, I could infer that Cebu City offers an immense opportunity for business start-ups. It is indeed one of the most business-friendly cities in the entire Philippine Archipelago.
Better Quality of living. Cebu City is an ideal place to live. Especially for those people who long for a lower cost of living but quality and immediate access to services. The city is an abode for excellent educational institutions, so sending your kids to school will never be a burden. It is also a place where family-friendly neighborhoods are found (Godornes, 2022). Quality of living becomes better when you are surrounded by positive people, where happiness genuinely resonates.
Safety and Security. Cebu City, I assure you, is a safe place to live. It has lower crime rates compared to other cities in the Philippines. A strong sense of security is attained due to the presence of police in parts of the city, also the locals are approachable and cordial (Godornes, 2022). Walking along in the streets at night is a lot safer here.
CONCLUSION
To encapsulate everything that has been stated above, Cebu City has stood out among all the cities in the Philippines. It offers a variety of services and conveniences that could be at par with the global standards. If will were given a chance to travel, I would land in Cebu City as my very first destination. Global Cities in the world are considered to be the most competitive, with the world-class services that they offer, every city in the world would be inspired to emulate them. I am eager and optimistic that one day, maybe one day, when the stars have aligned, Cebu City will be listed in the top 10 list of the most influential and progressive cities around the world. It might look too ambitious, but it only requires political will to turn reverie into life.
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