A friend on Facebook sent me an invite to join a small group of Baguio citizens this weekend for "a visioning and planning exercise for a better Baguio". I begged off as I will be going down to Manila tonight but said I will email them my thoughts. I decided to share these to everyone instead. So, here goes...
1. MORE TAXI AND JEEP FRANCHISES: I've given up on walking in the city. It's impossible to walk around anymore without being smothered by smoke belchers. But then again, there are too few taxis or jeeps going around. Pity those of us who don't own / can't afford cars. We have business to do downtown as most everyone else. And when the city is blanketed with smog... it'll raise our temperature a notch higher. We'll all do without sweaters, jackets, etc. and no more need for fireplaces. Hooray! We'd be the Manila of the North -- then I just might as well relocate back here.
2. MORE CONCRETE: Have you seen the cement elephants in Burnham Park? The cement Pine Tree at the top of Session Road? I say let's channel funds for more of these. Why not make the tallest cement Pine Tree in the world? Pang-Guiness Book of World Records. Why stick with elephants... it's the year of the tiger pa naman. Heck, make big, cement 'sculptures' of the Chinese Zodiac. Good Feng Shui for the city. Consult the geomancers how to position them. At least we can enjoy these sculptures, have you seen the public art in Serendra? Ugly! Hindi ko maintindihan. Walang meaning.
3. MORE FOREIGN INVESTMENT: Why not let the Koreans develop Athletic Bowl? They have the money. Why depend on Filipino investment -- we all saw what Fil-Estate did with John Hay and how to date they still owe the city gazillions in taxes. Let foreign money enter. Let foreign culture take-over. (I find it strange that in the market or elsewhere when I speak in Ilocano to the vendors they still insist in answering me in tagalog. It's de riguer now to speak in Tagalog. Apay nga mabain da agsao ti ilocano? Let's please not be stubborn like the cebuanos or ilonggos who refuse to speak in tagalog. They're so proud of their language. They think their language is better than the national language.) With more foreigners investing in the city -- we won't have to go abroad to be domestics, we can all work for them here. Yippee! More jobs!
4. DOMOGAN, VERGARA AND BAUTISTA FOR ETERNITY: Since these are the only folks who run in our local elections, I say let the city council pass a law making them vice-mayor, mayor and congressman of the city for life! Nobody has the balls to run against them anyway, let them do the merry-go-round every election time. It'll save valuable time, efforts and money. With the three clowns in city hall / congress, maybe numbers 1, 2 and 3 above will be accomplished.
MABUHAY ANG BAGUIO CITY!!!
Aw, I feel bad you can't make it... you're one of the most creative denizens I know. We will miss you later Martin.
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