Urban Ape

Crafting the Shelter Code: Policy and Implementation Implications

2007-12-03T22:46:00.000+08:00

The signing into law of the much awaited Comprehensive Urban Shelter Services Code of Davao City or the Davao City Shelter Code in short opens up new possibilities and opportunities for the urban poor sector.

The passage of the Code is the result of strong and sustained advocacy work by various urban poor groups, non-government organizations and alternative law groups. This resulted from the First Davao City Housing Congress held a year ago through the initiative of Councilor Arnolfo Cabling, who chairs the City Council Committee on Housing and Urban and Rural Development. During that congress various housing issues were raised by the participants. After the congress, continued discussions among the different stakeholders on how to address the issues raised kept going on. To formalize the discussions, a Shelter Alliance was formed. This alliance evolved into what will become the Shelter Code Technical Working Group.

The most prominent issue that was raised was: How can Davao City provide accessible and affordable housing for the urban poor? The answer to this question is as varied as the players in the housing sector. The need to rationalize the delivery of housing services for the urban poor was glaringly prominent. The only way to rationalize this was through legislation.

There were attempts in the past to come up with this specific legislation in mind. In fact, Councilors Leo Avila and Angging Librado - Trinidad prepared legislative proposals towards this end. Councilor Danny Dayanghirang sponsored a resolution pushing for a shelter code. These proposed legislation and resolution were picked up by the Shelter Code Technical Working Group, and then compiled into a working draft.

Brainstorming sessions and discussions were held regularly. Urban poor sector consultations became part of the process. Similar legislation from Naga City, Marikina, Quezon City and Mandaluyong were also reviewed. The final draft of the Shelter Code that was presented to Councilor Cablings’ committee was a product of intense discussions and debates among members of the Technical Working Group. These discussions were based on actual experience on the field and engagements with different housing related agencies and the implementation of housing policy.

The debates on the session hall of the city council were intensely and purposively observed by members of the urban poor sector and the technical working group. Some councilors were perceived by the observers as nuisance legislators, while others were seen as fence sitters. As the debates intensified, members of the alliance went into high gear in their lobbying efforts.

The ordinance signed into law by Mayor Duterte is the result of a very comprehensive process. Members of the Technical Working Group and the urban poor sector are confident that the ordinance is a tool that can be used to answer the housing concerns of Davao City.

How then can this ordinance answer the housing needs of the urban poor?

The Davao City Shelter Code mandates the representation of the urban poor sector in the Local Housing Board. They will have four representatives. These representatives will be tasked in ensuring that housing policy of Davao City will meet their concerns.

Housing concerns will now be addressed purposively on an annual basis through the Local Housing Board. With out the Shelter Code, housing concerns can be treated on a seasonal basis by city hall. Shelter planning in Davao City is now anticipated to be proactive and purposive through the Shelter Plan that will be put together by the Local Housing Board.

Housing developers with projects in the city is now required by the Shelter Code to implement their 20% socialized housing balance in Davao City. In the past, developers can comply with this regulation in areas outside Davao City. This provision in the Shelter Code ensures that urban poor housing projects by developers in Davao City will be implemented within the city for them.

A fixed annual budget for the Local Housing Board is mandated by the Shelter Code. This means housing concerns of the city will now be addressed on a sustained basis.

They way the Davao Shelter Code was crafted is groundbreaking. What remains to be seen is how Davao City will implement this innovative piece of legislation.

Members of the urban poor sector will closely observe this very crucial stage in the evolution of Davao City’s housing sector concerns. You can count on them to be watching closely.

I DEMAND AND EXPLANATION

2007-09-12T11:26:00.000+08:00

Civilized Society exists because of set methods and procedures set by customs, traditions, regulations, ordinances and laws. These methods cover a broad range of human activity, which makes human interaction predictable. Uncivilized persons are those who behave unpredictably.

Ape may be creatures of the jungle, but our behavior are as unpredictable as the rising and the setting of the sun. Come to think of it, we apes are more civilized than most humans. It is for this reason, human cities are called urban jungles, while ape habitats are called Lost Edens. What a twist!

Davao City is a rapidly urbanizing jungle. And an uncivilized jungle it will become if legalese will have its way.

Just look at all those national and local government projects put on hold.

Take the Bankerohan Bridge for example. Before the elections, work on the bridge seemed to take place 24/7. Work crew were on location seemingly working as if to tell motorists that a new bridge will be put in place in a month or so. Now, not even an ant worker can be seen on location.

The same thing for projects done through the initiative of our congress persons and local officials who were candidates in the recently held elections. Not even a worker ant can be seen in place.

In Catalunan Grance where I live, the construction of an early childhood school building was going on day and night a few weeks before elections. Today, its just posts and beams and discarded wood on site, posing a danger to kids playing.

