The bustling capital city of Manila has been ranked as the world’s number one “worst quality of life” destination, as reported by the X account Global Index.
Global Index, boasting a substantial following of over 245,000, presented an exhaustive list of cities purportedly grappling with the most challenging living conditions.
The report, which conspicuously omitted specific methodology or data sources to validate its findings, left numerous social media users puzzled and speculating about the criteria employed to determine “quality of life.”
Notably, Global Index’s Twitter post triggered an immediate outpour of comments, particularly from Filipino netizens who felt the need to voice their concerns.
Manila, with a massive population of over 1.8 million and a reputation as one of Asia’s most densely populated urban centers, emerged as the epicenter of this disheartening ranking.
This designation was followed by Lagos, Dhaka, Tehran, and Beirut, forming the upper echelons of the infamous list.
Further down, Caracas secured the 6th position, followed by Ho Chi Minh City, Rio de Janeiro, Jakarta, and Colombo.
The release of these rankings unleashed a flood of reactions from Filipino users on X (formerly Twitter), who attributed their city’s notorious ranking to various factors, including politics, traffic conditions, and corruption.
Commenting on the list, an X user, Jaycee Lim, a verified account holder, quipped, “MANILA NUMBER 1 #ProudToBeFilipino #Uniteam,” which can be interpreted as a satirical jab at supporters and fanatics of the current Bongbong Marcos administration.
Another user, Kim What, added a touch of humor with a comment, “Manila represent hahaha Unity pa more.”
When questioned about why Manila topped the list, social media users chimed in, blaming corrupt politicians, high crime rates, subpar infrastructure, and the presidency, among other factors.
Some sarcastically responded with the question, “bakit hindi?” which translates to “Why not?”
Additionally, there was a suggestion that some Indian cities deserved a place in the top 10 list.
Nevertheless, Filipino Twitter users refused to be overshadowed, with one sharing, “I’m from Manila, and I can say this is legit. Lucky to be living well here, but every time you drive out on the road, it’s depressing as heck.”
Unperturbed by the disheartening news, another user named Kulektor remained sarcastically optimistic, stating, “Golden Era is here. Congratulations Philippines. #uniteam pa more.”
Meanwhile, a sardonic user took the opportunity to express their sarcasm, saying, “Congratulations mga DdSH!+s and pulangaws! Ang galing2 ng UNITHIEVES tandem ninyo!” (Congratulations, you hypocrites and thieves! You make a great UNITHIEVES tandem!).
Contrasting this grim ranking, Global Index also listed the cities with the best quality of life, featuring The Hague, Rotterdam, Luxembourg, Vienna, and Valencia.
It’s noteworthy that earlier this year, Manila’s liveability ranking experienced a slight decline in the global standings, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for 2023.
Manila, now positioned at 136th place out of 173 cities, garnered a score of 60.9 out of 100, compared to its previous 132nd rank and a score of 58.7.
The Economist Intelligence Unit’s index assesses global locations based on the quality of living conditions provided to their inhabitants.
The Daily Netizen 