A CASE STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE INFLUENCING FACTORS

AND EFFECTS OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC IN

GENERAL TRIAS, CAVITE, TEJERO CROSSING

A Qualitative Baby Research

Submitted to

Mr. Jumel G. Estranero

Final requirement for the course

International Organizations

Submitted by

Miguel Dawson Del Mundo

AB – Foreign Service 301

2021
INTRODUCTION

This study will show the Philippines traffic related problems particularly in

General Trias City, Cavite and how other foreign states deal with traffic issues.

According to a news article of Philstar (2021), Philippines has the worst traffic

situation in the South East Asia region and ranked ninth in the world, according to

the recent study of Numbeo report. Traffic is defined as vehicles or people in the

vehicles, a delay that involves transportation or movement through a designated

location. (your dictionary) It can cause inconvenience for all of the people

especially when they are in a hurry or when they need to go early for school or

work. It occurs when a volume of traffic generates demand for space greater than

the available street capacity. As demand approaches the capacity of a road or of

the intersections along the road, extreme traffic congestion sets in. Traffic

congestion can lead to drivers becoming frustrated and engaging in road rage. It

results to the inability to forecast travel time accurately, leading to drivers allocating

more time to travel "just in case", and less time on productive activities, higher

chance of collisions due to tight spacing and constant stopping-and-going and

many more. (philstar.com)

This isn’t a new problem. During the car boom of the 1960s, city planners had

one seemingly obvious solution: build more and wider roads. But it didn’t work. The

more roads created, the more cars they attracted. Accompanied by the growth and

of the urban economic society, extensive city scale and increasing population,

unsolved traffic problems gradually become vitally important. (Study on the

Analysis of the Traffic Problems and Research on the Traffic Strategy in Group

Urban Development)

According also to a study mentioned above, increased travel time is the

most direct consequence of road traffic. However, it is not only the cost. Traffic
incurs both tangible and intangible costs to individual road users as well as our

society. According to studies, moreover, traffic also results to stress, pollution, and

fatigue. Stress in a way that people are being exposed to the daily hassle of traffic;

pollution, particularly air pollution, from jeepneys, motorcycles, and other vehicles;

and fatigue due to lack of sleep as some commuters who are caught in the traffic

from their night shift are deprived of sleep. (gmanetwork.com/news).

The City of General Trias is considered as one of the richest cities in the

province of Cavite. Popular from the numerous awards received as a city and

recognitions from different organizations, General Trias is truly a progressive city

to live in. Tejero is a barangay located at the City of General Trias, Cavite. Part of

it is a crossing in Tejero which leads to the four ways of the Municipalities of

Rosario, Tanza, Kawit leading to Manila, and to the City of General Trias. Much

often, this crossing is congested with traffic. The heavyweight traffic happening in

this crossing has been almost a culture for the people, particularly the Caviteños.

Moreover, the traffic nowadays in Tejero, General Trias, Cavite has become a

major problem of the place especially for the huge numbers of motorist. People

who happen to pass by this road through their own vehicles or even the

commuters, jeepney or tricycle drivers complain because of the heavy traffic they

usually experience, without them knowing the causes of such occurrence. It

causes many stress and delayed works to citizens especially those who chase

deadlines.

With this problem experienced by a lot of people including the Gentriseños,

the researcher aim that this study will scrutinize the causes and effects of traffic in

the crossing of Tejero, General Trias, Cavite. Through interviews particularly

surveys, the researcher will formulate a solution and appropriate scheme that

lessen or if possible totally eradicate traffic congestion in Tejero, General Trias,

Cavite. Likewise, after the causes have been distinguished, this study aims to

conclude or give some possible ways on how to prevent or even minimize such
phenomenon in the said crossing and may serve as reference for related

international organizations in dealing with traffic problems of states and countries.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Generally, the study aims to know the relationship of the influencing factors

of traffic in Tejero, General Trias, Cavite crossing and its effects to people who

experiences it.

Specifically, it seeks to study the following:

1. How long or how much time does the traffic in Tejero lasts for a certain

person to get to his/her desired destination?

2. Does the traffic in Tejero occur every day, or is there only a specific time

when the congestion happens?

3. Are the traffic rules being strictly implemented like the usage of proper

lanes, and parking areas?

4. Do the newly constructed traffic lights help the traffic enforcers manage

and alleviate the traffic congestion in Tejero?

5. Does the traffic cause stress or any other bad effects to people who

experience such congestion including the passengers and drivers?

OBJECTIVES

1. To help the people who pass by the Tejero crossing by knowing the possible

causes and effects of the traffic.