The drainage project at Matina Aplaya has ground to a half step. Before the elections, work went on 24/7. Now, only a token work force shows up on site. When it rains cats, dogs, fish and what not, the whole narrow stretch of the Matina Aplaya road is under water. Its as if the Matina River has been given a mandate to use the road on its way to the Davao Gulf.

Wow!

You and I know what is going on with the Traffic signalization project being undertaken by the city. In a few months, the traffic scheme will be celebrate 1 year in – aaaarghhhh! – making lives of drivers and commuters inconvenient. We still have flashing red lights on very strategic intersections during peak travel hours, with the ever unreliable dancing traffic aide in the center who sometimes forget which lane should go next.
I won’t elaborate any more because you dear reader is not ignorant of all of these goings on.

We, the electorate have been had by the candidates of the last elections. Now that they have been elected to their desired positions, isn’t it time that we ask them to account.

In the forest where we Apes live, Silver Backs are respected for as long as they are able to keep the peace. Lions are King for as long as they are able to control and minimize threats.

The tragedy that could befall the Davao City is the complacency of the citizen electorate.

Hey Voter, don’t you understand that you have been short changed by those you voted into office.

To be honest, this Ape got short changed.

I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION!

Encounter with the Bomb Squad

2007-09-02T16:57:00.000+08:00

The whole day yesterday was uneventful and actually boring. I had to sit through 8 hours of not so interesting presentations about real estate brokerage. The evening was real cool. The result of downright stupidity on my part.

After the 8 hour ordeal I went through with a friend, we decided to eat durian in one of the many durian stalls in the city. I had with me a brown envelope filled with hand outs and a notebook containing notes of past and current projects.

After eating our way through 3 kilos of durian, we decided to go home. The jeepney route to our place was just next to the durian park. While waiting for the jeepney to come, we decided to sit on the steps leading to a bank.

We spent the time waiting for the jeep talking about our day the the possibilities for the rest of the evening. After one cigarette stick, a jeepney crawled its way through the almost empty street. So we both took off and rode on the jeepney.

After around five minutes of riding, we reached a major intersection where the traffic light turned red. I then noticed the envelope I had was missing. I told my friend we had to go back to get the envelope.

We both walked back briskly to the bank, which was 4 to 5 block away. My friend told me to slow down a bit to avoid perspiring profusely. We slowed down a bit. I was worried someone will see the envelope and take it.

When we reached the junction next to the durian park, we noticed emergency red and blue lights flashing from police and Task Force Davao vehicles. The road was closed to traffic. Then we noticed the presence of Bomb Sniffing Dogs in the vicinity.

Cold sweat dripped from my arms when it dawned on me that the dogs were there to sniff on the envelope I left behind. I sprinted to the bank. Indeed, a couple of bomb sniffing dogs were sniffing the envelope and policemen and Task Force Davao personnel had their flash lights trained on the envelope.

I rushed to retrieve the envelope and explain the contents to the public safety personnel.

The whole experience was so embarrassing, and yet it showed to me the dedication these highly trained personnel had in them to keep the city safe from terror.

For that I salute them.

To the City I go

2007-08-27T09:48:00.000+08:00

It's a Monday Holiday today. I have a meeting to attend down town. I hope traffic is not that bad today. I'm actually starting a bit late today.

I'll keep my eyes open and find out how things are. I share my observations when I get back later in the day.

Back from Limbo

2007-08-24T00:08:00.000+08:00

Hi!

This urban jungle called Davao City has drastically changed over the last 330 days. This ape has kept cool and hidden from view, observing in silence.

Having access to this forum allows this ape to share what is seen from its perch.

So from Limbo this Ape has come, on to the forum of webspace this ape will go.

Read on.... my friend. Read on.

AERIAL SPRAYING LEGISLATION: JUST THE START

2006-09-23T19:47:00.000+08:00

This September 26, 2006, Davao City’s Legislative Council will vote on a landmark measure that will affect the operations of Export Cavendish Banana Companies – the biggest agri-industry in Southern Mindanao.

How Davao City’s councilors will vote on the proposal to Ban Aerial Spraying in banana plantations located in the second and third districts will serve as an indicator on how serious the legislative body is in pursuing legislation that will directly affect an industry capable of indirectly “assisting” political candidates in next years electoral exercise.

Davao City’s involvement with the Banana industry goes a long way back. It is no secret that political careers in Southern Mindanao have been closely linked with the support – direct and indirect – of personalities behind the industry. The interests of the industry has always been implicitly defended by politicians through the years.

This protective stance of politicians is being tested inside the august halls of the Davao City’s Sanguniang Panglunsod. This test does not imply that politicians are beginning to steer away from protecting the interests of the biggest economic player in the region.

What is happening inside the session hall of Davao City’s legislative building indicates a sea change in how this industry is perceived by citizens groups, a change in perception that will directly affect political careers. A transformation that will go on until reforms in the industry are put in place.

