As a person who lived in both the Philippines and currently in Singapore, let me provide my two cents.
Firstly, I would like to say that “colder” is an exagerated term that doesn’t apply in Southeast Asia or the tropics for that matter. May I suggest we shift the comparative to “cooler”. Ok. That is the minor English edit out of the way.
Secondly, I am of the belief that Singapore is generally cooler than Manila but not as a result of better weather conditions in Singapore. Rather, Singapore has perfected an urban development model that prioritises the cooling of its urban jungle by building infrastructure with wind flow in mind, and the leverage on greenery to help cool down the city and provide much needed shade from the sun.
This is a 3D rendition of how wind flows through the various HDB (Housing & Development Board) blocks. Notice how in Singapore, estates usually have varying designs that vary in height and structural shape? The rendition above highlights wind flow and as you can see, the gaps between the buildings, the voids that are made by neighborhood amenities such as playgrounds and parking, and the varying heights allow wind to flow through seamlessly and be captured between the buildings, helping to cool down those areas. Also, notice how the wind continues to flow seamlessly to the estate in the background, where we can expect a repeat of the wind flow shown. This is the reason buildings in Singapore are not exactly cookie-cutter in nature. They are intentionally built where they stand and they are spaced apart to lower the obstruction to the wind flow.
Above is a typical neighborhood in Singapore. Notice how trees line up the road. Singapore is called a Garden City because of how green it is, and you cannot be a Garden City if your streets are not filled with an abundance of tall big trees that offer shade as you walk on the pavement from point A to point B.
In comparison, the above is a photo of Makati City. I do see some trees down the road, but notice how the smaller street in the bottom and the area around the junctions show no trees lining them? The absence of trees in such cases inevitably means there is a lack of natural shade and on a scorching clear blue sky day, that means you will feel the full intensity of the sun and the heat. Also, juxtapose this to the earlier photo of a typical Singapore neighborhood. Tall buildings act as further sources of shade, depending on the position of the sun in the sky.
Let us also tackle another elephant in the room; Manila’s traffic nightmare. I once read a statistic somewhere that Metro Manila alone has anywhere between 3.2 million to 3.5 million vehicles roaming about on its roads. Vehicles release pollutants and soot, and they contribute to increasing the general temperature. Imagine you are commuting along EDSA on a bus, or actually, let’s assume you are inside of a car. You are stuck in traffic, the vehicles are releasing pollutants into the air, and the temperature outside keeps going up as the day progresses towards noon. Your car will start to heat up and the lack of natural shades along the roads mean the sunrays are permeating through your car windows and heating up the interior too. You are essentially stuck inside your car, baking.
Now, you would be lucky if your car has strong AC, but imagine if you are commuting via jeepneys or any mode of transport that doesn’t have AC - that will quickly lead to one hot commute.
Now, compare that to Singapore, where the most popular mode of public transport is its subway, or the MRT. It does get crowded during peak hours, as you can see in the photo above, but they usually have strong ACs, they don’t get stuck in traffic, and parts of the MRT are essentially underground. Compared to getting stuck in Manila’s traffic or sweating it out in a jeepney or bus with no AC + stuck in traffic, the MRT offers a sense of cooling comfort that somebody in Manila could only dream of. Are you meeting friends for a nights out? The MRT is there. Are you commuting to work or school? The MRT is there. Are you heading to the neighborhood next to yours to do groceries? The MRT is there too!
And let’s not forget how Singapore has harnessed the power of building below ground and using ACs to cool down indoor spaces. Above is a photo of Marina Bay Link, and as the name implies, it is a link. What does it link? It links the various malls, some office buildings, and hotels that make up the iconic skyline of Singapore. You could say, this is one big underground series of shopping malls that allow you to walk from one part of the CBD to another without having to step outside in the open under the scorching sun, all while enjoying the comfort of the cold AC keeping this indoor space nice and cool.
Also, notice how these underground links are connected to the MRT? This essentially means you can enjoy less time out in the open. You leave your workplace, walk towards the nearest establishment that is connected to the MRT underground, and you enjoy practically zero direct exposure to the sun until you get off the MRT.
Afterwards, you could either enjoy walking under a sheltered linkway or cross a wide thoroughfare using a sheltered over-road pedestrian bridge, or as earlier established, walk on the pavement with trees and the tall buildings offering some shade.
Compare that to this; Quirino Highway in Novaliches. See how there is no sheltered walkway or much trees. See how people have to walk close to the traffic and vehicles that emit warm pollutants?
And this is why I am of the view that Singapore is cooler than Manila. The master plan is designed with wind flows in mind, public transport and establishments are efficiently integrated using underground linkways that make it unnecessary to have to walk at ground level under the sun, public transport is comfortable and well integrated to serve each and every area, and in places where building infrastructure might not yet be profitable, tall big trees are used to offer not only natural shade from the sun, but also provides greenification that helps with environmentalism and natural beauty.
Of course, there is also weather to consider. I find Singapore to be more rainy and wet and usually cloudy compared to Manila. In fact, as I write this answer, the Philippines is facing a severe heatwave while Singapore is getting by with some rain in the afternoons that help to cool down the temperature. Also, I am aware that Manila is a big metropolitan areas, so there are certainly places where it might feel cooler; I would assume BGC and Makati would have a more pleasant environment than say, Tondo or Fairview. I must also say that while Singapore is cooler, it is still hot in Singapore. Many rainy days means Singapore is very humid and that can make dry days feel especially stuffy and sticky to the skin. However, since things move efficiently and orderly in Singapore, you can be rest assured that you’ll be spending less time out and about and more time indoors (unless you work in construction or in any career that requires you to be outdoor).
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