LAST week, a prologue to space given to how best to save Baguio from all that ails her. This week, we take heart from guest columnist, Mita Angela Dimalanta, whom yours truly went to Maryknoll Baguio with when we were children. Here, she writes for the Baguio We Want Forum, of which she heads the Trees and Water Cluster.
"The Baguio We Want Forum has its roots from Baguio We Want: A People’s Summit convened by Bishop Carlito Cenzon, and held on Feb 25, 2015. More than 500 people convened at the University of the Philippines Baguio Auditorium and clamored for a better Baguio with Baguio Diocese, Baguio Heritage Foundation, Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary, Pine Cone Movement, Inc., Zero Waste Baguio, Save 182. and Tongtongan ti Umili.
Committee Clusters were Environmental - Trees and Water, Waste Management, Air Pollution; Land Use; Community Participation; Governance and Legislation; Well-Being and Mobility; Local Businesses and Tourism. While Bishop Cenzon has since retired to reside in Manila, The Baguio We Want Forum continues to work for a better environment for our town.
"So, what responsible environmental action/s ought to be taken in Baguio?
1. SSS here and now. Everyone must Start Segregating at Source. Stop plastic use of bags and straws. Becky Tenefrancia, Zero Waste Baguio
2. Don’t cut or imperil trees, don’t allow burning of garbage or anything that pollutes air, have a proper garbage disposal system that’s modern, environmental, effective. Stop small scale mining, proliferation of vehicles, public or private. Take care of parks by planting, tending, cleaning. Keep open spaces and provide more such spaces as in pocket parks. End shanty construction on hill sides. Maribel Ongpin, Pine Cone Movement Inc. Chairperson
3. Take care of, maintain, and preserve heritage sites - Burnham Park (NO to Dinosaur Park), Post Office. City says it's national's property, but business permits continue being issued. Monin Navarro, Baguio Heritage Foundation
4. Rehabilitate Baguio. Change mindsets of people, have smarter roads, make Baguio a traffic calmed city, expand land zoning. Introduce color coding: red - business districts, limited parking, green - more people, forest, trees, blue - away from central business district; apply coding to barangay areas; promote efficient mass transport system; regreening and sustainability - reduce corruption. Joseph Claridades
5. Vote wisely for leaders who keep Baguio clean and green; take care of environment - NO to those who cut 761 trees in Mt. Sto. Tomas, destroyed Baguio and Pangasinan water supply; construct hotels, malls, parking lots in Burnham Park; build concrete structures to get x Pesos per hollow block; turn GSIS/Soroptimist Park, park across University of the Philippines Baguio, lungs of the city into a concrete jungle; give away public land and watersheds to kailyan, in the guise of giving to “urban poor,” are in power too long, keep Baguio dark and dirty. Let’s pray for guidance and enlightenment from the Holy Spirit, learn from experience when choosing Baguio and national leaders. Concerned Citizen
6. Have a walkable Baguio City. Keep terminals for vehicles entering Baguio in the outskirts. Encourage greening along pathways leading to interesting destinations. Preserve beloved Mt. Sto. Tomas which in my youth, my friends and I climbed when it was pristine. Onward with the green movement! Let’s not stop the fight to restore our Baguio to the Eden it was to us! - Esther Mendoza-Pacheco, Baguio City of Pines No More and former Ateneo Press Director."
Mita is also Executive Director of A Child's Dream Foundation, Inc., President of Soroptimist International Pines City, Inc., a Consultant for Baguio Country Club, Senior Lecturer at UP Baguio Institute of Management, and Trustee and Vice President of Pine Cone Movement, Inc.
Next week, more of the Baguio we want.