Kinampihan pa ni Environment Secretary Ramon Paje ang ginagawa ng SM. Sabi niya,“If we do not allow trees to be cut, will there be a development such as Fort Bonifacio?(Kung hindi natin papayagan na putulin ang mga kahoy, paano tayo magkaroon ng pagsulong katulad ng Fort Bonifacio?”)
Naturingang “environment secretary.” Mas inaala-ala pala niya ang paglago ng negosyo ni Manny Pangilinan.
Ang Fort Bonifacio “development” na sinasabi ni Paje ay ang dating kampo ng military na ibinenta ng pamahalaan sa kumpanya ni Pangilinan at ngayon ay isang napakalawak na commercial complex. May mga malls at buildings. Para sa mga may kaya.
Ang ganung “development” ay pwedeng magawa sa maigsi na panahon at halos kahit saang parte ng mundo. Ang mga puno ay maraming taon bago lumaki. Marami sa 182 na puno na gusto putulin ng SM mas maranda pa siguro kaysa namumupo ng SM na mga anak ng bilyonaryong si Henry Sy.
Sa pagputol ng maraming puno sa Baguio,magiging delikado ang lagay ng siyudad na nasa bundok dahil luluwag ang lupa. Palaging may landslide sa Baguio kapag tag-ulan. Marami ang namatay noon sa malakas ng lindol nang bumagsak ang isang hotel doon. Hindi kaya naisip ni Paje yun?
Sabi nga ng isa sa Facebook para siyang abogado ng SM. Naku ha, mahal yan.
Ininsulto nga siya ng isa ring Facebooker:” Mr. Secretary,doon po yung dulo ng parada ng mga tanga, they’re waiting for you.
Sabi ni Peachie Urquiola, “Siguro nabagsakan ng puno ito sa ulo nung maliit pa. Parang uod mag-isip.”
Ganun na nga, may narinig ba kayong pinaggalitan o sinaway ng Malacañang si Paje? Siyempre wala dahil kasama naman sila dito.
Ayun sa mga report ang 34,528-square-meter na lote sa Luneta Hill kung saan nakatamin ang 182 na pine trees ay pagmamay-ari ng pamahalaan. Ibinenta ng pamahalaan ni Pangulong Cory Aquino noong Abril 1992 sa halagang P69,999,995.52. nabayaran ng buo ng SM noong Abril 1997.
Sinasabi ng SM na hindi raw nila pinuputol ang mga pine trees. Ginamit daw nila ang teknolohiya na “balling” o binabalot na parang bola ang ugat ng mga pine trees. At ililipat daw sa ibang lugar.
A Closer Look at SM City Baguio’s Redevelopment and SM’s Commitment to the Environment
http://smsupermalls.com/smsupermalls/smbg/
Ngunit ang mga taga DENR na rin ang nagsasabi na kukunti lang ang nabubuhay sa mga matatandang kahoy na nililipat. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/176285/tree-controversy-becomes-laboratory-for-tree-balling-policy
Pinahaba ng Baguio Regional Trial Court ang kanilang inisyu na temporary environmental protection order (TEPO) laban sa sa pag-alis ng mga punong kahoy na siyang hiningi ng Cordillera Global Network.
Hanggang sa maayos daw ang gusot.
Hindi yan maayos hanggang hindi nila tigilan ang pagsira ng kapaligiran.
ellen I thought Henry Sy owns SM malls not of MVP.
MVP owns Global City, the part of Fort Bonifacio, which has been commercialized.
I mentioned MVP in the context of Paje’s statement that mentioned Fort Bonifacio.
dan, Ellen was referring to Fort Bonifacio Dev. Corp. – The first major investment of MVPs bosses in the Salim Group outside of Smart Telecoms. The rest is history.
Para sa akin, small issue yang 182 pine trees sa area na papalitan naman ng structural pile-driving which will help upgrade the soil integrity of the location preventing more damage to the environment in case of earthquake or landslide.