It is very important to take note that the initiative to propose a ban on aerial spraying in Davao City did not come from members of the Council, but from citizens groups who were audacious enough to propose it.

It may be recalled during the previous council (2002- 2004), the banana industry was also subject to intensive scrutiny and intense public debate. The issue at that time was the rapid expansion of the Cavendish banana plantations at the watershed areas of Davao City. The proposal, by environmental groups; for a moratorium on plantation expansion at the city council died by default. The previous council took it up at the last session, right before the campaign period started. The proposal was stonewalled and obstructed in every other way some members of the council saw fit. They made it appear that the discussion was needless and just a waste of their time. Efforts to engage the local chief executive was met with indifference.

Today, the game has changed – drastically.

The mayor has made public his stand. He wants to see an ordinance banning aerial spraying in Davao City, with out the ordinance, he has publicly declared he will come out with an executive order banning the same.

The City council is now clearly divided into groups closely identified as against or for the ban on aerial spraying.

Move’s to discredit groups pushing for the ban is an exercise in futility. Propagandizing and name calling won’t do the job of making the whole issue go away OR highlighting the issue in dramatic form. Even the remote possibility of these groups closing shop and leaving the city won’t mean that the banana company’s merry ways of yesterday will and should continue.

Banana companies, placed on defensive positions once again, still use the same strategy in dealing with the issue. The usual sidestepping of the issue at hand and asking for support and endorsements from other government agencies will not serve the purpose.

An on going groundswell calling for reforms in the industry is now growing from many small farming communities in the region, directly affected by the industry.

It is imperative that the Banana Industry closely examined and made to reform its ways.

Inefficiencies within the industry need to be weeded out. Its methods of doing business and its inefficient production practices need to be brought to much higher efficiency levels compared to the present.

These reforms need to be done, since whole communities are made hostage to their operations. Their quality of life and their future - economic, social, physical and environmental - well being is directly affected by company operations.

The whole region has been made hostage to its whims. The regional economy is so dependent on the industry that a 15 to 25 per cent cut in export quota’s would mean a regional crisis like the Asian Financial Crisis. A collapse in the international banana market – some say an unlikely event, but not a remote possibility- would mean death to many small farming communities.

A slowdown in the international banana market would figuratively mean just a case of runny nose for these companies, while whole communities would end up under intensive care, this poor government cannot afford.

Davao City’s dependence on the banana industry ought to be properly examined and assessed. The call for a ban on aerial spraying is just a start.

The companies have resorted to using host communities as pawns in their game. Small farmers who have entered into growership contracts and depend on aerial spraying for crop protection feel threatened. They will be directly affected by the ban, while the companies can move to other places for their supply.

The concerns of these small farmers are valid and should be looked into.

The writer personally recalls an encounter with them three years ago. They vehemently objected to calls for a moratorium in the expansion of the plantations in their upland farming areas – “gusto pod mi maka tagam-tam sa kaharuhay sa kinabuhi nga gisaad sa plantasyon. Nakit namo nga nakatagam-tam ang uban niani nga mga saad. Wala ba diay kami katungod makasulay niana. Demokrasya man kaha ning Pilipinas” (We also want to taste the good life that the plantations have promised. We have seen that others are experiencing this promise now. Don’t we have the right to try the same? Isn’t the Philippines a Democracy?)

With the proposed ban on aerial spraying put in place, these small farmers have become reluctant pawns in a complex political game, which in reality is political black mail at its finest. Because these farmer had no real choices available at the start. Today, they still have no other choice.

Democracy is after all about being able to make a choice on ones own free will, without fear or compunction, without pressure or threat. Choices made freely, are choices made without worries or concerns about fall out.

Can members of Davao City’s legislature do the same? Or are they in the same bind as those small farmers. Voting on a measure, compelled by the interests of a few, and not of the larger public they are suppose to serve?

Is the chief executive of Davao City willing to wrest the economy from the hold of these large banana companies? Can the city government look into a future where dependency on the banana companies is reduced to 15% of the direct and indirect economic dependence on the banana industry?

These questions are indeed hard to ask, but these have to be brought out, so it can be discussed by the public at larg

Next: The Banana Supply Chain Inefficiencies
An examination of the methods of land acquisition, crop production and fruit purchase practiced by the banana companies

Of Farms and Chains

2006-09-21T19:22:00.000+08:00

At the start of the Industrial Revolution in Britain and Europe, the nature of work shifted drastically from farm to factory. In a span of 50 short years, settlements and factories could be found next to each other, while farming areas were slowly depopulated.

Farm based enterprises were seen as vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather and the infestation of pests and diseases. Early industrialists also saw farm based enterprise as a constricted labor generating resource.

Populations increase every year, while land area remain fixed. The only way to increase land was to go to war - a primitive method, or to acquire colonies in the “new world” – a primitive form of globalization. It was observed that farm input cost tended to increase over time, while the purchase value of farm products tended to decrease over time. Farming could no longer provide work to a growing population, and was seen as unsustainable over time. Industrialization was seen as the solution to this debacle.

