“He also noted that in Quezon City, “a ridge along the west bank of the Marikina River, which should have been preserved as a watershed, was paved over as exclusive subdivisions (such as La Vista, Loyola Grand Villas, Blue Ridge, and Ayala Heights), schools (Ateneo de Manila University and Miriam College) or settled as slums.””

In a just world, all the above would be bulldozed and turned back into watersheds. Instead, proposals will focus on bulldozing the slums.

Greed, Corruption, Poverty, Drugs, Filth, Immorality, Infrastructure, Inequality, Prostitution, Environment, Devastation, Child Abuse, Social Problems, Squatters, Terrorism, etc.

I would start by making some changes within me.

Certainly new measures of mitigation and adaptation to climate change are required (they must be more than just ad hoc in nature), but as Manolo hinted in a previous post, we should revisit the MMDA’s structure and mandate. If it cannot be revived as a political entity, it should at least be given broader administrative powers not dependent on LGU consent when it involves technical matters such as flood control.

An elected governor or appointed administrator similar to the SBMA President with broad powers over planning and development is needed in my view. The jurisdiction should be expanded to cover the Greater Manila Area. Bayani Fernando should actually be tapped in the remaining months of GMA to provide recommendations to the succeeding administration and if possible be kept in a holdover capacity in the next president’s cabinet.

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Previous plans were conveniently ignored by politicians and by the private sector. Why? There may be no single reason, but I’m absolutely certain that greed played an important role. It is much less expensive to develop properties without being burdened by environmental restraints. And also takes less time, so that the cash register can quickly start ringing. Buyers were also hungry to invest in a piece of the lucrative property market, and short-cutting regulations was a way to make their investments more affordable. Nevermind the future, because what matters is profits now!

Squatters? They are caught in a vise, but not totally blameless. They are victims in the sense that they are thrust into their situation because of circumstances beyond their control. The absence of urban planning and a more geographically dispersed economic development plan encouraged migration to NCR and the large cities, where jobs and livelihood opportunities are available. Nevermind if the living conditions are miserable and squalid, because what matters is to survive on a daily basis.

And politicians? Along with the government bureaucracy, they are guilty of aiding and conniving with developers, squatters and the public. They take money from the developers and votes from the squatters. They, too, are concerned only with the present. It is far easier to produce low-cost, high-visiblity projects that, literally, barely scratch the surface, than it is to go beyond the expedient and plan projects that would last beyond the next term or two.

Of course, hanging over all of this is the pall of lack of financial resources. Graft and corruption, the lack of political will to raise revenue through taxation (and enforce it), the lack of political will to rein in frivolous spending and budget deficits, the absence of an economic roadmap. These all contribute to the hand-to-mouth existence we all seem to be experiencing.

While the effects of “Ondoy” remain fresh, there may be attempts to correct the myopia and the sleaze. However, experience has taught me not to bet on it. After this has become all but a nightmare, we will return to our reckless and short-sighted ways.

The land use act which is still pending has many reasons why it would not move.

http://www.congress.gov.ph/committees/commnews/commnews_det.php?newsid=351

For me the opinion of the CREBA administrator during that time(2005) may be a good reason for a stalemate.

Pete Tario, administrator of the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association (CREBA), meanwhile, expressed concern over the existing laws affected by the bill especially those pertinent to eco-zones and housing.

He also opined that the power of the LGUs to reclassify land shall be affected or suspended with the enactment of the bill. ?The authority of the local government in the reclassification of land must be respected because they are the ones concerned with the development of their towns and cities,? he averred.

many might share his opinion,maybe majority of the mayors and governors.

for the verbiage of a recent version of the bill, please refer to sbn 843.

http://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/50704460!.pdf

The release of land for development currently goes through an approval process with the HUDC, HLURB and the DENR. LGUs also have a role here. The goals of these agencies may actually go against sound urban planning.

For instance the housing agencies seek to maximise residential accommodation, while LGUs on the other hand want to maximise revenue from property assessments. The DENR only looks at the environmental impact with regard to a narrow set of criteria that doesn’t take into account urban design.

A master plan that takes into account demography and population growth and the infrastructure and transport corridors of the city is needed. Yes, the previous plans were ignored, but only because no central regulatory body was put in charge of enforcing it.

Both will cost a lot of money.

“The kinds of things you see coming, you know they’re going to happen, and yet we at times seem unwilling or unable to act.”
— Dean David T. Ellwood

copy-pasted from Acting in Time