Beavers and cyclops in Phl

I no longer have any doubts that there are giant beavers in the Philippines and one-eyed DENR officials who are either cyclops or myopic. All you need to search are images of the aftermath of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine and other past super typhoons that washed all the proof downhill or downstream and created islands of cut logs and wood slabs!

Last week, ABS-CBN posted images captured by drone cameras featuring parts of Taal Lake covered with assorted sizes of trees, logs, cut slabs and more. That was in the general vicinity where a major landslide cut off the towns of Talisay and Laurel. Who would have imagined that so many trees and cut lumber could wash down from the area, given that it is generally a tourism and vacation hub.

Either all those cut trees were the result of massive real estate development over decades or they came from areas not generally accessible to motorists or the public. But given “the lake of evidence,” what can people expect from the secretary of the DENR? Is the department going to seriously investigate or should we start poking the bear, a.k.a the ombudsman, to look at the undeniable proof that someone has been remiss in doing their jobs?

In the meantime, how many more lakes, rivers and lowlands need to be rolled flat by logs, rocks and mud before the administration of PBBM does something similar to the tree planting programs of Apo Ferdinand Marcos Sr.? Several typhoons have hit the country in the past two months, a lot of flooding has occurred but the only people who talk about “deforestation” and the need for serious tree planting programs are the victims!

If need be, MAKE every Filipino plant one tree on every birthday, require lot owners to plant trees in front or inside their property, require property developers to plant trees in front of and in between every unit they build and sell. I recently saw a number of low-cost housing developments in the provinces and they leave no room for common or public spaces, no green spaces and are allowed to get away with it.

I also noticed how such cheap developments build right up to the property line using a fire wall. Last I saw, a fire wall did not stop the fire from a commercial establishment from cracking the wall and burning into the row of townhouse units. Aside from the underperforming DENR, PBBM should have a serious discussion with the two gentlemen supposedly looking after and regulating housing in the Philippines because the system is corrupt and broken.

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Hats off to the Philippine National Police personnel, particularly those who manned various check points and cemeteries from Baguio City to La Union, to Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. Instead of the nightmare we expected to encounter driving up north on All Saints’ Day, we experienced less traffic than we did on daily drives in Metro Manila.

I believe that it’s only fair to compliment and commend the Northern Luzon PNP for a job well done. In spite of the volume of people at every cemetery, not once did we encounter a car, tricycle or van obstructing traffic.

People crossed only at designated pedestrian lanes, and we barely saw them piling into the highway if at all. Only PNP personnel manned the check points, and they actually checked every vehicle.

If anything needed correction, we would call out the DPWH in Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte to complete the asphalt overlay of right lanes on the highway. The national highways from La Union to Ilocos Norte were great but because of the uneven surface of the right (shoulder) lane that has not been overlayed with asphalt, many tricycles were “lane splitting” or driving right on the middle, creating risks and slowing traffic continuously.

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During our stay in Baguio City, I realized that while politics was not out in the open, people were clearly divided on who to support and why. The taxi drivers never talked about a specific candidate, but they would either talk about the state of peace and order, business or inflation.

Those who support the present Mayor Magalong talk about the continued progress and peace and order of Baguio City. On the opposite side, non-supporters would talk about the inflation, how Baguio City has become unaffordable for old timers or the originals of Baguio City, who are now outnumbered by people from the lowlands.

One KOL or Key Opinion Leader shared how current barangay officials within the city have flexed their powers and imposed rules such as no street parking even on residents and property owners. Given that most properties and homes in Baguio are built on slopes and steep terrain, and because the city evolved rather than developed based on a modernization plan, my source pointed out that imposing the no street parking rule even for residents is unrealistic and unfair.

At the very least, barangays or LGUs who wish to implement such a rule should first work on reducing the non-resident traffic or vehicle volume created by commercial establishments. The LGUs should also arrange, find, provide, even build alternative parking facilities for residents and property owners who pay real estate taxes, along with business establishments who pay taxes and provide jobs.

The problem that my Baguio City KOL pointed out is no different from the problems experienced by Metro Manila residents: know-it-all politicians who are amateur problem solvers for problems they created. As it has been suggested: you cannot solve a problem by using the very same people that created it!

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