Farinas Wants to Distribute Baguio Land to Squatters
October 5, 2009 by lisa
Filed under government & politics
Baguio City fared very well during typhoon Pepeng — we were prepared although we were just in the fringes of its path — but like I wrote in Battling Baguio’s Dementors (where I put it to you that the local government has wreaked more havoc on the environment than the 1990 earthquake), reading the news again today, I find something very upsetting, something that will destroy the city more than build it up.
You see, vice-mayor Danny Farinas is up for reelection next year. He will most likely try for mayor — again, like he did two local elections ago — because his boss and cohort Mayor Peter Rey Bautista, is most likely running for Congress next year. I think the latter should know by now that is is not cut out to serve as a leader of this city, judging by his poor performance in the past two years, but he will try anyway (anyone wanna make a bet that he will — because no one really cares or understands what the congressman’s role is in our lives?)
And as politics in the Philippines goes, the winning formula for reelectionists is:
1. Keep the people poor, uneducated and desperate throughout your term;
2. Increase their number; and
3. Promise them freebies , give away something that belongs to the country or city — like land — so they will vote you over and over and you can have all the perks of the position. No need to dip into your personal pockets, just give away something that is not yours to begin with.
So it is surprising that Farinas now want to distribute public land among the “squatters” in Baguio City — just in time for the elections?
Read this article and seethe!
FARINAS BATS FOR CONVERSION OF PUBLIC LANDS
Honestly, I wanted to stop there and let you come to your own conclusions, but something tells me we should discuss this a little more.
Our elective officials and those not-so-very-competent-government-employees are planning to make a declaration of what lands the city needs and which ones it does not.
I find this so stupid.
And I find the politicians’ motives to be evil.
Any city needs all the open spaces it can get. We, in fact, should develop the provinces so that everyone does not stick themselves into every crevice in Baguio City, hoping to make money, even as a jeepney barker, because there are few jobs to be had in their municipality in, say, Pangasinan. Plus, Baguio is so generous we will “educate” their children for free, by sticking 70 children into one public schoolroom.
But Baguio is not so generous that it has not given much concern to the creation of jobs (judging by the way we businessmen are harassed every time we want to put up a business and employ people), or to improving the quality of education in our schools so that our graduates can be employed in competitive jobs elsewhere and not end up a crewmen in Jollibee.
Funny how an expensive four-year course in Hotel and Restaurant Management qualifies the graduate to become a waiter, not a manager, except with five more years of training by the business itself. I would know, I am an active member of the hospitality industry.
Now, I am not anti-migrants. But Baguio should encourage the migration of folks who will put up businesses and create jobs first instead of those who will akyat our bahays or pick our pockets, or those who will keep voting these awful politicians into office.
Sus, had I known this, I should have built a shanty in Quirino Hill years ago and hope that this landslide-prone area does not do damage to my house. Or, for that matter, I should have taken part of the forest reserves in South Drive and built myself an inn there.
What message is this city sending to all and sundry? It is ok to violate the law.
“As illegal vendors and squatters and colorum taxi and jeepney operators you are so very welcome — as long as you keep us in power, we will reward you, so we can take from you over and over without you knowing that if we followed the law and set things in motion to make you productive you can actually become prosperous”
“But if we educate you well, and give you opportunities to better your lives, we might be out of a job.”
“So. allow us, humbly, to give you public land, even if the city itself will fail by our doing so, so you can suffer hunger and desperation in your own home.”
So, as a law-abiding citizen and productive member of Baguio society, I ask you now, are you going to do something to put a stop to this, or are we going to sit back and complain about how the city is going to the dogs?
We just...
Hah Lisa, you “blinked” vice-mayor on this one. Of course, malapit na elections. Time to score pogi points. With the calamity we just had and urban planners telling us the importance of proper urban planning, here we are again with so short memories. Honestly? Think vertical is the way to go for Baguio, so as not to use up all the remaining open spaces here. I’d like to bet one thousand pesos that mayor Bautista will not win if he runs for vice-mayor, mayor or for congressman. Any takers?
