March L. Fianza
The BLIST acronym for “Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba” was a derivative from a previous concept of an urban plan that Baguio “thinkers” resorted to after Benguet officials expressed doubts about their city counterparts who initially talked about a “Metro-Baguio.” I still can freshly recall the facial expression of a city official who gave his instant reply saying, “okay then, let’s not call it Metro-Baguio” when that opposition was raised in the Benguet provincial board in the 90s. The BLIST concept was revisited a few years ago, adding another letter “T” to the acronym which stood for “Tublay.” They say “all is well that ends well.” And so with the BLISTT concept, it should work well if the intentions of the proponents are pure.
It was also in the 90s when the Northwestern Luzon
Growth Quadrangle of President Ramos took off. But there was a lot of
difference between the two designs. The NWLGQ simply identified possible growth
areas out of the existing map of central business hubs from La Union to Ilocos
Norte and the Cordillera region (Northwestern Luzon) where infrastructure
development such as diversion roads and airports would be built. It consisted
of a plan to smoothen flow of trade and level the income opportunities of the
LGUs without necessarily bothering them with conditions or problems that may
arise as a result of the projects to be infused.
On the other hand, the planners of “Metro-Baguio”
thought of the concept as a solution to the city’s uncontrolled increase in
population that carried with it problems on squatting and housing, lack of
water supply, unstoppable increase in garbage, and the worsening traffic. The
“Metro-Baguio” concept was also seen as a solution to the city’s
overdevelopment characterized by too much concrete infrastructure. This was so
because of the mindset of one politician who has said over and over that
notorious line, “aramid tipakakitaan.” When I heard him say that, I
thought he must have calculatedly missed the letter “G.” He should have
said: “aramid tipagkakitaan.”
Squatting and housing were problems in the city
that have been known to elected politicians, but were the least of the problems
that were included in their election campaign menu that needed solutions. In
fact, squatting has become a fundamental part of a candidate’s
strategy to winning an election. The more you court squatters, the more chances
of winning. Added to that, the politically tainted processing of Townsite Sale
Applications for public lands, as if there are still public lands, has not
helped solve any of these problems but has complicated them.
In-migration and squatting contributed to
population explosion in the city which relatively gave rise to the problem on
lack of water supply. There was a time in the 70s when water to every kitchen
was not rationed and water flowed out of every house’s tap 24/7. That makes one
conclude that there was enough water supply for Baguio residents. But just like
water that flowed, illegal occupants to all kinds of lands in the city were
unstoppable too. Naturally, a water supply that is enough for a certain population
is no longer enough when the number of water users increases. A glassful of
water for one is not enough for two.
Lack of water supply has been unjustly and
selectively blamed on ancestral land owners of forested areas too. This, even
while city officials worked out plans to segregate portions of forest parks for
the benefit of illegal settlers. In addition, lack of water has not been
faulted to the issuance of hundreds of tree-cutting permits for thousands of
trees that have lowered the level of underground water. The truth is that in
Baguio, a selected bunch of officials favor and allows the cutting of trees to
put up housing subdivisions, access roads, parking lots and private commercial
buildings.
Traffic problem has worsened because those
concerned do not want to seriously face it. They know that this is not a
problem that directly affects them or the man on the street. True, if you don’t
drive, the traffic mess is the least of your worries. If I am not rushing, I
leave the car and walk leisurely to town, or ride a taxi and let the driver
worry about the traffic. Maybe, it is good to have a carless day in Baguio and
let every car owner park somewhere on the outskirts. I wish to see everyone
walking one of these days, including the mayor.
Sometimes I also think like some officials. I close
all the road intersections and leave no breathing sections for motorists in a
traffic jam to maneuver. I close road intersections and do not care about what
the riding public says as long as all motor vehicles pass by my favorite mall.
I remember well, this scheme was done on Naguillan road so that all motorists
would pass by Cooyeesan that was then losing business. The result was a bumper
to bumper traffic that became a real nightmare for whoever concocted the plan.
That is the same plan our traffic managers are implementing now, so that we
will all be directed to that monster on the hill. Remove all the intersection
barricades and I assure you 101 per cent that we will have a free road with
less traffic.
Another problem brought about by an increasing
population is an equally increasing volume of garbage. We have heard how the
garbage problem became the topic between opposing candidates in the last
election. We have heard how a politician said he can solve the problem on basura and
we have seen what he did when the basura spilled over to the other
side of the city’s boundary in Tuba, killing at least six, destroying houses
and burial grounds. Despite all the tragedy, concerned officials act like nothing
serious happened. Napuskolunayrupadan.
Lately, Mayor Mauricio Domogan of Baguio and Mayors
Greg Abalos, Oscar Camantiles, Arthur Baldo, FlorBentres, and Ruben Paoad of La
Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay, respectively, signed a document
creating the BLISTT Development Council. I am confident that while the Benguet
chief executives want to fast-track development in their municipalities, they
know which kind of development should be entertained. I have known them before
they became mayors. I know them as young and determined chief executives who
would not allow squatters to enter their lands through the BLISTT program. I
know that they would find out and eventually oppose any plan to centralize
water supply under BLISTT because there is not enough water supply in the city.
By the way, the water aquifer of the Busol forest is located inside La
Trinidad, not inside Baguio, as many of us have been misinformed all the while.
I am convinced that the Benguet mayors would put up a fight if BLISTT meant
sharing Baguio’s development, including
thebasura. – marchfianza777@yahoo.com
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