Farm based employment in the old world decreased through the years compared to factory based work. Most residents of farming areas migrated to places where factory work was available, while the more daring ones moved to the colonies in the new world to become industrial farmers.

You can fill in the details as to what happened to the places that got colonized by the European powers, which is a long story in itself.

Factories produced tangible goods that were needed by an increasing population. The increase in demand for these goods increased with population. Factories could continue to provide employment for a growing population. One simple product produced by factories was soap. All permutations of soap based products were produced by the Lever industrial complex.

Every thing that we do not eat comes from a factory somewhere. Factory or Industrial based economies are more versatile.

But this does not mean there is no hope for Farm based initiatives. We are now living in the future that people living at the start of the Industrial Revolution envisioned. We have access to information at our finger tips. We have access to technology dreamed of a long time ago.

We need to find ways to make farming in Mindanao more efficient. Achieving efficiency will need a purposive decision to assess present farming practices through a comprehensive approach involving all stakeholders – from all levels of the farming supply chain, so points of inefficiency are weeded out.

Waste Management That Works

2006-08-03T16:26:00.000+08:00

Garbage or waste is the natural by product of human activity. From Cave dwellings of prehistory to the most modern cities of today, garbage or waste has always been present.
Cave dwellers disposed of their wastes by either burning to provide heating or by throwing off a cliff or into a deep hole some where in the cave. The type of garbage modern humans produce can no longer be burned or thrown off some where.

The enactment of the Republic Act 9003, better known as the Solid Waste Management Act OF 2001 mandated cities and municipalities in the country to enact a solid waste management program.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources provided the guidelines for the implementation of the the Act.

Long before the act was promulgated, the city of Dumaguete already had a solid waste management program being implemented. The visible sign of the implementation of the program were the green, yellow and red garbage bins that one could find around the city. Houses and business establishments were required to produce their own bins. Businesses who would apply for a business permit every January or any time during the year would be required by the Business Registration office to bring their bins for inspection. With out the colored bins, a stores business permit would not be renewed. Employees of the CENRO would do spot inspections around the city to find out if offices had the colored bins. But the program had a very obvious flaw. Garbage was segregated at source, but when these were being collected, these were all lumped together. So segregation at source was just a waste of time. After a while this was corrected by color coding the garbage trucks. Wastes from green bins would go to the green truck. Red bins to the red track and so on.

At the city dump, one would would not smell any offensive odors typical of any garbage dump. The city even established an aviary within the garbage dump site. Different kinds of birds were placed in large cages. Families would go to the dumpsite to see the birds. The Banika river, flowing nearby, no longer had that bad smell. The city garnered accolades from organizations that saw the program as successful. The program did not cost millions to implement.

Early this week I was at Mati, Davao Oriental. I happened to pass by the public market. Three men on trisikad were going around collecting market wastes – vegetable cuttings, fish wastes, bones- practically any type of vegetable, animal or fish waste.

I inquired from a stall owner where the men were taking the wastes. She told me that the market had a composting facility somewhere at the back portion of the market complex. The men were taking the market wastes there for composting. The vendor added that the compost was being sold for P200 per sack, and the market vendors association had a share of that.

Since the men were only collecting organic waste, I asked what happened to the numerous plastic bags, glass containers and other types of waste a typical market generates. The vendor revealed that they would put all other types of waste in one place – segregated according to type, and scrap buyers would come to purchase these waste material for recycling. I would have wanted to visit their composting area but didn't have the time.

From the looks of it, Mati did not spend millions for that waste management program at the public market.

I just hope that Mati would be able to sustain the implementation of this program.
Dumaguete and Mati are small urban centers. They have small annual budgets. The scarcity of funds has made them find ways to come up with innovative methods in the implementation of their solid waste management program.

To paraphrase E.F Schumacher in his book – Small is Beautiful- “Scarcity of resources does not hamper the flow of innovative ideas in the attainment of a better life. In fact, this limitation has encouraged innovation, and fueled success.”

This is not case with Davao City's Solid Waste Management Program. The way it is being implemented will not guarantee that garbage will be collected efficiently and then properly recycled.

Would Davao City legislators and administrators be prudent enough to reexamine the current solid waste management program before this becomes a run away project. So much money being spent on a program whose goals could possible be unmet.

Environment and Development Defined

2006-07-30T02:12:00.000+08:00

Caring for the Environment has become a by word – such that we have “environmental” related shows, articles and what not where ever we go.

Today we relate the word ENVIRONMENT to planting trees, protecting sea turtles, global warming, La Niña – El Niño, and solid waste management. Being “Environmental” in a sense has come to mean caring for planet earth and nature.

