Stop logging in Mindanao! Save our forests!

Let's play a game! How many logs can you count? These are photos I took within a few hours I was traveling through the Caraga Region. It represents just a small part of the trucks that we actually saw as we drove through (I also took cat naps on the way). Now imagine this happening on a daily basis, and that it happened for years and continues to happen.

I remember seeing this in 2010. So imagine how much of our forest cover we've lost in Mindanao. No wonder Sendong floods hit Mindanao! How many more Sendongs do we need to realize what needs to be done? I call on President Beningo Aquino III to implement his total log ban.

I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Oriental Mindoro: Things to do in Puerto Galera

Just a few hours from Metro Manila, Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro is a favorite for weekend travelers looking for a beach close enough to the city; but one that offers many options to fit your ideal beach destination. Be it a party, food adventure, a cultural encounter, an underwater paradise or a deserted stretch of white sand, Puerto Galera has something to offer. Here are some things you could see and do in Puerto Galera:

1. Experience some of the most diverse coral reefs in the world
It seems that most foreigners visit Puerto Galera to dive. Sabang Beach is teeming with dive resorts. The beach itself is nothing really. But many stay in Sabang Beach because it is the jump-off point for the wonderful dive areas of the coast of Mindoro. Remember that the waters in between Batangas and Mindoro are said to be the center of the center of the center of marine biodiversity in the world! You won't be disappointed when you choose Puerto Galera as your dive destination, definitely a diver's paradise!

2. Visit the many beaches
White Beach is of course the most popular. There are many places to stay, a lot of food options, and an active nightlife. So if you are looking for the party, then White Beach is the place. But since almost everyone is there, peace and quiet might be difficult to find. But don't fret, with over forty kilometers of coastline, Puerto Galera has other beach options.

We stayed at Aninuan Beach, a few minutes away from White Beach. But among the top five beaches are Bulabod, Aplayang Munti, Bayanan, Haligi Beach on Boquete Island, and Long Beach on San Antonio Island. Beach hopping tours are available at Minolo Port.

3. Meet the local Mangyan community
We got to visit the Talipanan Mangyan Village near Aninuan. They have a very active basket weaving venture and you can buy good quality baskets and other products, or have some made to order to your specifications. There is another Mangyan village further up the mountains in Baclayan where you can also arrange a cultural immersion.

4. Visit its many waterfalls
Tamaraw Falls is of course the most popular, being the most accessible. But if you're a fan of waterfalls, you can visit Tukuran, Aninuan and Talipanan Falls as well.

5. Drive up to the Ponderosa Golf Club
If you're a golfer, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one. But non-golfers will definitely enjoy the view of Puerto Galera Bay. And yes, they are constructing a zipline there as we speak.

6. Attend the music festivals
Mark your calendars for the Malasimbo Arts and Music Festival which happens early in the year. It's a chance to celebrate music, arts and nature in an outdoor natural amphitheater at the foot of Mount Malasimbo. Every Black Saturday, you can catch the Summer Music Festival to enjoy a night of reggae.

7. Go on a food adventure in Sabang Beach
Because of the many international tourists it caters to, Sabang Beach is host to many really great restaurants serving international cuisine. I definitely enjoyed dinner at Toko's in Atlantis Dive Resort. Aside from their really diverse menu, they have daily specials and serve really good pizza!

How to get to Puerto Galera
Please check out this detailed post on how to get to Puerto Galera (White Beach, Sabang and Muelle). It includes options for getting to Batangas Port and to Puerto Galera.

Malaysia: Melaka overnight

After visiting Georgetown in Penang, Malaysia, Ivan Man Dy explores Melaka, both of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage inscription. Text and photos by Ivan Man Dy.

Melaka (Malacca), they say, is where Malaysia began. Founded in the 1400s this city can certainly claim historical pedigree more than any other in Malaysia. Its long list of narratives include Malay sultanates, Chinese migration, Portuguese, Dutch, British and Japanese occupations.

Similar to its northern sister city, Georgetown, Melaka boast of a multicultural legacy brought about by these currents of history. However, unlike the former, Melaka's historic center is noticeably smaller and in fact, may well just be zipped through for the obligatory photo opportunity as I noticed with a lot of day tour packages.

Not for me though. As a heritage junkie, historic towns like this appeal to me a lot and I opted to stay overnight.

The thing with Melaka is that the historic center is actually small enough and everything can be covered by foot. At the center of it is the red-colored Dutch Square whose landmarks include Christ Church (1753), the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia, and the Stadthuys, former residence and headquarters of the colonial Dutch governors, which today houses the Museum of History and Ethnography. This is where the trigger happy tourists let loose and it's interesting that just a few steps up (and RM10 entrance fee) will lead you to a fascinating and quiet crash course on the city's rich narrative.