It would be stupid for a giant company like SM to gamble the structural stability of its building which may later cause damage to its occupants and visitors, the result of which may perhaps be worse than the subject of the present furor.
Ang dapat asikasuhin ng gobyerno diyan ay yung squatters sa gilid ng mga bundok na para kang nasa Brazil na pag gumuho yung nasa tuktok patay lahat ng nasa ilalim nito. Bukod pa sa ito ang tanawing magwe-welcome sayo pag-akyat pa lang ng Baguio.
Baguio is fast becoming overcrowded and polluted. Eyesores such as these are becoming common sight too.
Ganoon din dito sa Dagupan City, sa may J De Venecia road(at karatig pook), marami na ring palaisdaan ang tinabunan.
Ang rason, para magkaroon ng “pagsulong” ang naturang bayan.
Baka wala ng matikmang malasang Bunuan bangus ang susunod na henerasyon kung tatabunan din ang mga katabing palaisdaan.
I’ve done a lot of projects directly with SM (North Triangle, Centerpoint, Megamall, Fairview, Southmall, YMCA, Best Rubber, Bacoor, Sta. Cruz, etc). As I’ve also done with other major companies, trees that do not fit into the planned layout are in general, uprooted and re-planted.
One fully-grown pinetree may be estimated at P100,000 ea. computing the real property cost and maintenance. It is therefore, a no-brainer that they will try to save every tree they can.
The activists who are over-reacting to the expansion are misinformed about the benefits of such investment. In this country, it will take ONE MILLION PESOS to create a single job. An average-sized SM Mall is built to a tune of about P500M and will create 500 jobs and contribute annual taxes of about P15M to the local gov’t coffers from business and real estate.
This does not include the road improvement, traffic improvement and general peace and order enhancement of the surrounding community because SM does not build its malls around red light districts and rowdy places for the safety of its customers and locators. These things SM gives for free.
As standard provision, there has to be enough vacant space for future expansion to double its size if the first mall becomes feasible. All SM contractors know this.
The planting of new trees are well within the capability of the host cities because they are well compensated.
As far as I know, SM Baguio is the city’s biggest taxpayer to date. The noisy protesters want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Our colleagues tell us Ayala has recalled its Mall project in Negros due to similar concerns, what a waste.
Haaay, hindi talaga tayo aasenso nito.
I forgot to mention, P15M in taxes are those paid by the 3 SM groups only: SM Prime, SM Mainstream Business, and SM Supermarket. The space/boutique renters in the mall are also responsible for paying business taxes and generating employment. The 3 SM groups are the 1-2-3 top payers in Baguio.
I see! thanks ellen, tongue for enlightenment.
IMHO, it is not wrong for Ayala or SM or any conglomerate to retract their plans. That (hopefully) means they’re trying to innovate their ideas. Being passive by saying yes to everything (well, not really everything) will make it too easy for anyone to just do anything they please and hide behind the technicalities of laws and regulations.
If that means “asenso”/a mall construction will be delayed for a few months or years in preparation for a project that will be agreeable for a greater number of people, then why not.
Don’t get me wrong, I love tech and its many innovations. I can wait for the new iPhone for a few months. But I am also willing to wait for a greater innovation, if that meant lesser traffic, lesser people and more trees.
Of course, that is the ideal me thinking out loud.
From Boo Chanco: ellen… fort boni is now owned and managed by the ayalas. mvp’s group lost it some time ago.
Low survival rate of transferring old trees:
The report said 10 of 25 pine trees (with trunk diameters measuring 10 centimeters and below) survived the transfer, while six of 29 pine trees (with trunks measuring more than 20 cm) thrived, all in a four-month span. The same report said none of 18 pine trees (with 10 to 20 cm trunks) survived transplanting from January to April 2009.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/176285/tree-controversy-becomes-laboratory-for-tree-balling-policy
@Tongue-Twisted
First I would like to recognize your work and your opinion regarding this matter but I would presume na hindi ka taga Baguio to claim those statements for us who grew up here.