So being an Environmentalist automatically means some one who cares for nature. As popularly defined, “Environmentalists” are people who desire to protect and preserve nature to ensure that future generations get to enjoy the benefits that nature has bestowed on us today.

Environment as commonly translated into Cebuano is “Kinaiyahan”, in Pilipino – “Kalikasan”. The way the word is translated into our very own language connotes the “natural physical environment”.

These common translations –Kinaiyahan and Kalikasan - have narrowed the usage of the word Environment to the natural environment.

Since we see only see the natural environment that surround us, we attempt to come up with measures to preserve and protect the natural environment, to maintain its current status or to bring it back to what is used to be in the past.

Conflicts arise when protection, preservation, conservation; of the natural physical environment; gets sidelined by “Development”.

The word “development” is popularly translated in Cebuano as “Asenso” and “Pag-angat” in Pilipino, implying betterment of living situations through increased incomes.

A least used synonym of environment is surroundings. This is translated as “Palibot in Cebuano and Kapaligiran in Tagalog”. When we use “Palibot – Kapaligiran” as our translation of “Environment” our awareness and understanding of the natural environment gets a broader perspective.

The use of surroundings would then have an effect on the definition of development.

Development would then mean – an improvement on quality of life and not just an increase in income.

When we look into the quality of life as a definition for development, our actions on how we increase our incomes become more meaningful. The way we treat our surroundings becomes more integrative and wholistic in its approach.

So “asenso nga kinabuhi” – improved quality of life would mean a “haruhay nga palibot” –harmonious surroundings.

While “matahum nga kinaiyahan” – beautiful surroundings, would imply “makanunayong pag-asenso” – continuous development.

Now the question – How do we attain continuous development while maintaining beautiful surroundings?

I’m no Jungle Ape, so I don’t have the “experiential” exposure to preserving and protecting lush forests and jungle while at the same time having that quality of life humans envy so much – like sleeping on a tree all day, without any worry at all.

I’m an Urban Ape. I’ve been exposed to so much “development”.

But I might have learned a few lessons from my Jungle cousins, so keep me company. I might just share a few tricks on how to attain “development” from a Jungle Apes perspective.

Urban Planning For All

2006-07-30T00:48:00.000+08:00

Laws exist to guide human behavior and set limits to what can and can't be done. Plans are created to set the direction to a destination. Houses are necessary for shelter and protection, a very basic necessity of Modern Human Civilization.

With out houses, we would all be living in rocks, caves at worst on top of trees – just like Apes.

The demand for houses grows in direct proportion to the population growth. This demand is felt acutely in all growing urban areas of the world today. Without proper planning, living conditions in urban areas become similar to stone age shelter conditions at worst, or likened to living in crowded isolation – so many houses grouped together but lacking access to basic community services.

As a discipline or profession, urban planning is so misunderstood, that upon mention of the phrase “urban planning” to the average layperson, they end up just nodding their heads pretending that they understand.

When the phrase is mentioned in so called professional circles like engineers and the like, they end up with the curt reply – “We can't afford that. That is a very expensive service that is best left for affluent countries and the rich.” Even some functionaries government planning and regulatory agencies shun the profession like the plague.

The Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board is one such agency mandated to look into Housing Development plans and this agency is tasked to look into the manner that land is being used by developers and local government units. The agency is tasked to assist local government units in promulgating land use and zoning policies that local legislative bodies may promulgate.

The housing industry is considered as a multiplier industry. Players in the industry are supposed to be regulated and guided properly by the HLURB in their site development plans.

But what has happened in reality.

We have subdivision projects where in home buyers end up with the short end of the stick. Their subdivisions are located in flood prone areas. Social service facilities so lacking. Garbage disposal a problem and the presence of security personnel, like the police next to nothing. To top it all some subdivisions end up located in areas that are not serviced by the regular public transport service; like public utility jeepney's.

When subdivision projects get fully occupied and problems start to crop up, home owners end up being passed around from one government agency to another, and then the local government unit, when all of these problems would have been anticipated at the level of the HLURB.

It would be best if HLURB does its job properly at best by providing the necessary guidance to local government units and developers so families who sacrifice hard earned money get their money's worth. Imagine paying a monthly amortization on a house when your house gets flooded every time it rains, or your monthly transportation budget is three times your monthly amortization.

When residents living in subdivision projects start experiencing problems that have a negative impact on their quality of life – there is a failure in the Urban Planning process. And this is being experienced by a lot of subdivision residents.

Mind you, Urban Planning is not just for the rich or highly urbanized cities. Urban planning must be implemented properly much more for the poor and even more so in rapidly developing urban areas like Davao.

Or else... the Apes in the Jungle might end up living a much better life that us urban citizens.

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This appeared on the 29 July 2006 issue of Mindanao Times

OF WATER AND CAUSES

2006-07-22T23:51:00.000+08:00

The campaign to protect Davao City’s watersheds to ensure that the quality and quantity of our water supply is maintained has been around for almost a decade now.

