PH Grassroots Coalition Wins Global Cities Prize for Transport Reform
NEW YORK, 23 April 2026 – The Move As One Coalition, a Philippine-based grassroots and youth-led movement, won the grand prize in the 2025-2026 World Resources Institute (WRI) Ross Center Prize for Cities during awarding ceremonies held on 20 April 2026 at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City.
The WRI recognized the coalition for mobilizing public support and policy action in favor of safer streets, expanded active transport infrastructure, and more inclusive public transport. It also cited the coalition’s contributions to improved pay and working conditions for more than 100,000 transport workers, the expansion of protected bike lanes, and increased investment in safer and more reliable mobility systems.
Founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Move As One Coalition grew from a Manila-based initiative into a national movement bringing together commuters, transport workers, and other advocates in support of more reliable and accessible transport systems. Through public advocacy and policy engagement, the coalition has advanced reforms promoting safer streets, expanded bicycle infrastructure, improved public transport, and stronger protections for transport workers.
Ms. Reycel Hyacenth Bendaña, National Coordinator of the Move As One Coalition, and Mr. Kenneth Isaiah Abante, former National Coordinator, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.
“This recognition affirms something we have always believed: when people come together, they can shape the future of their cities,” Ms. Bendaña said, as she dedicated the award not only to the coalition but also to the commuters, workers, and community members who have organized and spoken out for a safer, more humane, and more inclusive transport system.
WRI President and CEO Ani Dasgupta lauded the initiative for demonstrating how communities and young people could come together to shape public policy and influence investment at an enormous scale. WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Global Director Rogier van den Berg likewise underscored that the coalition showed how civic participation and grassroots energy could be translated into durable reform.
The WRI is a global research organization that works with governments, businesses, and communities to advance practical solutions for sustainable development. Its Ross Center Prize for Cities recognizes transformative initiatives that improve health, sustainability, and equity in urban areas. This year’s cycle, themed “Catalyzing Healthy Cities,” drew 334 submissions from 230 cities across 77 countries. The four other finalists were Atlanta Beltline from Atlanta, United States; Sistema Verde Urbano from Loja, Ecuador; Revitalizing Informal Settlements and Environments (RISE) from Makassar, Indonesia; and Book Bunk from Nairobi, Kenya.
On 23 April 2026, Consul General Senen T. Mangalile, who also attended the awarding ceremony, warmly received Ms. Bendaña and Mr. Abante at the Philippine Center in New York. During the call, Consul General Mangalile and the delegation exchanged views on the coalition’s organizing model, particularly its emphasis on trust-building as a foundation for collective action. The delegation shared that Move As One’s work relies on bringing together diverse stakeholders, sustaining relationships across sectors, and building enough trust for advocates, communities, transport workers, local governments, and reform-minded public servants to work through differences toward shared mobility goals.
Consul General Mangalile commended the organization for bringing recognition to the Philippines through its efforts to advance sustainable and people-centered urban mobility. END
