Ayala Triangle - A vision for the future

I live in the Philippines. I am a Canadian citizen, born and raised and now a permanent resident of the Philippines. I married my Filipino/Canadian husband just over 1 year ago, but we have lived here in Manila for over 3 years. A long time to be in Manila some would say, especially for someone who comes from Vancouver, Canada. A place unmatched in it’s natural beauty, Vancouver’s cityscape wraps around English Bay, a sparkling body of water which shines with a sunny glow, bouncing off the glass windows of the surrounding city. Tall mountains surround Vancouver like a protective cove and are close enough to be reached within an hour or less for hiking, skiing and picnicking.  Vancouver's metropolitan area itself is an international site with every nationality intermingled to create one big West Coast family. There is a certain harmony among the races, as for many years, the groups have learnt to live peacefully amongst each other.

Vancouver is also known worldwide for having some of the world’s best urban planning, voted many years as one of the World’s top cities to live. The city is also known for it’s eco-friendly, health-conscious and sustainable stance on living. Recycling, city-wide composting and bike lanes are just part of the daily life in Vancouver. As an urban city, it is unmatched with parks and green spaces, the largest park being the famous Stanley Park. Stanley Park, lining the ocean side, is 1,000 acres in size,  larger even than New York's Central Park, and wraps itself around most of the downtown core of Vancouver. A welcome break for Vancouver citizens, the massive park is intermingled with the urban city lifestyle. It provides daily access for people to get exercise, rejuvenate and, on evenings and weekends, to take a break and spend quality time with friends and family amongst the outdoors.

So why am I bringing this all up?

When I moved to Manila 3 years ago, I had trouble with the sprawling concrete metropolis, a stark contrast from my home. Where were all the trees and parks I asked myself? After some time, the answer to this plea I found to be Ayala Triangle Park, a small sprawling green area in the center of the downtown core, which became one of my “respite places” from the daily grind of city living, e.g., work, office responsibilities, traffic. I would find my peace here in the evenings while I waited for my husband to finish work. It was a decently sized park, nothing in comparison to Stanley Park but still, it allowed me some access to nature. It was a welcome change from the concrete jungle that surrounded me. I loved jogging here, amidst the families, lovers and office workers who also enjoyed the shade of the trees and reclining on the soft grass.

However, one day, out of the blue, I arrived at Ayala Park and suddenly there was a large section of the park fenced off. Part of the park was suddenly unusable and inaccessible. What was happening? After a bit of research, I discovered that a new hotel was being built to replace the Mandarin Hotel, which was closing...right in the heart of Ayala Triangle Park??!!  I was outraged and beyond horrified. With so little green space in the city already, how could this possibly be allowed to happen?

Do we really need another hotel...more high-rises...more concrete...more pollution? Do we want Manila, and every other city, to become an uninhabitable wasteland, unfit to any longer support decent human life? Are we forgetting the rampant pollution problem already apparent in Manila? What happens when we cut down more trees? I felt the injustice of this situation. Ayala Park, so clearly a public space, which benefited so many and now it would become even smaller? The thought surfaced immediately of revolt. If this was Central Park in New York, Stanley Park in Vancouver, or one of the large parks in Seattle, there would be immediate backlash from the community. This would not be taken lightly. There would be riots, demonstrations and protests. But what happened when the Ayala Corporation proposed building another monster hotel right in the midst of the Park? The answer is... Nothing!

This is my declaration in order to bring attention to the public, the Ayalas and anyone else involved in the construction of this new super hotel: we need our parks, we need our green spaces and we need our trees. We need room where our kids can properly grow up with public spaces devoid of the ingratiating daily assault on the senses of the big city.  As human beings, this, at minimum, is a bare necessity and, ultimately, at best, a human right. Consider the following concerns, more than likely, not addressed in the decision to build, e.g., ecosystems such as the bees,  ants and other life forms which propagate life itself; families, friends, children and loved ones  all needing outdoor space in a natural setting to congregate and flourish. Now, 1/3 of their green area is being threatened to become another “super-hotel”. How do we benefit from this? How will the people of Manila, of the Philippines, of the World benefit from this? Do we want our children to grow up in a concrete jungle, with its toxic environment  that is unfit for human life? Or, do we want our children to grow up as we did, as kids, to enjoy their childhoods in a natural environment? We choose.

Manila is the capital of the Philippines, a large and steadily growing metropolis, rising on the World scale. As a country, as a city, Manila rises to meet the demands of the foreigners and industrialists but forgets to care for it’s very own people, it’s families, it’s citizens. I ask the governing bodies, where are you aiming to stand on the world scale?  As a government who pillages its own as a colonizer would, with no thought of the aftermath, all in the name of wealth and progress?. A country which  neglects to plan for its future and the coming generations is not a progressive country, but behaves as a “colonizing” one, on its own people at that!

As wife, and mother to be, I will not be able to raise my child in the city where my husband’s family is from. My husband does not want to raise his child in a place that now resembles a shadow of the land that once was. We want a greener, purer and cleaner life. The simple life. The life we all crave for deep down. Where soil, grass and water are part of our daily existence. A connection to our food, the water, clean air, the basic necessities of life. Wake up Manila! Your precious resources are disappearing before your very eyes, not unlike the iconic “death by a thousand cuts...”. Being raised in one of the most beautiful and sustainable cities in the world, I again ask you to look closely and examine where you are aiming to stand on the world scale...as a country, more importantly, as a city?

We French Canadians say “le Joie de vivre” - which translates as “the pure joy of living.” Fresh air and water, food and nourishment and family are the simplest and greatest pleasures of life. Let us preserve our “nature” spaces, our green areas, our parks and our trees which create life sustaining respite for us all. And, finally, let us be willing to stand up to those who oppose this natural way of life, voice what we know to be right and fight for what we know to be true in our hearts. Join me in whatever way you feel called to move towards this dream, this idea of keeping the land and its resources sacred, sustained and renewed.  

Om. Peace. Amen.

I would like to finish by sharing a dream I recently had.

I was flying over the ocean, toward the city of Manila.

As I neared,  I watched as large buildings, looking like sky-scrapers loomed ahead, seeming to fill the entire expanse.

As I approached from the ocean, the expanse seemed majestic. The city loomed into view, as a mass of many skyscrapers filled my vision.

There seemed no place for me here as I landed among the desolate streets. Filled with concrete shelters, it looked as an abandoned ghost town. I flew in the other direction now.

Perhaps this way there would be some greenery, it would be my home.

As I flew higher the web of wires made it hard to soar high.

A thick cloud of smoke/smog entered my face making it hard to fly high.

I came closer to the ground now. Flying past fisherman, I tried to find my way back home. But there were people everywhere.

The streets lined the place where nature once was.

I tried to find some semblance of home amidst these streets.

Passing children playing, young teens walking home from school.

I continued to fly past these homes, women sweeping their pavement walkways. I continued to fly until I couldn’t see anything anymore but trees, miles and miles of green, and the occasional man walking through an isolated trail on his way home to his hut in the middle of the vast expanse.

I continued to fly, looking for a home.  I was a bird.

Thank you,

Peace. Love. Harmony.