Call it intransigence, call it bullheadedness, call it by any name that you want, this cause needs to go on, and keep on going while people living in Davao need water.

Groups advocating for the protection of Davao City’s water resources have continually called for the wise utilization of the upland areas. These areas lie within the Talomo – Lipadas watersheds and the Tamugan River Watershed.

Consequently, large scale Cavendish Banana plantations that have expanded in these areas in a very short time became the focus of the campaign. The whole issue was brought to the attention of the Davao City Council way back in 1997. The campaign has kept on for almost 10 years now.

In the meantime, the plantations have kept on expanding. What have been gained over the years have just been tokenisms that would not really ensure the protection, sustainability and maintenance of the quality and quantity of Davao City’s water supply.

It is easy to fall into the trap of drawing a line in the sand and concluding that this campaign is similar to a battle where it would be convenient for an observer to tell who the protagonists are. It is even more dangerous to say that the triumph of one side would mean the defeat of the other.

This cause needs to be re-examined and understood clearly for what it has become now.

We all need our water today and in the days to come. We need to protect our water from all types and sources of contamination. This is the line advocacy groups have taken.

The Cavendish banana plantations support the regional economy. With out it, Davao City’s progress would be hampered. The plantations create work in the uplands and earn dollars for our economy. This is the line Banana companies take anywhere they go.

The whole affair seems to be the proverbial immovable object meeting an irresistible force.

The Davao City council has been the arbiter in this ongoing discourse, dialogue, argumentation and debate.

The whole affair can go on and on… ad infinitum till the angels and demons fight their final battle.

But what has been accomplished so far?

Countless committee hearings have been called. The Davao City Sanguniang Panglunsod Environment Committee chairpersons have gone through the musical chairs process. Reams of reports have been made. Length upon length of newspaper space, radio air time and television broadcast slots have been allocated on this issue. Yet, we do not see any thing concrete happening on our watersheds.

The efforts exerted by the Davao City Council to look into this matter are laudable. The work that Councilors Cabling and Avila have done contributed a lot. The passage of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Davao City Water Code can be considered landmark legislation in protecting our water sources. The ongoing hearing’s to enact an aerial spraying ordinance in Davao City is also concrete evidence of a concerted effort to initiate reforms on plantation production methods to safeguard the environment.

The companies operating Cavendish banana plantations on our watersheds need to be honest enough to admit that indeed they are using very toxic chemicals in their crop protection and pest management practices, that has been found to affect the quality of water in other countries where these are used. Case in point – the nematicides that are being used to combat the spread of nematodes. This can directly affect the quality of the water that is being used by households near plantations. Do we have to wait for 5 years for the companies phase out the use of these chemicals?

Advocacy groups on the other hand need to realize that concessions and compromises have to be made, and the only way to achieve that is to bring the banana companies to a dialogue based on mutual trust and confidence.

The banana companies have actually more to lose when this whole campaign gets to be raised to its next logical level – an international campaign and expose’ on their current production practices – which would consequently affect many farm workers and contract growers.

In the event the watersheds are left unprotected and continually abused, our generation of Davaoeños won’t be the losers, it will be the next generation at the losing end.

While Enforceable and Concrete measures need to be put in place, it is obvious that banana companies need to initiate operational reforms from within themselves. They may have contributed a lot to the economy, but their negative effects on small communities seem to offset their gains.

There is that simple case of rainwater run off from large Cavendish banana and pineapple plantations that affect adjacent small farms. Plantations should be responsible enough to install rain water runoff management measures.

The City council needs to ensure that the legislation they enact are enforceable.

Out of curiosity, I’d just like to pose this scenario – in the event and aerial spraying ordinance is passed and the ordinance says that aerial spraying is a no-no in Davao City, what will the city do if the spray planes keep on flying? Or because of the ordinance, the companies will demobilize their plantation operations in the city and move out.

And the advocacy groups need to take on other pressing issues on the watershed to ensure the quality and quantity of Davao City’s water is maintained.

URBAN APE was once connected with IDIS Inc., a lead advocacy group in the watershed protection campaign. This SPIDER sees the watershed campaign as a lifelong personal advocacy.

Museums Point the Future By Way of the Past

2006-07-22T23:49:00.000+08:00

Change is the only constant in this universe. Those who fail to anticipate its effects suffer its consequences.

As a growing city, Davao needs to find ways to project itself into the future so residents living within its confines get to harness the advantages its rich resources offer. Davao’s rich cultural heritage and the peaceful melding of different cultures are strategic psychic resources.

Efforts to establish the Davao Museum at the old Court of First Instance Building in Magallanes Street is timely. The construction of a museum building by the Philippine Women’s University at University Avenue at Juna Subdivision is another laudable initiative. These two museum projects are indeed very fortunate developments for Davao City.

