North Greenhills 39 years ago

This is the story of a village.

It maybe your story too, the story of everyone, whether he lives in a barrio or a modern subdivision – we call today a barangay.

Just like Man, the days of innocence mark the early years. Then in his adolescence he becomes vulnerable to ambition and deception. Will he succumb to it in his adult years or will he mature properly and fight it? Would he let his errors be his friend and strength? Or would he be swayed by the strong even if they were wrong?

Dangerous but interesting times

Our village of North Greenhills grew together with my three children 27 years ago. We were altogether 60 parents watching our youngsters grow while making sure our homes were safe in a community, which could meet the basic needs in security, health and sanitation, recreation and spiritual matters provided by good schools and a parish church. Among my neighbors were Imelda Marcos’ secretary Fe Jimenez Roa, Imelda’s youngest sister Chita Yap and other relatives like the Disinis and the Escolins. Other Marcos men included Rolly de la Cuesta (later Secretary of Defense), administrator of Philippine Coco Authority and Ronnie Zamora, Presidential Assistant on Legal Affairs. During his lengthy term as San Juan mayor, Joseph “Erap” Estrada lived in North Greenhills until he became president. We also had four generals – Gen. Romeo Espino, Gen. Alfredo Montoya, Gen. Romeo Gatan and Gen. Edon Yap. The rest were Chinese businessmen, doctors (from Cardinal Santos or St. Luke’s hospitals) and a handful of foreigners.

While I was managing director of the O.B. Montessori of Sta. Ana, Makati and Quezon City, I also hosted a weekly TV show, “Montessori for Everyone”, for ABS-CBN from 1970 to 1972. Max was then writing the “By the Way” column for Manila Times. He also did a weekly TV show, “Impact”.

Oplan Sagittarius hastens declaration of Martial Law

On the eve of September 8, Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino came live on Max’s show. He revealed former President Ferdinand Marcos’ plan code-named Oplan Sagittarius, to declare Martial Law in the Philippines. Max had to put aside his scheduled taped interview with then Gen. Fidel V. Ramos.

This revelation made Marcos impose martial rule a month earlier than he planned. On September 21, 1972, Max was arrested at 2 a.m., a few hours after Ninoy was arrested. While 3,000 anti-Marcos men and women were detained at Camp Crame, Max and Ninoy were in special detention at the officers’ headquarters at the Fort Bonifacio with two Con-Con delegates, two publishers, Chino Roces and Teddy Locsin, former senators Soc Rodrigo, Monching Mitra, Jose Diokno and labor judge Atty. Vicente. After two months, all of them were released except for Aquino and Diokno.

Establishing the village association

By December of the same year, the Ortigas & Company was trying to set up the North Greenhills Association (NGA). During the meeting of the early residents, Max, who was just released from his arrest, was elected the first NGA president; Ray Lorenzana, a businessman, first vice president; Dr. Tony Perez, an EENT specialist, second vice president. The NGA was duly incorporated with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The first year of existence was devoted to the establishment of a modus vivendi with the subdivision developers, the Ortigas & Company Limited Partnership. This meant completing a cement wall around the subdivision (specially since the northern portion was occupied by squatters), placing guard posts at the Madison and Buchanan street gates and making sure Meralco would install enough lamp posts. With the board’s persistence, PLDT speedily installed the needed telephone lines. It was the late Mindanao Governor Francisco Abalos, a graduate of the Harvard School of Law, who chaired the Security and Legal Committee with Atty. Hector Rivera, an executive of Roberto Benedicto’s United Planters Bank.

When Ortigas & Company finally turned over the cost of maintaining the security guards and all the electric lamp posts and parks in North Greenhills to the residents in 1975, the P.50 per square meter dues rose to P.70, while the Makati villages required P1-P1.50 per square meter. Today, North Greenhills charges P25 per square meters.

