Philippe: Grabe traffic pag holidays. Traffic everywhere, especially mall areas. Sinasabi nila lagi na yung MMDA is understaffed at hindi kaya ng workforce para ma-accommodate lahat ng areas ng city, especially in the metro.
So laging traffic sa EDSA, Commonwealth, Marcos Highway, and literally almost everywhere na may malapit na mall. What if nagkaroon tayo ng improvements in our traffic light systems? Nobody notices this, nobody talks about this.
Philippe: The problem with our traffic light systems is hindi sila smart. The most that they can be smart is may counter, and that’s the smartest thing that it can do. Pero what if, since we’re in the age of AI,
What if we could use AI to help ease the traffic? Or at least make it manageable and more efficient? And I think doing that with AI will have a big impact and will reduce the general load of traffic. So what do you think if we add AI, and what do you envision it doing?
Mclaine: Actually, malaking bagay yun. Dahil, una nga, hindi mo ipoproblemaan yung tao to man yung mga traffic. And then, kasi siyempre, every now and then, pag-traffic dito, mindset agad ng driver.
Hoy, punta ako dito. Hindi lang isa. Isipin din lahat ng kadalasa ng mga driver, doon sila pupunta. They would either use Google Maps or Waze. So lahat sila nag-Waze out. Siyempre, bibigay ni Waze, alas pareho-pareho ng direction, kasi unyong less traffic.
Mclaine: So ang mangyayari niyan, doon naman magkakaroon ng either bottleneck, another congestion, which is hindi, siyempre, yung MMDA. Hoy, nagdoon sila, nagpunta lahat, punta ka doon. Hindi eh.
Kasi kung saan lang nakaman yung tao, kung ito lang yung responsibility niya, hindi siya lilipat doon. Ito lang yung mamahanda niya. Pero, sa dami nga ng traffic, at kung saan-saan, talaga hindi kakayanin ng isang tao.
Mclaine: Sabihin man natin, lagyan mo man din ng bawat tao, iba pa rin pag-synchronize. Hindi mo ma-synchronize ang isip ng isang traffic enforcer. Merong magaling magmando ng traffic. Meron namang iba na stop and go lang, stop and go.
Oh, maigsi pa, waba, waba. Pero with AI, that’s another level. Maybe, hindi lang another level. The smartest thing to do siguro is to maximize yung capability ng AI.
Philippe: Let’s pinpoint yung mga problems with manned traffic, yung mga traffic enforcers. Diyan ako nainis eh. Kasi, pag may traffic enforcer, hindi na nainiisip yung congestion apart from where they are.
For example, yung isang area nila, okay, may congestion. Minamando nila yung area na yan, not knowing what they’re doing is affecting the other area that’s connected to their area, and naku-cause pa ng traffic doon. And nagiging domino effect na all throughout the metro.
Philippe: That’s the problem with having untrained, not coordinated traffic enforcers on the area. Diyan ako laging nainis eh, kasi hello, puno na, pinapa-go pa yung kabila. Alam mo naman yung kabila, wala na.
Either yun, and plus, laging irritated sila yung mga traffic enforcers, feeling sila yung batas doon, diba? Eh laging nila iniipon yung mga traffic sa kung anong side naman yung may traffic. Yan ang problem. So lack of coordination, lack of strategy, lack of traffic knowledge, basically.
Philippe: That’s the main problem of our enforcers these days. They only know the general idea, the basic ideas. What’s worse is yung traffic enforcers are not even part of MMDA. Sometimes they’re barangay traffic enforcers that don’t care about the traffic outside their barangay, not knowing sila yung nag-affect ng traffic outside their barangay. And then, like I said, domino effect.
Nangyari dito in this area, mangyari doon in the next, in the next. Magtataka yung tao, ba’t yung traffic hanggang, let’s say, from Makati to Quezon City? The problem is not only the enforcers. One enforcer, even way up north or way down south or even gitna, can affect the whole traffic system.
Philippe: That alone, AI can solve if there is a powered, AI-powered traffic system na interconnected, coordinated sa buong metro. Imagine, with the use of CCTV, traffic cameras, and traffic sensors, yung load ng traffic.
I think if you have that in every city along the metro and even outside, sabihin natin yung mga outskirts of the cities, yung border going to Bulacan, border going to Rizal, border going to Batangas or Pasay, Cavite area.
