By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
It was with much interest that I went through our headline story this issue. Sure it was a showdown.
As Mr. Rovillos of UP Baguio said, why don’t we just manage growth. Yep. But that should have been started by UP Baguio about 20 years ago when it planned to transfer the campus to Taloy, Tuba, Benguet. Officials of the school even went to have a kanyaw there. But when the ancestral land claimants said that UP Baguio must pay for the lot, it chickened out without giving a fight. Not even a semblance of it.
So UP Baguio remains on that small hill which could have been converted into a micro forest park. As it develops it will ccontinue to ontribute to the congestion of the city.
One of the proponent of the parking building is from University of the Cordileras. I was not surprised. There used to be a small corner beside UC’s main building planted with trees. A few years ago however the trees were decimated. This is in consonance with the trend among money making outfits. They are always in favor of “cement development.”
From my side, traffic problems are the cause of misdirected development, they will worsen and worsen. The only way out is to decentralize the economy. As long as development is concentrated in few areas, the traffic problems there will be “worsening and worsening.”
For the nth time, the government should pour resources in outlying areas like Abatan, Buguias or Rosario, La Union. If economic opportunities are spread out, there will be no parking problems in Baguio City that will need hideous cement builddings.
In the short term, revolutionary measures should be implemented to prevent further overpopulation of the city. How about not issuing building permits, requiring schools to close some of the courses they are offering, not issuing business permits anymore, penalties on the use of big cars, spreading out government offices in less populated areas or provinces, etc. Well, am I dreaming under present realities? Sure.
But for the past two decades, if laws were adopted every year to decentralize development then perhaps Baguio City would not be choking to death.
My point is, revolutionary measures are needed. There are small ones that are still realistic.
If my point is not clear, perhaps my idea on how Baguio should be developed might deliver the point. For instance, I have not been in favor of “cement development” as which is how the public market should not be developed. Why not make it like a park? Stalls will be in cottages, perhaps four per cottage. There would be pathways in between along with flowers as you would see these in a park. That should have been done at the burned area where “Center Mall” is now located.
Realistic? I know, you will call me crazy. Well, otherwsse this would not be the Philippines.
Incidentally, there was a text invitation to the lecture of Dr. Ian Morley on urban space in UP Baguio but time was not on my side. I like going to lectures and mass media coverages but most of the time I am embarrassed as I often tend to hug the mic. If the crowd is composed of local media people they often would give way when I say, “According to age. I should shoot the first question.” Then I would end up saying a lot of things before the question comes.
Sometimes, senior citizens like me should be entitled to some allowances even if grudgingly given.
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