These parallel efforts are evident of an emerging awareness and concerted agenda to put together a showcase of THE Culture and History that permeates Mindanao in general and Davao in particular.

Museums have very long incubation periods before one can say the museum has a functional role in community development. Doing research and archiving collections are gargantuan efforts that will need a lot of resources which need to be sustained through time. The tasks of doing research and unifying divergent ideas will be daunting. Yet, only museums can do these tasks.

By collecting artifacts, chronicling events and archiving stories these museums encourage the present generation to participate in setting the future direction of Davao City so different options are explored and discussed and Davao’s future potentials are taken into full consideration.

By retaining the façade of the old Court of First Instance building Davaoeños would be reminded that the building was once a court house where judgment was rendered on numerous judicial matters that had a lot of bearing on what Davao and Southern Mindanao is today.

It would be tragic for Davao City if the façade of the old building would be taken down too (This column is being written as the building is being demolished, with the façade still there).

It would be more tragic if these two museums would just end up as bodegas of native artifacts – old tools, clothes, pictures and what not – where in school children are required to see and pay an entrance fee because it is a school requirement.

Or the museum becomes a shrine of some persons’ personal effects, completely disjoint from the present except for the fact that that person played a political or whatever role in the city’s past.

And these museums would become a farce if they would eventually be established for the consumption of foreign tourists who have no real stake in our cultural past and future potentials.

Culture frozen in time, dried, preserved and put out for local or foreign pedestrian observation loses relevance. Exerting a lot of effort and spending large sums of money to archive artifacts - clothing, instruments, beliefs and tradition -, without understanding the forces that caused the demise of their use and relevance in the life of the community, will become an exercise in futility.

Many institutions set up museums with the unexpressed hopes of preserving culture and earning a profit. That is - their collection will inspire school children to love the “culture” on display and foreigners would willingly pay a nice sum to see the “cultural” collection.

These worn out, rut filled directions taken by museums ought to be abandoned.

Museums need to be vibrant centers of culture and citizen involvement to be relevant in the life of a city. To achieve such roles, discourse and debate about past events and the anticipated directions that the city will take need to be encouraged. When museums involve the community and enhance its present life and culture, it easily gains much needed community support.

When museums allow the present generation to gain awareness and understanding of the forces that caused dramatic changes in the past, its role as a repository of the past as a guide into the future is fulfilled.

Let us all hope that both museums would take Davao City’s future potentials into consideration as their organizers find ways to archive the past. And not just duplicate each other :-(!

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Published on Mindanao Times July 20, 2006

Until further notice

2005-12-05T17:34:00.000+08:00

This blog has been left unattended due to neural malfunction of the bloggers brain. Repairs have been put in place... so it is hoped that the blogger will be able to blog again within the week.

Thanks for checking. ;-)!

The Ideal, The Real and what is Practical

2005-11-19T15:06:00.000+08:00

Concern for the Environment has become a catchall attitude today. Many groups are into a activities aimed towards the expression of this concern. In fact, this concern permeated current popular culture, that is would be surprising to find anyone who would not be aware of the need to protect and conserve the Philippine Eagle, the Tarsier, Dolphins, Sea Turtles and Dugongs.

But important environmental issues are issues that far from cute and cuddly and majestic animals living in the wild. Environmental issues are also issues that affect the economy of our country, the livelihood of thousands and -more far reaching- the lives of incoming generations.

When environmental issues that affect the economy, investments and livelihood are discussed, they are no longer cute and cuddly. They become scary and uncomfortable.

When we use our resources, jobs are created, wealth is generated and -ideally- the fruits of our labors shared with other members of our community. This is the essence of every business undertaking that embarks on intensive utilization of our natural resources.

Government on the other hand intervenes by setting up policies that provide guidance on how resources are to be utilized and managed. Ideally, agencies are tasked to see to it that these policies are implemented judicious.

But the gap between what is real and the ideal is so large. This gap has caused battle lines to be drawn between advocates for the sound utilization and protection of our resources and those who are interested in using these resources for job generation and wealth creation. Between these two factions stand people in government, while community residents are caught in the crossfire.

The recent pronouncements by the grouped tasked to investigate the recent mine accident in Mt. Diwalwal is a case in point. The closure of 3 companies engaged in mining operations in the area has been recommended. The body further recommended the strict implementation of regulations so explosives would not be able to enter the mining area.

The policy that the investigation body is proposing in an ideal. But can the ideal be reached considering the harsh realities present in the area. Will the policy be really implemented to the letter?

The need to thoroughly study the situation in Mt. Diwalwal is imperative. Knee jerk reactions to mining accidents will not settle the core issue and solve the problems that beset the area.
Everyone knows that there is Gold in those mountains. Many people, rich and poor alike would like to have their share of that Gold, no matter what the cost. Is government strong enough to impose its presence in the area without fear or favor from any vested interest in the area.