Problems encountered to keep the village secure and healthy

Below are items I picked out from the Terminal Report of NGA president Max V. Soliven (1973-1975), dated August 16, 1975, which included a detailed financial accounting:

“Garbage Collection has proven a perennial problem. Part of the problem lies in the fact that San Juan has only a few old dump trucks – and these are frequently in a state of disrepair. When the single truck assigned to all of Greenhills breaks down then it’s goodnight!”

“Thanks to the efforts of our treasurer, Mrs. Julia Bernardo, one of the country’s leading exterminators has been fogging and undertaking anti-pest expeditions in our neighborhood, and is now in the final phase of sending teams from house to house to root out rats, cockroaches, flies and other ‘residential’ pests.

“Thanks particularly to Engr. Cesar Campos, vice president of A. Soriano Inc., who brought in by boat more than 129 trees from Bislig, Mindanao. These eucalyptus are fast growing and fragrant.”

1975-1986 getting acquainted through board meetings and Block Rosary

By 1975 to 1986, Gen. Edon Yap, Rolly de la Cuesta, Tony de las Alas Jr.+, Ronnie Zamora, Gabby Singson, Bren Guiao+, Juan de Castro, Jolly Bugarin+, Bernie Pardo and Loi Ejercito served as NGA presidents to 300 families. Loi’s husband, then Mayor Joseph Estrada was very supportive.

Two regular activities kept friendship’s flame brightly lit in the small neighborhood – the Monthly Board Meetings and the Block Rosary. The monthly meeting of the board was held in each board member’s residence. As each one took his turn we got better acquainted with their families in their lovely homes and gardens. Feasting on home-cooked specialties of the lady of the house was a monthly experience we all looked forward to. I have been privileged to be part of these pleasurable meetings. Gen. Edon Yap even spearheaded brisk walking morning inspection of all streets with the Board of Governors. Numerous constructions were going on. Burglary reports were picked out from El Tigre security guards’ logbook for the Gazette.

The Block Rosary Movement was very intensive. Each board member’s wife was assigned to each street or block. She would make phone calls to invite the housewife hostess for the rosary recitation per block. Besides the benefit of the personal acquaintance of all families the spiritual graces united us and helped ease any differences. Santacruzan was held yearly, inviting sagalas from Northeast, East and West Greenhills.

Within these first 15 years, I met almost all the families on each street. Quite active with the youth activities throughout the years, I watched their children grow from their preschool years to their teen years and now, these children have their own growing children.

Sports, gazette, concerts for all Greenhills

Rolly de la Cuesta (1876-1977), with his board member Sedito Mapa, made sure that all the NGA sports facilities would finally be completed. These included the covered basketball court, the three tennis courts and the Johnson Park office and lawn, as well as the McKinley children’s playground.

Yearly, from 1973, the NGA board members would form basketball teams – “the seniors”, “the juniors” and the “young ones.” We had very good “senior” players like Jose Duran, Sunday Pineda, Danny Floro and the likes. Even “Erap” and Max played with them. Later, the other three Greenhills Village basketball teams were invited for friendly summer tournaments.

It was NGA president, Ronnie Zamora who organized the official NGA Gazette and recruited the staff members, which included Corina Mojica of Benipayo Press, Tessie Oben of Aurelio Hotel, Ogie Alviar and myself. We would issue the gazette four times a year. Eventually, the NGA Gazette became “An All-Greenhills” Gazette, which reported various news from the four villages. I edited the NGA portion.

During Zamora’s term, his vice president Pabling Carlos invited the whole Philippine Symphony Orchestra to play at McKinley Park, all at his own expense. One Christmas, he invited what seems to be the whole city of Marikina, his birthplace. A cast of 150 shepherds, villagers, angels, St. Joseph and the infanticipating Mary performing the Filipino traditional, Panuluyan with a band ensemble.

From happy times to bad times

It came to a point when we, the senior village residents, took things for granted. We confidently let the “newcomers” fill-up the Board. However, we noted that the village gazette, which updated everyone with the current news, was no longer being circulated. The original set of past village presidents were not being consulted.

Then doomsday came... (to be continued)