'Nabubulok’ and ‘di-nabubulok’ politicians

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

Last week the National Commission for Culture and the Arts issued a Cease and Desist Order over the implementation of a fencing and improvement project around city hall. The CDO is effective until such time that an architectural plan that will not destroy the historical characteristic of a historical site as marked by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines is approved by the agencies. 

When bad proposals prevail over the good, especially when it comes to preserving the natural environment of historical Baguio, one is bound to recall this city’s older times. In my case, I was raised in a neighborhood around a hill where Pineapples grew under Pine Trees. New Lucban road that goes around the hill was lined with Pine Trees as well. 

Pine needles tickle the feet of young boys who have nothing to do on weekends but walk and walk until they end up swimming in the river that winds around vegetable gardens in the valley below. On our way home before dark, we find ourselves catching Juju or Japanese fish in small natural ponds found between cabbage plots.

Fast forward to the 80s; Lucban Valley was no longer recognizable as the Pine needles disappeared, the natural ponds where the Juju swam dried up, while residential and storage houses occupied the gardens where the vegetables were produced. 

Two years after PNoy sat as President, he took note of reports that Baguio and Boracay, being leading tourist destinations, were growing rapidly and were being destroyed by commercialization as there was an apparent lack of comprehensive development and zoning plans, resulting in further degradation, deterioration and decay.

With that observation he created a task force composed of Tourism Sec. Ramon Jimenez, Environment Sec. Ramon Paje, Interior and Local Government Sec. Mar Roxas, DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson and Justice Sec. Leila de Lima. An inter-agency meeting immediately took place where environmental issues of Baguio and Boracay were presented. 

The presentation was expected to assist the task force draft an executive order that will draw a general environment plan for the conservation of Baguio City and Boracay as national assets.

Alas, the concerns presented to the task force by the city were not the issues opposed by its citizenry such as the commercialization and destruction of Burnham Park, issuance of land awards to squatter-occupants, parking lots on mini-forests, motor vehicle franchise issuance, and transient population. These issues were not discussed because they were intentionally avoided by the presentors. 

Six years ago, then Senators Rodolfo Biazon and Miriam Defensor-Santiago opened discussions on whether “Baguio is in a state of urban decay or not”. The resounding answer from sectors that were consulted was in the positive as proven by the data that were presented – unstoppable Townsite applications by squatters occupying private and public lands, lack of water supply caused by tourism and its requirements (hotels and restaurants), a continuing increase in transient population brought about by colleges and universities as multiplying factors, and traffic caused by the hooded issuance of thousands of new motor vehicle franchises. 

Before and beyond 2010, the city’s environment problems that were the elements of urban decay were never resolved. In fact, they became more serious. Proof of these were the massive Irisan trash slide sometime on August 2011, the uncollected basura in front of the public market and everywhere, illegal occupants became legal owners of lots they squatted on with the passage of a law segregating their lands from the public domain, the fast-pace development of residential subdivisions, and last but not the least was the unresolved traffic disorder controlled by a greedy traffic “experiment” that directed all motor vehicles to pass the loops and road network around SM Mall. 

But City Hall and self-proclaimed environmentalist-politicians change their priorities everytime elections come. On campaign flyers and ads they announce their undying love for the environment, but later support the construction of cement structures on little forests and even propose car parking projects on green lawns. These priorities are understandable. Money does not grow on football grounds as compared to construction and development that is where the money is. And as many have repeatedly said: Money does not grow on trees and trees cannot vote. 

Their grasp of “development” is equated with housing subdivisions, high-rise buildings and flyovers. And the higher the buildings and longer the flyovers, all the more that they understand “development”. They want Baguio to develop like a concrete jungle, similar to the decaying cities in Metro Manila and New York. If not for the oppositors to their proposals, our children will find Melvin Jones and its adjacent lots paved with cement. The choice is up to us if we want to sacrifice our green environment and open spaces in favor of concrete structures. 

So there. Too much concrete infrastructure and too much development is not too rewarding. Sooner or later it will look ugly and can destroy a once beautiful city. As election 2016 draws near, I am almost ready with a list of politicians that I can rely on, especially in terms of protecting our environment and natural resources.

On Election Day, be able to weed out the “nabubulok” candidate or the selective “environmentalist” who avoids issues that will affect his votes. Make sure that the “di-nabubulok” or “Green” public servants win come 2016. On Election Day, simply get rid of politicians who propose projects that destroy the environment and those who kill trees for their own benefit. Period.