Here are some facts you have to know:
1 SM may be the largest tax payer in the city but nonetheless Baguio made progress on its own before SM was built here in 2002.
2 Progress at the cost of the environment is no progress at all.
3 Baguio is very sensitive to climate change because people here, especially who grew up here, could testify to you that our climate here is not what it used to be… we are just protecting the integrity of Baguio as how it is known and what is left of it.
4 Even the lifestyle of Baguio has been forever changed by SM.
5 SM killed most of our local businesses.
If you are about progress through infrastructures alone, then maybe you are the one misinformed. Matatalino ang mga taga Baguio dahil Siyudad din ito ng mga Studyante at eskwelahan.Do not underestimate our understanding of the situation.
PS. People of Baguio are already expressing that what SM has done is enough.Sooner or later this might be the deathtrap of SM in our city. Hindi malayong magalit ang mga taong pinagsisilbihan niyo dito sa Baguio hindi ba? Take note, ang mga empleyado ng SM Baguio mostly do not come from here.
Convinced ako sa paliwanag ni TonGuE-tWisTeD. Hindi ka naman bayad ha? hahaha joke. Sometimes kasi we have to sacrifice nung ibang bagay kung maganda naman talaga ang magiging resulta. Hindi rin naman natin kasi masisisi ang ibang tao dahilsa hindi masugpong corruption. Ayusin ng gobierno ang corruption, I believe madaling maconvince ang madlang people sa mga ganitong proyekto na makakatulong din naman sa tao. Sir P.E.Noy sana mabusisi mo rin ang mga nasa paligid mo. We know you are not corrupt,but how about the people surrounding you, are they not. Unless they are GOD fearing. GOD Bless.
Si Henry Sy ay isa sa pinakamayaman na tao ngunit ang karamihan ng empleyado nya walang sariling bahay. Oo alam ko buti nalang may pang samatalang trabaho pero sa dami ng pera nya dito at sa china dapat sana ma bago nya ang kalagayan ng mga nag tatrabaho sa kanya. Matanda na sya. Malapit na sya ma dedo.
Saan ba ang Luneta Hills? Ito ba ay Terraces dati? 30 taon na ako hindi nakapunta sa Baguio.
But the thing is, @Danarica, sigurado bang mas maganda yung resulta? (see link above) The question about the project is not about the soil’s integrity or the (obvious) apathy of the politicians but the imminent and actual loss of pine trees. you cut the 182 trees that are probably older than either of us and then plop in some shrubs or trees or whatever. Basta less than 182 trees ang matitira. The people are “over-reacting” because there is imbalance in the proposal. They’re being proactive, actually. Because if we all just sit back and watch the project go into full swing, we cannot just press CTRL + Z. Bigger mall = more (not-so-high-paying) jobs = more people going to Baguio = more resources are used up = more waste products strewn around/ more CO2 = more gastos by the City to clean up the mess = angry local residents.
For me, a good economic strategy is something that uses local resources (human labor included) and gives back to the local community the same amount that it takes. In biology, that’s mutualism. I think many people are angry because they feel that SM is trying to take more than what it intends to give.
Why? Because trees give something to the community that is difficult to replicate by human hands. Of course, because we live in the same City and because the Greeks and English people invented the word, “ecology” (the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment- Wikipedia), people have every right to complain and tell people to fuck off, as needed.
SM brought jobs. Some of my friends work there. More jobs meant more taxes (which should have resulted to more infrastructures/developments in the City). SM even has this pseudo-Apple store. SM bought “legitimately” that land. It is also not *economically* viable to plant 182 pine trees and then wait for them to mature before proceeding with the proposal. But would you not be mortified if your next door neighbor would cut the same number of trees to put up a factory? Would you not feel the slightest remorse or sense of loss?