Philippe: Imagine if all of that is coordinated by one system powered by AI and has enough data to ease the traffic. If not, I’m not saying mawawala 100% yung traffic. All I’m saying is magiging smoother.
Hindi magkakaroon ng roadblocks. And plus, kung may aksidente, which kadalasan meron—accidents here, accidents there—sometimes hindi yung accidents yung nagkaka-traffic, actually yung mga dumadaan, mga tsismoso lang talaga, ano nangyari?
Philippe: But the mere fact, maybe AI can help. It’s a simple solution. Kabit natin AI bawat stoplight, kabit natin mga traffic cameras. Pag na-detect niya na low flow of traffic coming this direction, yung kabila, igogoon niya. And it’s much more efficient.
They could work 24 hours. It can use the data previously. Kung halimbawa may previous data na, oh, nung ginawa itong strategy, it worked. So it could always work with the strategy and always fine-tune the strategy na binibigay niya sa mga traffic lights. Huwag lang ma-hack. What would you like to add dun?
Mclaine: Probably, isa sa magiging roadblock is some areas or let’s say some municipalities, ayaw nila ng synchronization. I mean, let’s say Quezon City, ano ba yung susunod na katabi? Kasi lahat sila may sarili-sarili silang monitoring system.
Let’s just say, yung CCTV nila, ayaw nilang ma-access nung iba. Sila lang may access. Ayaw nilang ma-review ng iba. Kasi doon papasok yun. To synchronize everything, kailangan may access.
Mclaine: Let’s say, if you’re going to use an AI system, so dapat may access niyan dito, access niyan dito, access niyan dito. Pero some government agencies or barangay or municipality, ayaw nilang nakaka-monitor nung system nila.
Kasi sa Bulacan, sa municipality namin, since nasa communication ako, medyo mayroon ako mga basic knowledge. Namomonitor ko yung traffic system. Monitor ko yung frequency nila. So nakikinig ako sa radio frequencies nila.
Mclaine: Tapos nakikita ko yung actual. Imagine mo, narinig mo ng actual yung usapan nila, pero nakikita mo rin ang actual na hindi naman traffic, pero bakit nagkoko-cause pa rin ang traffic? Minsan, kadalasan, pag nakakita na ng traffic, sasabihin ka agad ng tao, may enforcer d’yan. Magtingin ko, ah, nakikita mo na, kaya pala traffic, may enforcer.
Philippe: Pero totoo naman eh.
Mclaine: O, tapos makita mo, intersection, apat, lima yung traffic enforcer. Teka, bakit ang dami? So imagine mo, yung isa, iniisip mando, mumando pa ganun. Yung isa pa, mamando niya pa ganito.
Tapos hindi nila ginagamit yung may radio sila, ito yung mga may walkie-talkies na, hindi naman sila, oh pare, go na ako. Ano lang, senyasan pa rin sila. Sabi ko, meron silang communication system or communication equipment pero hindi nila ginagamit.
Mclaine: Mano-mano pa rin sila, nagtuturoan. Tapos sabi ko, okay, parang hindi yata na-maximize, or I don’t know kung tinuro ba yung proper. I’m not an expert, pero give an idea na meron akong knowledge about communication or basic knowledge on how to use.
Tapos kung nakikinig ka dun sa mismo nagiging usapan nila, sabi ko parang medyo questionable, so hindi nakakatulong. Pero yun nga, yan ang magiging one of the, hindi naman siguro major, magiging roadblock para ma-ease out yung traffic.
Mclaine: So again, with the use of AI, and with access dun sa mga traffic system ng bawat LGU, malaki talaga magiging tulong. Mag-ease out talaga siya.
Philippe: You know, with the, if we had enough budget, actually, we do have enough budget. We just need the initiative.
Mclaine: Sobrang dami ng budget natin.
Philippe: Kailangan natin na activator within, a specific, agency. Sino yung pinaka, top agency for traffic enforcement. Is it the MMDA?
Mclaine: Oo, MMDA. Dito sa Metro.
Philippe: In the Metro. Let’s talk about Metro Manila. I wonder if it would be enough, sabihin natin, 10 billion pesos. Will 10 billion pesos be enough with the current setup, at AI—well, hold on—centralized system, empowered by AI, centralized traffic system, the lights, the controls, centralized system of CCTVs per stoplight.