2. To help improve the traffic system in Tejero crossing, General Trias, Cavite.

3. For the local government in the City of General Trias and other affected

areas be informed of the relationship of the causes and effects of traffic to

the citizens, and therefore make solutions or adjustments.

IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

 This study will justify the relationship of the influencing factors and effects

of traffic that happens in Tejero, General Trias, Cavite. It will help the people who

travel along the crossing including students, workers, motorists, drivers, and the

whole public who often experience traffic in Tejero. By such, the study aims to

know the influencing factors of the traffic and its effects to people, and to further

let the government be informed on what adjustments must be done on the issue.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

The study is descriptive in nature and focused mainly on the influencing

factors and effects of traffic congestion in Tejero, General Trias Cavite. The

research sample is composed of twenty (20) persons experiencing the said issue.

There are four (4) categories which are students, factory workers in Export

Processing Zone Authorities (EPZA), traffic enforcers, and drivers. Each category

contains five (5) persons to complete the sample. The primary data gathering

method used is survey method to determine the perspective of the population

about the traffic in Tejero.

The study is delimited to certain categories of people who experiences

traffic congestion in Tejero for daily basis. Perspective of these people is delimited

only about the topic of the study. Moreover, the issue about the traffic is delimited

to people crossing the said road.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

bottleneck - a result of a specific physical condition, often the design of the road,

badly timed traffic lights, or sharp curves.

collision - occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal,

road debris, or other stationary obstruction

commuters - a person who travels some distance to work on a regular basis

congestion - characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased

vehicular queueing

intersection - an at-grade junction where two or more roads meet or cross

over speeding - driving past the speed limit

rush hour - a specific time of a day wherein traffic is usually at its peak

traffic jam - heavy traffic

transportation - the action of transporting someone or something or the process of

being transported

travel time - specified period of time spent in traveling

urban - characteristic of a city or town

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Analysis of Traffic Problems in Group Urban Development

Considering the number of traffic problems in group urban development at

present, such as the increase in pressure on urban roads, the decrease in vehicle

speed, traffic delays, and serious traffic pollution, this study presents an integrated

green traffic strategy for group urban development. This strategy has four basic

design characteristics namely: safety, convenience, information access and

protection of the urban environment. The target of this development strategy is to

provide an efficient, safe, and sustainable urban transportation development

Group urban configuration is described as urban areas made up of two or

more relatively dependent main groups and a certain number of basic groups.

Each group with its definite space has its own center and roadway system which

amounts into a city entity. The group regarded as an ideal urban structure, which

not only is highly efficient but maintains favorable natural environment. The so-

called group urban pattern indicates that a series of city areas with turning zones
have been formed, as well as preliminary structure-purpose fields to a certain

extent. Compared with other cities, the group city prevents traffic jams and

deterioration of the environment caused by the excessive scale of cities.

However, accompanied by the growth of the urban economic society,

extensive city scale and increasing population, unsolved traffic problems gradually

become vitally important. New traffic problems are constantly arising. For example,

the increase of pressure on urban roads, the decrease of vehicle speed, traffic

delays. And serious traffic pollution.

An integrated traffic scheme will provide unimpeded, safe, comfortable, and

clean traffic service. “Green traffic strategy” will give consumers a pleasant

environment as it reduces traffic congestion, lowers air pollution, increases social

equality and switches to eco-friendly beneficial multi-transport facilities. It is

necessary to construct high-speed access and networks, or the idea of “integrated

green traffic” strategy is a sustainable urban development traffic system with

human priority which is beneficial to those cities facing various traffic situations.

Urban group development is aimed at avoiding blind urban extension. It is

a system of ordered structure, supplementary function, optimized integration and

shared construction that allows harmonization of different city mode levels

horizontally and vertically. It supports and enhances development upgrade of

industrial areas. Group city functional space lowers development costs and

increases creative ability. However, extending the city group space leads to

increased distances between cities. In this case, it is necessary to construct high-

speed access and networks. The idea of an integrated green traffic strategy is a

sustainable urban development traffic system with human priority, and is proposed

for the group city which is facing various traffic situations.

International Studies
 The combination of continued travel growth and budget constraints makes

it difficult for transportation agencies to provide sufficient roadway capacity in major

metropolitan areas. The Federal Highway Administration, American Association of

State Highway and Transportation Officials, and National Cooperative Highway

Research Program sponsored a scanning study to examine congestion

management programs and policies in Europe. The scan team observed that

transportation agencies in Denmark, England, Germany, and the Netherlands,

through the deployment of congestion management strategies, are able to

optimize the investment in infrastructure to meet drivers’ needs. Strategies include

speed harmonization, temporary shoulder use, and dynamic signing and rerouting.