I do not necessarily uphold the philosophies that core group of the protesters subscribe to. Yet I believe that oppositions like this bring change. It makes people take a step back and *actually* think, “can we make this better?”
PS
Luneta Hill is where the old Pines Hotel stood up, Sir Jake, near the statue of Jesus Christ. By Terraces I think you meant Hyatt, which is a totally different area.
Thanks for the info. It seems that a megamall in Baguio is out of place isnt it? I heard horror stories about Baguio-that it is becoming like M.Manila, overcrowded and polluted.
I agree with MrMrREMM. Why?
We have to look overseas to learn our lesson. SM is like Walmart in US. They kill local businesses.
According to independent economic study, Wal-mart store openings kill three local jobs for every two they create.
In US, it is common for mall corporations like Galleria to have a concession with the city. For example, they want tax break for the next ten years or the city will pay for the road around the mall or both. Now, in Pinas it is worse. You are not only dealing with the city government but also provincial government, politicians, generals, etc…. all asking for a piece of action or annual tongs for them. I repeat, annual tongs to all of them and not a one time tong.
Who benefits from this SM Mall?
There are places that need more trees than massive buildings, and Baguio is one of them. In mountain towns like Ashville North Caolina and Boulder Colorado strict implementation of laws in cutting trees are followed to the letters because of the sensitivity and peculiar locations/grids of the mountain cities.
Gago si Paje, ang babaw ng rason nya na kung hindi magpuputol ng trees ay walang development ang lugar. Iba naman ang kinalagyan ng Fort, flat na lugar. Samantalang ang Baguio ay bundok at natural na mga puno ang pinaka-epektibong solusyon para hindi magunaw.
Greed..greed..greed..profit..profit= SM
(Requiem to the last TREE)
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Baguio is a resort place, a cooler place to unwind, to have rest and recreation but not to shop till you drop (as they say). baguio is not be a place for us tourist, local or foreign to shop imported items or commercial goods. we go to baguio to find greeneries, cooler mountain breeze.
Now, if SM will cut those ancient or century old trees, how would they make sense for the greater purpose of those who go to visit Baguio to smell the sweet smell of air breeze coming from pine trees.
The very purpose why we go out of town, we do not want to see shopping malls, we do not need big malls in such a place. The approval of SM Mall baguio was a terrible mistake of the Aquino government, now it’s the son who still continue to patronize it and its environmental secretary and cabinet staff.
Never mind the will of the great majority of the people of Baguio city and those who are visiting the place to find a cozier and greener place to relax. Never mind if those SM people unmindful of the environmental effect of their stupid and selfish acts could do harm the entire ecological balance of Baguio.
Forget the people, forget the effect of harmful heat but the big profit and ” kaswapangan ” so to speak, of those people involved in this fiasco, wrong decision, whatever you call it. SM Mall baguio is already there. Only god or nature will do its part when the time comes that SM Mall baguio will go like its former predecessors destructed and ruined by great earthquake. God and nature has their own way to thwart such foolish acts of mankind.
Trees are a great gift from nature and many poems have been written about trees but relatively few songs. Trees represent strength and long life and are critical for the world to survive. Here are my picks for the 7 best songs About Trees.
1.“Tie a Yellow Ribbon Around the Old Oak Tree” – this is a lovely song by Tony Orlando and Dawn. The song tells the story of a man who has been away for some time and hopes to see a yellow ribbon on the oak tree when he comes home. As the bus approaches his home he sees a hundred yellow ribbons. (Not the Cojuangco ribon of course)
2.“Little Trees” – this is a wonderful children’s song about trees by Michael Mitchell. The song talks about walking in the woods, climbing and caring for tress. The song draws analogies of children and trees growing up strong.
3.“O Christmas Tree” – this is simply a classic Christmas holiday song. The songs deal with the beauty and symbolism of the Christmas tree.
4.“Redwood Tree” – this song by van Morrison pays tribute to the Redwood Trees of Marin County. In the song the singer seeks refuge from the rain under a mighty Redwood. The Redwood is a symbol of safety in the Van Morrison tune.