Dapat sa taas ng stoplight may camera. So I wonder if 10 billion pesos is enough to set that up in the whole Metro Manila. Okay. Maybe it’s enough, maybe not, but let’s say doble natin, 20 billion. I believe that’s enough.
Philippe: They don’t need to invest in really new equipment because I’ve seen, I did a bit of research. Countries like South Korea, China, United States, United Arab Emirates, Belgium, United Kingdom, India, Vietnam—they have AI-powered cameras already. Malaysia, Japan, and sino pa? I think these are the major ones.
China alone, I know they already have AI. I believe so, because sila yung first who used facial recognition with AI to monitor their citizens. That’s their eagle eye, the government’s eagle eye spyware.
Philippe: First it was general facial recognition like what you have on Facebook when you tag pictures. And before ChatGPT blew up and all that, the Chinese already had AI monitoring all of these data through facial recognition. Infrastructure for AI-powered traffic light systems—20 billion, I think that’s enough to start with.
We could start with Quezon City, the biggest city, and then other cities could model that. Now the biggest city, sabihin natin 5 billion ang ilaan dito sa Quezon City. I think that works. You start with EDSA lang, from Monumento up to, ano yung border ng Quezon?
Philippe: Cubao, Krame, because after that it’s already San Juan, then Mandaluyong, Pasig. So from Monumento up to Karame, border ng San Juan, kabit bawat stoplight in that area ng AI-powered CCTV and the system.
Dapat may centralized control doon sa MMDA, centralized MMDA office. Doon yung control system nila. I-test nila. In the long term, tipid siya. You need more staff to manage the control room rather than manage the traffic.
Philippe: Then they can focus on accidents, flood control, clearing the sidewalks, improving the sidewalks, improving the urban areas, making it pedestrian-friendly to walk. We can do that. With five billion, I think it’s possible.
Why not do that? I think it won’t eliminate traffic, but it will make traffic very manageable, very efficient, and it can monitor a lot of data. It can strategize what’s best during holidays, what’s best during people traveling in and out, north to south, south to north.
Philippe: And I think it’s very impactful because not everyone thinks about it—you don’t need AI, you want the traffic system—but hindi na siya iniisip because it’s our daily habit. From the 40s up to 2025, we never really thought of improving the traffic system apart from the counter. Di ba? Apart from the counter.
Mclaine: Pero there is a post. Nakita ko na ito weeks before pa. Si Davao, na ganoon na sila. Davao City pushes forward AI system designed to protect every citizen. So AI-powered facial recognition in the city’s CCTV network and linked to the 911 GPS emergency platform.
Philippe: Nice, nice, nice.
Mclaine: Bakit lagi si Davao na una?
Philippe: Si Davao, yung power lines underground. Si Davao, 911 system. Si Davao, lowest crime rate.
Mclaine: Yes, and one of the top 10 safest city in the world.
Philippe: In the world pa?
Mclaine: In the world pa?
Philippe: I’m pretty sure you know if the Dutertes watches this podcast he’ll put the AI system in Davao first. I’m pretty sure Davao is first in some areas.
Mclaine: And I think they are already implementing this kasi already watched this weeks ago na or days ago. Tapos remember nung binalik ulit yung NCAP.
Nabalita sa I think Commonwealth eh. Nung in-insist binalik yung NCAP. Nakita mo siguro sa balita to. Yung mga camera yun nila binutol yung mga kable eh.
Mclaine: Ninenok. I mean So the problem is not also in government but the problem is also sa mga community din natin.
Philippe: Community, the citizens.
Mclaine: It’s either these are the people with anti-NCAP or ito yung mga nagnanakaw lang ng kable. Sinasabihin nila uy ang daming kable yun. Kasi for that post alone apat na additional camera yung kinabit. So that means apat na mainline. So ang daming yun.
Philippe: Unless pang kuryente sya I don’t think baka hindi naman mabenta yung kable.
Mclaine: Hindi naman ganoon ka mataasan kasi kung may laman siyang copper. So doon yun eh. Yung copper ang gagawin nila dyan.
Putol. Susunugin. Para lumabas yung copper. Tsaka pa lang nila pagkasama-samain. Tsaka pa lang nila dadalin sa junk shop. Mataasan yung value ng copper.
