BENCHWARMER

to infrastructure and human development other than what it now stands for – as the symbol of the city of pines that was, or is.

Now that we’re at it, my citizen’s platform is for the city to exercise its power of eminent domain over the remaining forested private lands of Baguio even as it is now struggling to undo a national government agency’s generosity in awarding as private property some of Baguio’s long-established pine forests and parks.

By virtue of its power of eminent domain, the city can expropriate and preserve remaining private pine stands and forest lands before these are bought and developed by giant subdivision developers and investors from Metro-Manila, they who destroy and cash in on the remaining lure of Baguio yet blame us for its destruction.

Expropriation for preservation of prairies, swamps rock formations and forests is precisely what makes nature conservancy groups effective in developed countries like the United States.

Now that we’re at it, the city can also expropriate other privately owned pine stands, open spaces and lots and save them from the incessant in-road of subdivisions and commercial structures. It may be too late in the day, but it might be sound to expropriate that lot at the corner of Session Road and Lower Mabini St. and develop it as an open space, a mini-park where senior citizens like me can read the weeklies on Sunday mornings.

An open space can serve as a refreshing counterpoint to a busy main street whose quaint, two-floor cafes are being replaced by towering buildings whose owners never considered to include off-street parking space.

Together with the restoration of pedestrian sidewalks of a city where it is still wholesome to walk, this is my citizen’s platform.