At the back of the the Stadhuys is St. Paul's Hill where stands the ruins of Portuguese-built St. Paul's Church (1521). Inside are some old European tombstones as well as the temporary burial spot of the Catholic Jesuit St. Francis Xavier before his remains was transferred to Goa.

Also in the area is the A Famosa, the only remant of Melaka's original Portuguese fortifications. To further highlight this 130 odd years of Portuguese occupation, parts of the original city walls have been excavated and rebuilt. Think a super mini version of Manila's Intramuros walls.

End your walk of the area at English-colonial style Proclamation of Independence Memorial Hall, where the first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman announced the country's independence from Britain in 1957.

The history of Melaka has always been tied up with trading and the Melaka River certainly played a very big part in it. Take a stroll at the refurbished river promenade before heading on Chinatown across the river. Located on the three major streets (which are all parallel each other) very close the Dutch Square, this is perhaps the liveliest part of the old town. Lined with traditional shop houses that still function in their original purpose, they range from simple to really ornate.

Jalan Tokong is home to three places of worship: the Taoist Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (1645),the Hindu Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple (1785) and Islamic Kampong Kling Mosque (1868). The former two lay claim to the oldest in the country. And of course, a cliche we often heard in Malaysia, Jalan Tokong is a known as the 'Street of Harmony'.

Over at Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, don't miss the charming Baba Nyonya Museum for an insight on the lives of the culturally-rich Peranakan Cina (Chinese-Malay) community. And if you are so really historically-inclined, walk about 25 minutes from the Dutch Square to Bukit Cina (Chinese Hill), supposedly the largest Chinese cemetery outside China. Huff and puff your way up to view the burial mounds or light an incense at Sam Poh Kong. This temple is said to have links with the legendary Ming Dynasty explorer Cheng Ho, another of Melaka's great touchstones in her fabled history.

So much history, all captured within one overnight stay. Definitely worth the sleep.

Letter to Mayor Alfredo S. Lim on Manila's continuous violations of Heritage Law

529 Elcano Street (Photo by Ivan Man Dy)

18 May 2012

Hon. Alfredo S. Lim
Mayor
City of Manila

Dear Mayor Lim:

A meaningful National Heritage Month to you and the City of Manila!

It has come to our attention that heritage houses in Binondo (three shop houses in one house at 529 Elcano Street; and another at the corner of Jaboneros and Camba Streets) are being demolished. Aside from being built during the Spanish colonial period and surviving the Second World War, the details of the said houses may be architecturally significant. This adds to the long list of demolitions in the City of Manila just in the first half of the year, most significant of which are the Meralco Building and Laperal Apartments, and the news of the planned demolition of the GSIS Headquarters right next to Manila City Hall.

We would like to remind your good office of Republic Act No. 10066 - National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009. Section 5 states that modification or demolition of properties at least 50 years and older need the consent of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). That means that this year, buildings built in 1962 or earlier are protected by the law and that the NCCA needs to evaluate its significance first before a permit is granted, if ever it is granted.

Obviously, buildings built during the Spanish and American colonial periods are covered by this law. And it is bewildering how your local building official has been issuing these permits for prewar heritage without the written approval of the NCCA. As we all know, "Ignorance of the law excuses no one." Or as the good mayor puts it, “The law applies to all, otherwise, none at all!” In Manila's case, looks like it's none at all.

There is a process that must be followed before a demolition permit is granted. This process is in place to help protect the last remaining significant heritage structures in our nation's capital.

Section 48 of the law provides that whoever intentionally destroys, demolishes, mutilates or damages a heritage building (that includes buildings 50 years or older) or modifies, alters, or destroys the original features of or undertakes construction or real state development in any site protected by the NHCP, shall be, upon conviction, "subject to a fine of not less than P200,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of not less than ten (10) years, or both upon the discretion of the Court." It provides further that "if the violation is committed by a juridical person, the president, manager, representative, director, agent or employee of said juridical person responsible for the act shall also be liable for the penalties provided."

It further states, "Heads of departments, commissions, bureaus, agencies or offices, officers and/or agents found to have intentionally failed to perform their required duty as prescribed by the deputization order under Section 28 of this Act shall be liable for nonfeasance and shall be penalized in accordance with applicable laws."

Here is a link to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA10066 to guide you in its implementation: http://www.ncca.gov.ph/downloads/IRR-heritage.pdf

We hope that the demolition of these houses are halted immediately before any more damage is done to them.