Mclaine: Kaya marami talaga yung usually ka talagang power line. So the question is bakit wired ang kinabit nila? Sa panahon natin ngayon na medyo nag-advance naman yung technology.
Philippe: High tech na tayo. (17:58) Pwedeng wireless.
Mclaine: Pwede nang wireless na yung gamitin pero bakit hard line yung binabit nila?
Philippe: Kami nga sa bahay wireless eh. Sa office wireless.
Mclaine: So may mga nag-comment doon sa post na yan. Sabi niya, at least ngayon wireless na yung CCTV. Di ba? Talagang wireless. Kasi putol na yung kable eh. That’s the literal meaning of wireless.
Philippe: Good point. Good point.
Mclaine: So that was the end cap era nung biglang binalik yun. So tinanggal nila. So what more? Kung yung kakabit nila dito ay AI tapos mag-wire din sila.
Philippe: We have to invest in our own satellites. That’s a problem. We don’t have the program, the space program. Maybe we do. Maybe there are other visionaries that people want to send out satellites.
But doon pa lang sa military presence natin, our defense systems, our warships, our airplanes, lahat donation eh. Donation.
Philippe: Old model donations. And they’re only being donated by our allies because they need to weaponize us. Either way. At least luma, weaponize ka na. Di ba? Kasi yung wala.
Mclaine: It’s better than nothing, di ba?
Philippe: We don’t manufacture or we don’t even have a bill to invest into our defense, our military, our intelligence, and technology. Wala. As simple as having AI-empowered stoplight systems, I don’t think they’re gonna invest in that.
But I hope just by saying this, people will go around and be like, why not? Di ba? We only need a politician or someone in government to have the initiative na, okay, time to move. Gawin natin to. If it sounds impossible, look at the countries.
Philippe: Look at the other countries that are doing it. Number one, technology is available. Kaya nga sa South Korea, the equipment galing China. Existing naman lahat yan eh. You know? They just don’t want to buy it. They only want to put in their pockets. Yeah, yeah, no problem.
Mclaine: Actually, we have enough budget talaga. Imagine the trillions of peso na, kaya nga si, I think, hindi naman turo AI related, but regarding, if we’re talking about the budget, I think, ito yung batang representative na Leviste, ah,
nag-propose siya or mayroon siya pinapropose na, yung 25% yung nanakaw ng mga kongresista, instead of nakawin nila, why not, isa batas na lang, yung 25% na kinukuha nila, isa batas na itong 25% na ito, ilagayin agad automatic sa project, which is a good idea.
Mclaine: So, wala na talagang ano, kasi yung kukunin nilang 25%, oy, teka, nandun na mismo sa project, pero I don’t, I don’t think so na, ano, na talagang mawawala ng corrupt, kasi talagang, nandyan talaga yan eh.
Philippe: Corrupt will, corrupt will always be there. You know what’s, okay, you know in the movies where we see the mafias, you see the villains, usually yung mga kalaban sa mga superhero movies,
Pansinin mo, laging naka Range Rover, laging naka G‑Class, ah, G‑Wagon pala, S‑Class, laging sila yung may private army, laging best of technology. Ba’t laging yung villains yung may, ano sila, ah, sila lagi yung may latest tech, sila lagi yung advance.
Philippe: We can’t say dahil villain sila, they sell drugs, they sell weapons, they sell, they do human trafficking. It’s not always like that. It’s not always like that to be honest, right? Maybe in fact, kahit sabihin natin maging korop sila, kahit sabihin na they do human trafficking, kahit sabihin na they invest back into their operations.
Mclaine: Tsaka isa pa, wala silang kickback. Di nag-kickback, isipin yung, kasi, well-funded na sila eh, bakit kailangan pong mag-kickback? Eto na.
Philippe: In fact, we have all the money. Ini-improve nila yung surrounding areas nila, di ba? They take care of their people, they take care, I mean, sige, maging korop ka, pero give back, give back into your city, give back into your country, para we’ll be the best country in the world, di ba?
I’ll give you one good example, I’m not gonna mention what city, but this is one city that I always go to, hindi ko mag-mention, pero nasa industrial area to, okay? Alam natin yung isang leader, may leadership,
Philippe: May isang nakaupo sa leadership, alam natin korop yan, alam na alam natin, but, but, pinaganda niya yung lugar, maganda yung City Hall, bago, nilipat, may mga establishments sa City Hall, so yung mga pupunta sa City Hall to renew, whatever, kung gusto ng pakingap, may Starbucks, may McDonald’s, may daming kainan, may parking pa, yan dapat, di ba?