5. “The Willow Tree” – there are several versions of this folk song. The themes vary some what; in one version it speaks of loss wealth and the protagonist dies under the Willow tree. In another version a cruel young man dies and only has the Willow tree to weep for him.
6.“The Pine Tree” – this country tune by June Carter uses trees to describe her relationship with her man. She makes comparisons to several trees. In the end of the song she tells her pine tree to come back and they will set roots in their hearts.
7.“The Forest Rangers Theme Song” – this is a lovely musical melody without lyrics. It is an upbeat tune and honors the service of Forest Rangers who work tirelessly to protect our forests.
(How I lave Trees, I can see God on them!)
Ang pagtayo ng dambuhalang bahay kalakal at nilamon ang maliliit, kailanmay di sinyales ng pag asenso!
Ang pag gawa ng 500 jobs na karamihan ay contractual at kapurit ang suweldo, di sinyales ng pag asenso!
Ang pag paslang sa mga puno ay sinyales ng katakawan, kagahaman, kadayukdukan at pag samba sa PERA!
The Earth is ailing, sisinghap-singhap at naghihingalo si Inang Kalikasan. Concern environmentalist are “not over-reacting”. Pwedeng gumawa ng pera si Henry Sy, kailan may di siya puwedeng gumawa ng PUNO. Diyos lang ang gumagawa ng Puno.
let the locals have their final say…
kapag meron bang SM outlet sa isang lugar ay masasabing ASENSADO na?
ang ginagawa kasi ng mga masasalaping negosyante na walang pagsasaalang-alang sa ating kalikasan ay unahin ang kanilang mga pinagkakakitaan katulad niyang pagbubuwal ng puno upang pagtayuan ng bagong gusaling pagpaparadahan ng mga suki nilang mamimili (s’yempre may bayad ‘yan, alangan namang wala?). hindi na nila iniisip na ang bawat punong mawala ay nangangahulugan ng pagluwag ng lupa. kahit tambakan pa ‘yan at konkretohin ay hindi na kasing tatag ng dati ang hulma ng lupa katulad ng pagpigil ng ugat na siya ring sumisipsip ng daloy ng tubig ulang kung walang punongkahoy ay tuloy tuloy ang ragasa sa kapatagang magbubunga ng landslide at kikitil sa maraming buhay kasabay ng pagkawasak ng mga ariarian.
isa na namang sugat sa mukha ni PeNoy!
I would presume na hindi ka taga Baguio to claim those statements for us who grew up here.
So, you are from Baguio. What were you doing when there were thousands of trees cut to give way to Texas Instruments 25-hectare plant among others?
1 SM may be the largest tax payer in the city but nonetheless Baguio made progress on its own before SM was built here in 2002.
My figures are fresh 2012. P15M from 3 SM firms were the BIGGEST annual business taxes paid followed by Baguio Country Club then retailer Coke then Goldrich. I am wondering how much taxes are miners paying Baguio? Or the big ones in BCEZ – Texas Instruments (once the country’s biggest electronics exporter) and Moog Controls? The 8 (how many is it now) call centers? A few millions? None? That ain’t “progress”.
BTW, hundreds of workers were laid off by T.I. in Baguio a few years back and moved some to Clark AFB.
2 Progress at the cost of the environment is no progress at all.
All urban developments, at one time, had to cut trees, whether to give way to structures or as construction material. I would not assume you live in a house built completely from steel and concrete, am I right? Let’s practice what we preach. Sheesh.
Misleading sentimental environmentalism does not help the situation any. Informative, common sense to the issue is needed to balance it out.
3 Baguio is very sensitive to climate change because people here, especially who grew up here, could testify to you that our climate here is not what it used to be… we are just protecting the integrity of Baguio as how it is known and what is left of it.
