Upon landing in NAIA Terminal 3, although much has improved from years back, we can still say that so much more can be done.

This writer spent the weekend in Singapore to catch the iconic U2 for their “The Joshua Tree” concert. We were among the Filipinos who were too excited to buy tickets at the Singapore leg, which was announced weeks before the band decided to perform in the Philippines.

Surprisingly, there were not a few of us, Pinoys, who trooped to Singapore. I bumped into a lot of friends, including some politicians I am acquainted with. The concert, may I say, was fantastic, definitely one for the books. And what made it even more memorable were the top-class facilities and impressive management by the organizers.

I hope and wonder how the Philippines will fare in hosting U2 in its Philippine concert scheduled exactly a week from now on 11 December. If there’s any indication, we can always look back on how magnificent the Philippine Arena looked during the Opening Ceremonies of the SEA Games last Sunday. While we all know that U2 will “bring it” for the Manila show, the logistics and crowd management will be just as important, especially that it is to be held in a venue two hours from the heart of Manila.

After the U2 concert at the Singapore Stadium, we walked to the nearby subway station, changed a line, and got off Orchard Road for a 10-minute walk to our hotel, making it a good 30-minute commute without getting in a car. I recall the single huge concert we attended outside of Manila — a music festival in Clark, Pampanga, some five years ago. The lines to get out of the parking area and at the toll gate took us hours on a Sunday night, they made up a coffee-heavy Monday the following day.

For Filipinos born, raised, and working in Metro Manila, this is a natural envy we feel whenever we set foot on a first-class country. What makes us more envious when we visit Singapore is the fact that it is so much like Metro Manila in terms of geographical size (i.e., Singapore — 72,150 hectares; Metro Manila — 61,960 hectares), cultural diversity and climate. What makes the feeling worse is that Singapore is a younger country than the Philippines, having attained independence from the British in 1959, as compared to us in 1946 from the United States, located also in the South East Asia, a mere four-hour plane ride from Manila.

My nephew Matt and Sofi, who joined us in the trip (and helped take care of our kids while we mommy and daddy were rocking out to U2), were quick to point out Singapore’s advancements, proof that it doesn’t take an expert and highly-technical consultant, paid in six-digits from taxpayers’ money, to see how far behind we are. Matt, 14-years old, noticed that there are no toll gates for cars in Singapore — that’s because each car has its own RFID chip automatically detected by sensors located in roads that lead to expressways. While 11-year-old Sofi was keener on the touristy attractions we visited — Universal Studios, River Safari, Arts and Science Museum and Gardens by the Bay. She commented that Singaporeans seem to afford the better things in life, which may have led to Singapore being named the most expensive city in the world.

From conversations with our Grab drivers, we learned how their government controls the number of cars on the roads. For instance, buying a car is more expensive and will require a certificate of entitlement that is good for 10 years. There is an Electronic Road Pricing system meant to regulate traffic by imposing fees on heavily used roads. Eventually there will be a road users’ charge for all drivers on the road based on the performance. In Sentosa, we learned the port beside the island will be transferred to a farther area to give way to a new commercial development worth billions of dollars.

The stark contrast between our countries is felt at the shift in airports. Changi Airport, voted the best in the world, now boasts The Jewel, an indoor waterfall within a mall which that can be mistaken from a scene in the movie “Avatar.” Upon landing in NAIA Terminal 3, although much has improved from years back, we can still say that so much more can be done.

An airport battle is brewing in our country with SMC’s Bulacan Airport, Cavite’s Sangley Airport and a proposed P102-billion NAIA Upgrade vying to be the main airport of choice. The Manila Subway has been called a “white elephant” by a senator, and another lawmaker called the “Build, Build, Build” initiative a “dismal failure.” Thousands of cars use limited roads daily with no solution in sight, though I am grateful with SMC opening the new entry point to the Skyway for northbound commuters on SLEX.

Daily news in the Philippines show that there’s hope in developing our country but we are nearing an analysis paralysis if we haven’t yet. It may take several generations for us to catch up to Singapore, but if we can have a Lee Kuan Yew-type of President who enjoys the support of the people, a single generation can do.