Development and the challenges behind it

Over the weekend, I was at Phillip’s Sanctuary in Sitio Panlilingan, Antipolo as part of a coverage for my work (as we are going to feature them). Upon my visit to the place, I was impressed at the fact that man-made forests do exist in a metropolis where the focus is more on creating more buildings, giving less focus to the environment. Aside from being designed as a place for team building, complete with various obstacle courses which are based on the exercises done by US military, Phillip’s Sanctuary can be also classified as a protected reserve with the number of trees and plants that can be found inside the compound. In fact, Felipe Pestaño, the father of Ensign Philip Pestaño, has amassed these plants from abroad. Philip is the navy officer who was found dead in his quarters at BRP Bacolod City two decades ago, of which his case is still being investigated for murder. Felipe, an agriculturist, made sure that Phillip’s sanctuary, which is a part of their farm, is adorned with a variety of plants and trees for both livelihood and educational purposes. *Some sights inside Phillip’s Sanctuary. How I wish others follow the same model as well. While touring around the place with the number of trails you can choose from within the area, I noticed at how relatively untouched the area has been, until we reached the edge of the unchartered trail (which is not part of the Pestaño farm but owned by the Ongs, as Ate Emma told us while we were walking through one of the trails). I was quite disturbed with what I saw, as the area, which is opposite the golf course of Valley Golf, has been heavily denuded and quarried such as the bedrock is already exposed and that there are barely any trees in the area. *Some photos of the heavily denuded area which I was mentioning, though there are still a few trees left With what I saw, I asked Ate Emma what do the owners plan to do with the area, and she could not give a concrete answer. I asked what happens when it rains, she said landslides and floods do occur in the area, which is pretty expected for a heavily denuded portion of a mountain that is part of the Sierra Madre range. Adding to my worries to what I saw, such heavily denuded portion along San Mateo and Antipolo does pose threats to a flood-prone Marikina, which experienced a brunt of nature’s wrath during typhoon “Ondoy” back in 2009. Which brings me to my concerns regarding developing our country’s lands. Sure Pres. Noynoy Aquino can brag about the economic progress of the country, complete with a very positive GDP growth, but the bigger question is on whether we properly utilize that growth for developing our country. For one, I do not get the point on why we build condominiums and malls here and there, and not put emphasis on the importance on environmental sustainability and build important structures such as hospitals and school instead. Honestly, I have seen a bunch of condominiums around Metro Manila and I do not think those buildings get fully occupied, given the costs of each unit. The Philippines’ forte is on agriculture, and yet our country fails to utilize this particular quality of the country, leading to massive exploitation of natural resources, placing parts of the country at risk for natural disasters. Phillip’s Sanctuary, which Felipe recounts is essentially his son’s vision that was fulfilled after he was murdered, is one of the few places that placed importance to the environment while providing a place that is enjoyable as well. APEC 2015 is coming pretty soon, and I hope we get to discuss the importance of sustainable development and not focus too much on condominiums and malls. The Philippines has a vast potential, and the challenge is to properly utilize the country’s assets properly. With all the previous natural disasters that hit the country, it is time that we should rethink the way we develop the Philippines.