Unless government acts with determination, countless lives will be lost in those mountains. And while those lives are sacrificed, the hope of small miners in attaining the dream of having a comfortable life slowly slips away, while only a chosen few benefit from the gold. And before we know it, the whole area becomes a long lasting monument of government ineptness and dysfunction. Then the gold will be gone forever and we have nothing to show to the next generation.

We may never attain the ideal in Mt. Diwalwal. The reality that hounds residents of the mining community living there bites so deep. We need to put in place practical policy solutions that can be sustained and supported. The present set up of the Mine and Geosciences Bureau of the region needs to the strengthened. Even the current search and rescue capability of emergency response teams in the area need very serious upgrading. Monitoring agencies likewise need to be properly installed.

Unless practical solutions that can be enforced by adequately equipped personnel who have the proper support are put in place sooner in Mt. Diwalwal, the Gold that is taken out of the mountains there will not be enough to pay for the countless lives wasted on mining accidents that will keep coming.

Children- the future- of dead miners will end up losers. Their fathers would have been better off just dreaming about the gold.

THE BIODIVERSITY INDEX

2005-11-17T14:58:00.000+08:00

In 1992United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro defined biodiversity as "the variability among living organisms from all sources, including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are part: this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems".

The Philippines is one of the Biodiversity Hotspots in the world. Meaning, our country has one of the highest diversity of living organisms in the planet. It earned the “hotspot” title since we are losing that diversity fast.

A possibly unidentified species of rafflesia, a rare flower known for having the world's largest bloom, has turned up in a forest in Compostela Valley, according to a team of botanists headed by Dr. Domingo Madulid, a curator at the National Museum's botany division.

The exact location of the flower has not been disclosed. The team fears that avid plant collectors might go to the area and collect the bloom. Local officials and residents of the area disclosed that the flower is common in the area. In fact, they are waiting for other buds to bloom.

The main “attraction” (if we may call it that) aside from its large size its very pungent odor when it blooms. The odor is comparable to that of a rotting or decomposing small animal. I recall a conversation with a tribal leader in one of the towns located along the eastern coast of Mindanao who disclosed to me last summer the presence of a similar flower in their forest. It seems that this flower is resident in our forests.

Another characteristic of the Rafflesia is its “parasitic” nature. It only grows on the Tetrastigma vine, which crawls on rainforest floors. Rainforests in Mindanao are usually old growth dipterocarp forests. The existence of the Rafflesia therefore depends largely on the presence of the dipterocarps.

No dipterocarp, no vine. No vine, no Rafflesia.

The National Museum, Botany Division is excited about the find. This will be the fourth species of the Rafflesia found in the Philippines. This increases our Biodiversity Index.

But there are other people who see the ipterocarp forest as a source of good lumber. In fact, some officials have made representations with national government agencies to lift the log ban in Southern Mindanao so dipterocarps can be harvested. The logic behind this is: The money earned from the sale of the logs can contribute to the national economy.

Now we have to make a choice. Rafflesia or Lumber from dipterocarps.

How much can a large, smelly flower possibly earn, compared to 60 to 80 year old harvestable dipterocarps? If you were to make the choice what would it be? What would you do?

Till next week. ;-)!

THREADS OF SEEMINGLY UNRELATED EVENTS

2005-11-11T19:57:00.000+08:00

Item 1: Birds from the north migrate to tropical areas of the planet and bring the threat of the Bird Flu Virus. Health agencies around the world and in the Philippines react by disseminating warnings about the avian threat. Chicken prices plummet in Negros Occidental because of a false alarm.

Item2: Green Peace members symbolically storm a coal fired power plant in Masinloc, Zambales recently. Guards in the power plant react violently by beating some of them black and blue. The protesters charge that the power plant is a threat to the environment. Yet, at the very moment that the group breached the perimeter fence of the plant, employees were planting mangroves on the beach a few meters away from them.

Item 3: A motel in this city initiates to improve the beach front near their establishment by filling up the beach with earth-fill to construct a bay walk, a without proper permits from authorities. Legislators and executives from the city state that the project is illegal and threaten to demolish or expropriate what has been constructed. Other people in the know comment that if government execute the threat, then all illegal structures in the public domain must suffer the same fate.

Item 4: An explosion occurs in a tunnel in Mt. Diwalwal in Compostella Valley. The number of casualties until now is uncertain. What is only sure is this: An explosion occurred and there were casualties. For sure, close to ten bodies were recovered.

The four events listed above are testaments of an interaction between us and our surroundings. In the first case, it is nature seemingly putting pressure on humans. In the next, it’s one group claiming to protect nature from what we humans have created. The third, is a case of “good intentions” running afoul with government procedures. While the last, another mining accident we will all forget about in a few months.

This corner will attempt to find the threads that connect these events to each other and to our daily grind. I invite you to post your comments so we can have a dialogue about THE interaction between us and our surroundings.