5 Ways to love Baguio City

In the previous blog I have discussed about Supporting local restaurants and  local bands and musicians in order to truly love Baguio.

Here is the third suggestion on how to show your love to Baguio City:

3.  Join tree planting activities

Although it can be said that tree planting groups is just a fad in social networking groups like Facebook, it is the kind of social activity that has actual use in the long run.

Last Jan. 20 2012 around 10,000 people in and out of Baguio joined a protest March against the cutting of the 182 trees in Baguio City.

This is not a new story, in fact  not so long  ago the people of Baguio also tried mobilizing groups that will stop the creation of SM City Baguio in Luneta Hill.

Not everyone in Baguio wanted SM to get inside the city center,  people understood that the existence of a shopping mall is not a sign of development but the start of decline in the city that is known for its pine trees and lush vegetation.

No one can fully blame SM city Baguio as the sole destroyer of the city, but it deserves the attention of the people because SM has been establishing malls everywhere in the country.

SM is one of the largest corporations in the country, it has displaced a lot of farmers and market vendors.

 It is the reason why a lot of small business establishments has gone bankrupt...and they are the main reason why Baguio is suffering from a huge influx of traffic in the central business district.

Baguio was a real beauty when this giant shopping  mall was not in the area, tourism was thriving.  

Baguio is a dream town for many, but due to lack of sustainable developments by the city government it is now suffering from severe decay.

 Since the arrival of SM and after John Hay was transferred into private ownership,  a lot of shops have closed and Burnham Park as well as other parks have been left to disintegrate... 

SM City Baguio is a nightmare for the people of Baguio. It continues to threaten the life of 182 trees and another 68 more in Crystal Cave in the guise of  Moldex Residences.

The long term dream of SM corporation is to establish SM shopping malls for every 30 minutes of every province,  just imagine having a shopping mall on top of the rice terraces----

If some people will call that progress... a lot of people will also tell you how disgusting that would be.

Shopping malls is not a source of creativity, it is everywhere and lacks originality.
People are now willing to pay for expensive resorts just to see trees and experience  nature...something that was free a long long time ago.

Residents in Baguio were not able to stop the creation of SM city Baguio in the past due to lack of support from the government and due to the fact that there is no social media during that time.

A group emerged called save 182, it is a non-partisan grouped that consists of various groups in the city. 

It has no leader but the members are all dedicated for the cause of the trees. 

With the help of Social media and the continuous efforts of people in and out of Baguio who are offering their pro bono services the 182 pines trees are still standing.

Despite the money and fame of SM they have not been able to  push through with their greedy plan--the case is still ongoing and the people of Baguio are still on their guard.

Baguio City is the City of Pines...but would it still be called the city of Pines if there are no longer pine trees.

After several protests, people and FB groups have been inspired to conduct their own tree planting activity in the city.

Groups like Save 182, A Tree A day ( led by Michael Bengwayan), One Nature, One Community ( Ash Yago Velasco and Dean Cuanso) private citizens like Jeffrey Chiu,  I walk alone Philippines ( Started by Sonn Fernandez and Michael Stalley), Stop the Cutting/ Uprooting of the trees in Baguio City ( Andrea Cosalan and Karen Calderon as Admin) Boycott SM Page ( Reiko Kato,  Kat Palasi--admin)
Baguio Artist Forest Park ( Santos Bayucca) Cordillera Green Network, Cordillera Global Network ( Glo Abeo, Chris Donaal, Gideon Omero)

A lot of FB groups have been established after the Jan.20,2012 protest against SM corporation for cutting the trees.

Thousands of trees have been planted and will be planted because of the people who truly love and support Baguio City.

If you want to truly contribute your efforts in saving Baguio and maintaining it for what it is, join the tree planting projects and environment friendly groups that are doing what they can.

You can join fb groups like https://www.facebook.com/groups/boycottsm/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/Luzonbackpackers/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/455742261123482/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Atreeaday/

This are all Baguio groups that are active in providing environmental projects for the city especially anything that is related to trees or creative projects.

Do not worry, none of this groups are militant in nature and none of them are asking for any fee in order for you to join.

If you want to meet some of the most interesting minds in Baguio, find a way to join this groups and build your own Baguio Family.

Feel accepted by the Baguio community by sharing your efforts in conserving what is left of Baguio. You will be surprised to know the amount of effort this groups are putting in order to save what is left of our beloved city.

Here is an excerpt of the statement taken from the case against SM vs Baguio residents written by Atty. Cheryl Daytec Yangot.


Update regarding the case against SM ( Atty. Cheryl Daytec- Yangot)

In the recent past days, I worked on the draft of an appeal brief on behalf of people who want to save Baguio's trees from the chainsaws of a rich corporation. Somewhere, the brief says:

Those who do not live in Baguio like the owners of X Corporation cannot appreciate the attachment of the local people to trees especially the pine trees which are very much part of the city’s historical heritage. To the outsider, a pine tree is nothing. 

It is an obstacle to development that must be cut down or uprooted. To the Plaintiffs-Appellants, however, the pine tree is their history, their past, their future. 
It is their lung. They believe that while trees should be cut down to serve human needs, they should never be destroyed in the name of greed. 

Plaintiffs-Appellants invoke environmental justice which is "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people...with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. 

Fair treatment means that no group of people, including… ethnic or socioeconomic groups, should bear a disproportionate share of negative consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of... environmental programs and policies. 

Meaningful involvement means that: (1) potentially affected community residents have an appropriate opportunity to participate in decisions about a proposed activity that will affect their environment and/or health; (2) the public’s contribution can influence the regulatory agency’s decision; (3) the concerns of all participants involved will be considered in the decision-making process; and (4) the decision-makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected." (quoting US EPA)

If you love Baguio take the time to  join tree planting activities and environmental projects that aim at preserving the remaining open spaces of the  city...

If you want to join tree planting projects contact: Christel_montes@yahoo.com for further details or stay updated Search FB page:Baguio and La Trinidad Community Events