The team’s recommendations for U.S. implementation include promoting active

traffic management to optimize existing infrastructure during recurrent and

nonrecurrent congestion, emphasizing customer orientation, focusing on trip

reliability, providing consistent messages to roadway users, and making

operations a priority in planning, programming, and funding processes. (Mirshahi,

2007).

The Cause, Effect and Possible Solution to Traffic Congestion on Nigeria

Road

Traffic congestion is the impedance of vehicles imposed on each other due

to speed-flow relationship in conditions where the use of transport system

approaches capacity. Traffic congestion in Nigeria, taking Basorun-Akobo Road in

Ibadan Oyo State as a case study has been analyzed using experimental and

theoretical approaches. These involve traffic counting and delay survey. The effect

of traffic congestion on the study area are waste of time, delay movement,

accident, inability to forecast travel time, fuel consumption, road rage and

environmental pollution. Possible solutions to traffic congestion on the case study

area is to: dualize the road, provide adequate parking space, construct proper

drainage and install traffic control devices.

 The most noticeable congestion problem along the study road was found

during the peak hour. This is because of the concentration of individual workers’

vehicles that leave for work during morning and return home during afternoon.

Defects on the road also constitute significantly to congestion. Parking

vehicles inhibit the free-flow of traffic. Average delay on case road is 6minute which

is unacceptable as ideal time on that road course is just 15 seconds. The pick

hourly traffic is found between 7:45am and 8:30am and 4:00pm – 4:45pm for

morning and evening peak period respectively. Private cars are the most vehicular

type that ply the road. Morning congestion (coming) exceeded afternoon

congestion (going). Factors such as bad road (pothole) is also responsible for

congestion.

Local Studies

Senator Ralph Recto estimates that the Philippines suffers around a P2.6

billion (or $55.8 million) economic loss each day created by traffic congestion.

What’s more, this figure rises to P3 billion (or $64.39 million) at the peak of the

rainy season. What’s more, the country loses around 0.8% of its gross domestic

product because of this problem, with a productivity loss of P800 billion ($18 billion)

each year.

John Forbes, senior advisor of the American Chamber of Commerce of the

Philippines, warns of Metro Manila’s risk of becoming “uninhabitable” by 2020 if

vehicles continue to increase while roads and infrastructure remain the same. And

with a chaotic mega-city swarmed by 12 million commuters during the day, around

367,000 vehicles (more than double its capacity) in EDSA alone, and extremely

congested areas within Taft Avenue, Munoz, Katipunan Avenue, Cubao,

Balintawak, and Baclaran, our traffic problem will continue to get worse if left to rot

and sputter on its own.

 Under the Senate Bill No. 11, the Transportation Crisis Act of 2016 grants

President Duterte the right to use his “emergency powers” to fix the country’s”

horrendous traffic situation within and outside Metro Manila” and other major urban

areas, such as Metro Cebu and Cagayan de Oro. This bill allows the President to

do “source bidding, direct contracting, repeat order, shopping, and negotiated

procurement” to cut out the red tape that comes with bidding on construction

projects.

It will also allow the President to restructure the DOT together with its other

agencies like the LTO, LTFRB, and the MMDA. This might mean streamlining the

overlapping functions of these government institutions, and allowing the MMDA

and the DOT to be the only urban traffic management enforcers in Metro Manila

and other urban areas. It may also mean creating stricter traffic rule enforcement.

METHODOLOGY

LOCALE AND PARTICIPANTS

The study will be conducted in the month of October to December wherein

few students (if the health restrictions will be lifted) who live in Tejero, General

Trias, Cavite will be surveyed. Some factory workers from Export Processing Zone

Authorities (EPZA) will also be given a survey questionnaire. Likewise, traffic

enforcers and drivers will be included in conducting the survey. Ordinary citizens

who mostly travel and pass by the crossing in Tejero will be surveyed as well.

SAMPLE AND SAMPLING METHOD

The researcher will use survey research wherein there were twenty-five (25)

respondents, particularly students, factory workers, traffic enforcers, drivers, and

ordinary citizens who mostly pass by and experience traffic congestion in the

Tejero crossing. The researcher chose the sample through quota sampling by

choosing categories of people and giving specific number of respondents in each

category.

