Wednesday, January 14, 2009 Osmeña: Paradise lost By Antonio V. Osmeña Estatements
ANALYSTS, environmentalists and critics are worried about the environmental policy of the Province of Cebu.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who have spent much time in Suroy-Suroy Sugbo, has done a lot to further promote tourism in the countryside—making Cebu among the top destinations for tourists in our country.
Unfortunately, her presence at the planned industrial park in Toledo City signifies her support for such undertaking, which contradicts the objectives of tourism development since manufacturing industry will introduce polluting substances in the environment.
Today, the Visayan archipelago—specifically Cebu—has been recognized by foreign tourists as a paradise because of its pristine environment. If tourism development is the thrust of the government in the province, the site of the manufacturing industry should be located outside the region.
The fragile ecosystem of the islands of Cebu that have a combined land area of only 530,000 hectares, cannot accommodate large-scale manufacturing industries.
Political leaders must now identify the major causes of environmental crisis in the province. Although experts disagree on the relative importance , this column might provide an intelligent guide for the Province of Cebu to ponder on:
1) insufficient pollution control has resulted in increasing pollution of air, water and soil in many parts of Cebu. Lack of pollution control can be blamed on failure to enact strict pollution control laws and weak enforcement of existing anti-pollution measures.
2) Unwise use of technology, which comes as a result of the failure to consider short- and long-term environmental and cultural effects of introducing a particular technology on a widespread basis. Problems also arise when there is over-emphasis on high technology rather than using appropriate technology or a mix of high and appropriate technology designed to minimize environmental impact. Blind faith in technology also creates problems.
3) Crisis in management, which involves emphasis on economic growth at any cost, refusal to establish and enforce short- and long-term priorities to protect the air, water, soil and other renewable and nonrenewable resources that sustain all the life on earth.
4) Over-consumption and wasteful patterns of resource consumption as indication of a throw-away society. Environmental problems occur in the manufacture of products that are not durable, resulting in increase resource use. These issues arise from the need to promote economic growth and increase profits. These problems are also caused by our failure to distinguish our wants from our needs in the emphasis on getting more things that are not essential to achieve a life of dignity and quality.
Pollution problems also arise due to too little recycling and reuse of vital matter resources; too little emphasis on energy conservation; and eliminating wasteful uses of energy resources.
5) Population distribution problems come up as indication of urban crisis as more and more rural people crowd into already-overburdened cities looking for work. The tourism industry, as well as the overseas Filipino workers, have been the least affected by the world economic meltdown. It is in the manufacturing industry where most of the work force is affected.
To protect Cebu’s tourism industry, Governor Garcia needs to implement land-use control. The political will of the governor is now much needed to effect the land-use control to maintain the existing pristine environment of Cebu.
This can be done through: (1) direct purchase of land by a public agency or by private interests to ensure that it is used for the prescribed purposes, (2) zoning land so it can be used only for tourism projects, (3) giving tax breaks to landowners who agree to use land only for given purposes such as agriculture or open space, and (4) using environmental impact statements (EISs) to stop or delay harmful projects by forcing consideration of adverse impacts and alternatives to all national land-use projects, if any.
Unfortunately, private conservation organizations have failed to perform a valuable public service by buying and protecting land.
Today, over 500 private land trusts in America have bought and protected close to three million acres of rare, beautiful and threatened areas of land—an area equivalent in size to the state of Connecticut.
Can Governor Garcia establish the first Cebu Comprehensive Zoning Law even if the favorite strategy of traditional politicians is to say, “I agree with you, but what you are suggesting is not feasible”? Such statement is often a smokescreen to avoid hard thinking, risk-taking, and leadership.