Mclaine: Minilagay na nila in one place.
Philippe: Oo, sige, get more money, pero improve mo naman yung way of living natin.
And we won’t even come after you, we’ll support you pa.
Mclaine: Yeah, tama.
Philippe: Ganyan din mga tao sa traffic enforcers. Ay, hindi ko napansin puno.
Mclaine: Haba na pala.
Philippe: Haba na pala. Go mo na, go mo na. Ay, may radio pala tayo, hindi ko napansin. Lack of coordination, lack of strategy, lack of training, lack of knowledge. They do the job, but, at the end of the day, damay-damay pa rin tayo lahat kasi,
Wala, tayo yung nasasakyan, yung iba, commuting, wala, wala na silang magawa. I saw that picture, nakita ko yung picture dun sa Marcus Highway papunta, Masinag area. Ano na siya eh, ah, hindi lang congested, siguro na, ano na yung mga tao, nabwisit na yung mga tao, nag-go na sila, kahit stop pa rin.
Philippe: So, naka-bwisit. And then, it took people three to four hours just to get home because of that. I’m not saying AI will solve it. All I’m saying is that AI will manage it. And I think dapat sabay din.
The AI-empowered systems, traffic light systems, plus, the people’s, the citizens’ responsibility as a driver, they have to take responsibility as well. Kasi number one, ang daming kamote, ang daming entitled, ang daming kolorong, ang daming, ah, pedestrian pa.
Philippe: Sila pa yung causes, that means, and the traffic, pedestrians. Fun fact, did you know that pedestrians, we don’t have training at school, we don’t know, we don’t have basic knowledge of paano tumawid, saan tumawid, anong gagawin during, ano yung rush hour. Iba, I can’t believe it, tumatawid sa EDSA.
Mclaine: Yes
Philippe: Parang, ang daming namatay, di ba? We should make a video about that. Hindi ko maintindihan, but, alam mo yung parating yung kotse, tatawid pa sila.
Parang, parang may death wish sila eh, di ba? But I think that’s one of the biggest factors that needs to be improved. Not only our traffic systems, but pedestrian and drivers.
Mclaine: Gusto ko kasi nilalagi, ano, instant, instant makatawid, may overpass, may footbridge, ayaw nila mapagod, pas maiksi naman daw to.
Philippe: Nakakatamad kasi, wala escalator.
Mclaine: Pero buti ngayon yung mga, ano no, since, yung busway, buti inactivate na nila yung mga elevator. There are some, parang, bus stop, na meron ng elevator. Hindi ko pa nakikita yung mga ibang, ano sa, sa subway.
Sa bus, sa bus station e. Kung lahat ay, kasi ang napansin ko lang dito sa may Quezon Ave, yung isang, ano, activated yung elevator. Sabi ko, oh really? Gumagana pala to. So, which is, which is nice no? Kasi so, either ito yung para doon sa Quezon Ave station.
Mclaine: So, since hindi naman ako nakakapag, bus carousel yan e, bus carousel. So, malaking bagay din yung nagkaroon na yan ang access. So, maiwasan mo na yung, again, hindi natin talaga kaya nang tanggalin. Sistema, ano e, nasa tao na yan e. Laging pumapasok yung, layo kasi e.
Ito tatawid na ako, ito na yun o. Ito nasa sapat ko. Kapag nag foot, nag footbridge ako, lakad pa ako ng, sabihin na natin, 100, 100 feet. 100 feet na lang e na. Tapos, layo nung pupuntahan ko, dito ako sa kabila, ito na yun e. Meron namang daan. Laging gano’n e.
Philippe: Dapat yung nilalagay ni MMDA doon sa mga areas na bawal tumawid Yung, parang cardboard, ano ni kamatayan. Halika tawid ka Sabay tayo.
Mclaine: Parang, tawid ka, akin ka.
Philippe: Oh my God. Yun nga, pedestrians don’t even have the, don’t even have the knowledge, or basic knowledge of safety. Anyway, I think good enough for this session.
Yeah, that’s it.
