Editorial: Parks are winners

Editorial Cartoon by John Gilbert Manantan
Editorial Cartoon by John Gilbert Manantan

Parks and open spaces, once said a political communicator, is a sure winner as they don’t need to be explained to citizens.

Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera pushes to the table a resolution for the City Government to allocate 10 hectares of South Road Properties land for an open space park and recreation area. Garganera chairs the Council committee on environment, energy, transportation, communication and other utilities.

An attempt to create an open space children’s park in Pasil, launched with much fanfare during the mayorship of Vice Mayor Michael Rama during the city’s 79th Charter Day anniversary in February 2016, apparently failed; it won’t take a second to appreciate its fate today.

“It is imperative to maintain a healthy environment for the people by providing open spaces and recreational areas to enhance quality of life. With the rapid development of the City with high-rise buildings and expansive subdivision projects, we may lose the chance to have a green space and that’s why there should be a need to balance urbanization and environmental sustainability,” says the councilor on his social media page. “It will serve as green areas that can be associated to boost mental and physical health among individuals in the city of Cebu,” adds Garganera.

Parks and open spaces do need to be explained to policymakers as some either just don’t get it or are bound to miss the leverage one gets to be their advocate.

Experts have been trying to push for urban parks and green spaces for a good number of reasons—mental health, environment, even water catchment and drainage system.

Studies in urban psychology found that people living nearer green, open spaces have lesser odds of experiencing mental stress than those who are far removed from these areas. Over 50 percent of people who are discrete about their stress are more likely to visit open spaces. Open space frequenters, on the other hand, are found to have less stress than those stuck in the cramp urban jungle. From many different views, one can only appreciate the clear link between the mental health of urban denizens to the availability of green and open spaces. The volume of studies that backs this view makes Garganera’s proposition not only sound, but urgent, especially in our post-pandemic metropolis.

The Department of Health signed the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 11036 or the Mental Health Act, which was signed into law on June 20, 2018. The law established a policy towards improving the mental health of citizens, underscoring the basic right of all Filipinos to mental health. Highlighted in this law is the government’s responsibility to promote mental health services to the community. Garganera’s proposal for a 10-hectare green, open space at the SRP serves exactly just that task—the mental health of Cebuanos.

While at it, it may also be necessary to point out the public health problem of drug addiction in our communities. Based on the volume of drug surrenderers and persons deprived of liberty that are now availing themselves of the government’s community-based therapy, there is no question that many individuals have succumbed to the vice for undiagnosed mental health problems. Substance abuse, as authorities have found in the years of campaign against illegal drugs, has been linked to increased criminality.

To get to the bottom of many of our problems as a community may help us see how crucial and relevant a seemingly benign proposal as a green, open space where people get a sense of relief, some stillness to get hold of that oftentimes fleeting lucidity in life.

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