Hiya Resty,
The POLITICIANS are going to make a comprehensive land use plan — I wonder what urban planning experts they will consult. Exactly, the city needs the space in order to survive. The residential landslides must be giving the city a signal that certain types of public land — like steep mountain sides or cliffs, where these people erect their shanties — are not buildable without weakening the foundations of the hills.
We must be vigilant — this unpopular administration that started with trying to issue themselves cars upon assuming office have all sorts of “fundraisers” planned for reelection using the people’s resources.
i think baguio city is becoming
a dump.
its glory days are gone.
its now…
the korean haven
the campjohn hay is ruined.
more uncontroled migration of squatters you know whom i mean.
its becoming commercialized but not suited for one.
its cleanliness before is gone.
the major tourist spots are one by one dissapearing.
upon getting to baguio, visitor’s first glance is the crowded Quezon hill.
Baguio City needs a better head or a mayor
how has the heart and strong courage to
bring back and maintain the TRU BAGUIO CITY SPIRIT!
i cant even see more pines there these days in the CITY OF PINES?
now tell me ms. Liza A. if im wrong.
i love baguio city then.. but….
Oh Hans,
I so feel the same way — and yet I am filled with hope, that we can bring back the glory days if we get together and stop this madness.
Baguio needs class and the people running the city, and living in it don’t seem to recognize that. Everyone is being so desperate to eke out a little living here and yet breeding and gambling, but not gambling on businesses that will enhance the city.
We need the bibingka approach, from the top and from the bottom, or a really strong middle class that will be a force to contend with. But folks don’t realize their power, or do not want to use it for the common good.
Maybe I’ll start hosting kapihans or something. Will you come?
hi Lisa
I’ve been following ur blog and you’re a smart woman. Would you consider running for office? It seems u care too much of our city that you can make a change. If nobody will challenge these old politicians,Baguio will just be going downhill. There’ll be no improvements if people kept voting same politicians bec. they were given freebies.
Pretty soon, all pine trees be gone. BAGUIO will be just known for landslides all over the world. It won’t be back to its glorious days but at least, you can save some of the trees and save some land for parks for the children to play. I wish I can come to your kapihan but I’ll be still reading ur articles. Good Luck.
Hi Marina,
I am willing to work to put in office idealistic yet practical, honorable men and women who love the city just as much and who will work as a team with a platform that they can implement and promises (not surprises) that people, including myself, will hold them accountable for.
In other words, campaign STAFF, not candidate.
Beyond ridiculous. The government don’ have the guts to give back the land to rightful owners yet here they are giving lands to those who don’t even damn care about the city.
Ironic how Philippine politics is: they favor and give priviledge to the magnanakaws, mandurukots, squatters, illegal peddlers yet persecute the citizens who really care about the city.
I remember when they allowed people to camp at Burnham. Nothing but trash and ravaged Burnham was what we got from being overtly hospitable. And yah, the organizer of the fair who wasn’t from Baguio ranaway with our money.
In California, these people are like the hispanic immigrants who avail of the food stamp, priviledges and discounts SPONSORED by the burdened tax payers who are often scammed by their own government. No wonder many Americans do not like Mexicans in general. Not only Americans, lots of Filipinos too who pay hefty taxes only to be given to those lazy ass Mexicans(just look at their waist!)
More on the squatters… why give the land to them when they can be forced tro buy theiir lands. Compare the squatters in baguio to the squatters on Manila who literally live under the bridge — they’re made of concrete cement and complete of home furnitures. Squatters in baguio ain’t poor; they’re prolly richer and more lavish than the locals who painfully pays their income, business and property taxes to the city government only to be disdtribute to the pretending poor people(who are just lazy).
Hi Jackie,
In Baguio City, like in the rest of the Philippines, politicians pay lip service to helping folks all the while making sure they STAY poor, uneducated, unproductive and helpless in exchange for that sacred vote that will allow the unscrupulous to continue be in positions of privilege and plunder.
Well all politicians are the same. VERGARA did the same thing. He is one of the top squatter masterminds of Baguio using dummies to cover his ass. SEMBRANO is also another politician who has names all over the DENR for land applications using someone else’s name. What can we do we are in the Philippines. How the hell do they get so rich without corruptions? haha.