Thank you very much!

Sincerely,

Ivan Anthony S. Henares
Vice President
Heritage Conservation Society

Save the El Hogar Building!
Early last week, a meeting took place at the NHCP, or National Historical Commission of the Philippines, to listen to a presentation for proposed plans for El Hogar. The scheme involves demolishing the building and replacing it with a high rise, sporting street-level arches "reminiscent of El Hogar." The panel convened by NHCP rejected the proposal. (Archt. Dom Galicia)

Save Metro Manila's open spaces! We need more green zones and public parks!

We were meeting high up a building in Mandaluyong City this afternoon. It's a view I'm quite familiar with. And I've always thought of the "what ifs" every time we meet there since one gets a different perspective of Metro Manila, the full picture if I may say, with views from high above. In front of us was the Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club. Behind us was the National Center for Mental Health. What do they have in common? They are among the last remaining lungs of Metro Manila.

Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club

I just realized that many of the few remaining open spaces in Metro Manila are private golf courses and old government facilities. But one thing is certain, we definitely need a public central park!

Quezon City Central Park (Satellite image from Google Maps)

Maybe it's possible in Quezon City where Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center (NAPWC), Veterans Memorial Center (VMC), Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC), parts of UP Diliman and LWUA Balara Complex can be connected to form a superpark or greenbelt of sorts. We need more superparks and not supermalls don't you think?

When we were being consulted by the office of QC Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte for the Quezon City Tourism Plan just last year, I proposed this idea of a Quezon City Central Park and Green Belt which I was told QC Mayor Herbert Bautista liked. I wonder if there are any updates.

Veterans Memorial Center, Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center and Quezon Memorial Circle (Satellite image from Google Maps)

As part of the proposal, NAPWC could be professionally landscaped and transformed into a botanical garden that can earn more income from tourists. Note that we don't have a botanical garden in Metro Manila. NAPWC could be connected to QMC and Veterans via an underground pedestrian tunnel. No stairs, just an incline so people can bike or jog under towards the other side. I raised the point of removing all the unnecessary structures at the QMC (such as the unsightly amusement park) and having it landscaped professionally.

Parts of the Quezon City Hall property could also be integrated in the Quezon City Central Park since there are areas that still have a lot of large trees.

Quezon Memorial Circle, Agricultural Training Institute, National Hydraulic Research Center and UP Arboretum Forest (Satellite image from Google Maps)

QMC could then be connected by another tunnel and landscaped bike and jogging lanes to UP Diliman Campus. Another set of tunnels and bike and jogging lanes connect QMC to the UP Arboretum Forest through the Agricultural Training Institute and National Hydraulic Research Center. Note again that the lanes have to be landscaped properly! University Avenue used to have beautifully landscaped surroundings designed by National Artist Ildefonso P. Santos, Jr.

Local Water Utilities Administration and Balara Filtration Facility (Satellite image from Google Maps)

UP Diliman in turn could have landscaped bike and jogging lanes to Balara which is also another green zone as you can see from the map. And the Balara facility can be improved in such a way that it becomes a public park as well.

National Center for Mental Health with a cover of green behind and informal settlers in front

Back to Mandaluyong, seeing the large colony of informal settlers in front of the mental health center was depressing. When politicians nurture informal settler communities for their votes, we lose these few remaining open spaces.

I was told the property in front, that is said to be owned by DWSD, is about 60 hectares. And it's all informal settlers now. Too bad. If only most of our local officials had vision and were long-term thinkers, that wouldn't have happened. Such a pity also that most efforts are geared towards the next campaign. Who knows, that large patch of green on the property of the National Center for Mental Health might be the next victim of our politicians' bright ideas. Several people informed me that someone did have that "bright" idea of trying to sell the property. But it fizzled out due to strong opposition. Imagine, if the mental facility is moved elsewhere, Mandaluyong can have its own central park!

Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area

We don't have much green spaces in Metro Manila left. Aside from those mentioned, in Quezon City there is the La Mesa Watershed (parts of which are becoming residential areas and government officials seem to be doing nothing); Manila has the Arroceros Forest Park; and the Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area along the coast of Manila Bay (which some idiots in government are proposing for reclamation) are just some of the few green areas we have left.

Congress should enact a law prohibiting the sale and conversion of government properties in Metro Manila with significant patches of trees and open spaces. These are all potential public parks. The funds they can earn from selling these land to condominium or mall developers is short-term and pales in comparison to the priceless treasures these open spaces are for raising the quality of life in our cities. We definitely need parks and open spaces now more than we need any additional malls. Our government should give its citizens nothing less.