RESEARCH METHOD AND INSTRUMENT

The researcher will use survey method wherein the formulated

questionnaires which will be answered by the chosen sample. The researcher will

use self-made printed questionnaires in order to get accurate results of the study.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Input Process Output

 Formulation of  Execution of  Data

Research the survey Analysis
Problems method  Evaluation of
 Formulation of  Data Results
Research Gathering  Conclusion
Hypothesis  Recommenda
 Formulation of tion
survey
questionnaires
 Choosing their
sample

Based on the conceptual framework presented above, the input part deals

primarily on the formulation of research problems and research hypothesis,

construction of survey questions, and choosing of sample. The process part deals

with the execution of survey as well as the gathering of data. Lastly, the output part

deals with data analysis, results evaluation, and the formulation of conclusion and

recommendation.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Theory on the Traffic Problem in Metro Manila

Based on the study of Joshua Cua, the issue on traffic mostly lies on two

things. First it's the road. Second it's the people. The minor roads in Metro Manila
usually have bad traffic-flow planning. They usually lead to bottlenecks. Although

they are just minor roads, in rush hour, almost all of these are full of cars. This is

an addition to the traffic. Next are the people. Like what was stated earlier, drivers

and pedestrians are undisciplined. The policemen who accept bribes are a major

problem too. It's not only linked to corruption but it also contributes to the lack of

discipline of the people because when violators are caught, the most policemen

accept the offered bribed. In the end, the violators don't learn and corruption in the

country continues.

There are many problems that contribute to the traffic in Metro Manila, and

the problems work like a loop. A problem will link to another. For example, there is

taxi who stops in the middle of the road to take in a passenger. Then the car right

behind notices that the taxi would stop and delay him, so the car cuts through the

other lane. While cutting, he accidentally bumped the car behind him, leading to

an accident, which would further cause traffic. This example starts with traffic and

ends with traffic. It's just like a loop, but how do we stop this loop, or lessen the

traffic it causes? There is no solution to completely eliminate this since Metro

Manila is overpopulated. The best thing to do is to discipline yourself. Follow the

road rules with integrity. If you are caught, learn from your mistakes and pay the

real penalty.

Results and Findings

If this study will be finally conducted and concluded, it will show the causes

and effects of traffic congestion in Tejero, General Trias, Cavite. The results and

findings given by the respondents will serve as basis for this study.

Reference/s

 Your Dictionary. “traffic”. Retrieved from

https://www.yourdictionary.com/traffic.
 Mercurio, R. (2021). Philstar Global. “Philippines traffic worst in ASEAN, 9th

in world”. Retrieved from

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/01/11/2069604/philippines-traffic-

worst-asean-9th-world.

 Zhang, D. (2006). UPSpace institutional repository. “Analysis of the Traffic

Problems and Research on the Traffic Strategy in Group Urban

Development”. Retrieved from

https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/6154.

 B.M (2015). GMA News Authority. “Stress, pollution, fatigue: How traffic

jams affect your health”. Retrieved from

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/healthandwellness/536203/str

ess-pollution-fatigue-how-traffic-jams-affect-your-health/story/.

 Bull A. (2003). Traffic congestion: the problem and how to deal with it.

Retrieved from

https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/37898/1/LCG2199P_

en.pdf.

 FHWA. (2014). Office of international program. “Active Traffic Management:

The Next Step in Congestion Management”. Retrieved from

https://international.fhwa.dot.gov/pubs/pl07012/.

 Mirshahi, M. (2007). The national academies of science, engineering,

medicine. “Active Traffic Management: The Next Step in Congestion

Management”. Retrieved from https://trid.trb.org/view/814697.

 Raheem, S. (2015). The Cause, Effect and Possible Solution to Traffic

Congestion on Nigeria Road (A Case Study of Basorun-Akobo Road, Oyo

State). Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282246248_The_Cause_Effect_

and_Possible_Solution_to_Traffic_Congestion_on_Nigeria_Road_A_Case

_Study_of_Basorun-Akobo_Road_Oyo_State.
  Carmudi. (2016). Yahoo news. “The Philippine Traffic Problem: How the

New Government Plans to Solve It”. Retrieved from

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/philippine-traffic-problem-government-plans-

144811756.html.

 Cua. J. (2021). The Problem of Traffic in Metro Manila. Retrieved from

https://sites.google.com/a/my.xs.edu.ph/joshua-chua-14/social-

studies/the-problem-of-traffic-in-metro-

manila?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrint

Dialog=1.

xxxxx

(end of study)

Message to Professor

This semester will now go down to history and will become just a memory.

I would like to give thanks and gratitude to our dear Professor, Sir Jumel. Thank

You for giving us another shot despite the dark times we encountered last time.

Even the class is virtual in setup and given the fact that you are a busy person,

you didn’t forget to teach us great lessons that I can promise to you “IT WILL NOT

JUST GO DOWN TO HISTORY BUT TO MY HEART, BRAIN, and SOUL”. I will

do great things from your teachings soon with my field of endeavor. Thank You Sir.

Stranger, see you very soon and GodBless!