by: DONALD SEVILLA
WHY I AM AGAINST ANY LARGE SCALE
RECLAMATION PROJECT ALONG
TAGBILARAN BAY
Born and bred in a city bounded by the sea where
residents can freely breathe the fresh salty air from the
ocean and enjoy unimpeded access to its majestic
views at sunrise and sunset, one cannot help but feel
lucky enough.
Unlike any other, Tagbilaran Bay has given our city
its unique charm and allure. For generations its
shoreline has been a source of refuge for weary
residents and food for the hungry.
While it is true that it ain’t what it used to be, where
people can easily gather shells and other edible
marine life as they forage for food, we can, at the very
least, preserve a part of our cultural heritage to keep
us grounded and from being lost forever.
You cannot call yourself a true blue Tagbilaranon if
you haven’t once experienced in your childhood,
walking along the K of C promenade or bathing in its
waters from Bulok- bulok Spring in Mansasa to
Caingget Beach and Tubig Dako in Taloto.
All these form a rite of passage into our adulthood
that gave us a unique experience to mold us into what
we are now.
Life is not all about progress and creature comforts
but also of the preservation of things that matter and
give it meaning. Tagbilaran without its bay will just
be another modern city, a concrete jungle with an
exclusive enclave for the rich and elite as envisioned
in modern townships and waterfront developments.
Access to the sea or the waterfront puts a premium to
any developer’s crown jewel as people are now more
conscious of a healthy and relaxed lifestyle. Thus, we
see why real estate developers covet it most. But are
these developments for the vast majority of us?
The general public cannot afford any of these and
over time will be out of place no matter how best
developers try to sell us the idea of public access and
spaces.
Do we ever learn? We welcomed tourism
development in Panglao in the name of progress and
livelihood but has it redound to the benefit of the least
of us?
We continue to suffer the high prices of food and
services as we compete for tourist dollars, do we not?
One can hardly have access to any beach on the island
without paying a premium as every move we make,
“money matters. Everything has become so
commercialized that it leaves poor residents
wondering why.
We gave up our patrimony to give way for large scale
developments and investments that eventually led to
our exclusion and being out of place.
Should we allow this to happen in our city? No matter
how noble the intentions are in the name of progress,
some things just don’t sit well along one another. Can
you imagine a public beach (Kaingget) alongside high
rise or mid-rise high-end condos where the sight of
ordinary people bringing pots and pans with families
in tow for a picnic does not become an eyesore for the
enclave’s residents who paid a premium just to be
there?
Panglao’s beaches were just like that, before the big
guys took over and drove people away. While
proponents for the waterfront development project
may promise the heavens and an economic windfall
for the city, who are they talking about gaining most?
Nobody will invest billions going through a tedious
process to gain mere millions. That said, we will
continue to discuss in detail their pitch for the project
as presented during the public consultation at JJ’S
Seafood Village last Nov.20 in our next write- up.
To be continued,,,!