And climate change is an issue in Baguio only? FYI, my city hosts the biggest SM mall in the country. Our city officials made damn sure that SM followed every environmental regulation there is.
Protecting the integrity of Baguio, you say. Is this how a protected city looks like? And you are blaming SM for 182 pinetrees! How many trees were cut to construct all those houses? From afar, the city looks like one big dumpsite, nothing green in there anymore! It’s one major disaster about to happen. What are the advocates and activists doing about this? One finger pointing to SM and 3 fingers are pointing back at you.
4 Even the lifestyle of Baguio has been forever changed by SM.
Lifestyle is a personal choice. It cannot be the fault of another. Much less of SM. Duh.
5 SM killed most of our local businesses.
No, YOU killed most your local businesses. If your clients return to you because you are economical (not necessarily cheap), give overall good service, and offer comfort. Then you have no problem even if many SM malls will surround you. The palengke has survived it fiercest competitor, diba?
The problem is you can’t stop from going to the SM mall yourself for obvious reasons. For crying out loud, start boycotting the mall and you get what you are whining about.
SM’s projects are supervised either by Hans Sy (the eldest son) or Construction VP Ambet Paule. You stand a better chance with Hans. Paule regularly inspects the project site with two shotgun-wielding guards.
If you are about progress through infrastructures alone, then maybe you are the one misinformed. Matatalino ang mga taga Baguio dahil Siyudad din ito ng mga Studyante at eskwelahan.Do not underestimate our understanding of the situation.
Yeah, right. Look at the picture again. And again. And again. Matatalino? Sino’ng kumalbo ng Baguio, SM? Hahaha.
Blame game continues…
Seriously, everybody. Look at the picture here, please.
I don’t want to put down what the locals are doing to create awareness about the SM trees. But looking at the picture, don’t you think it’s a little bit too late for that now? Years of neglect they want to blame solely on someone only now?
Dang, something’s terribly wrong in that picture. Now you tell me.
SM it’s enough … pati puno tinalo muna, tama na maawa ka na sa mga small vendors pati puno pinatay muna, tama na, when is enough is enough! pati puno tinalo muna!
Avoid closed spaces like malls, balik tayo sa bukid, ilog mag tanim tayo ng maraming puno, huwag patayin ang malago na, DENR maawa ka naman sa puno.
Even if I knew the world were going to end tomorrow, I would go out and plant a tree today. (several people have been credited with this but I think Martin Luther originated the thought)
For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. (Martin Luther)
God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.(like SM) (John Muir)
Great oaks from little acorns grow.
He that plants trees loves others besides himself.
Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees. (Revelation 7:3)
I have come to terms with the future. From this day onward I will walk easy on the earth. Plant trees. Kill no living things. Live in harmony with all creatures. I will restore the earth where I am. Use no more of its resources than I need. And listen, listen to what it is telling me. (M.J. Slim Hooey)
I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech-tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines. (Henry David Thoreau)
I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do. (Willa Cather)
In some mysterious way woods have never seemed to me to be static things. In physical terms, I move through them; yet in metaphysical ones, they seem to move through me. (John Fowles)
Old foresters never die, they just pine away.
Only God can make a tree.
Other holidays repose on the past. Arbor Day proposes the future. (J. Sterling Morton)
Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them. (Bill Vaughan)
Thank God, they cannot cut down the clouds! (Henry David Thoreau)
There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more. (Lord Byron)
They kill good trees to put out bad newspapers. (James G. Watt)
Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky, We fell them down and turn them into paper, That we may record our emptiness. (Kahlil Gibran)
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. (Nelson Henderson)
You can live for years next door to a big pine tree, honored to have so venerable a neighbor, even when it sheds needles all over your flowers or wakes you, dropping big cones onto your deck at still of night. (Denise Levertov)
Di ko ipagpapalit ang isang puno sa sampung libong SM.
Tongue Twisted,how good you talk smart for the Baguio people.
Kalikasan ba ang issue? Maliit na bagay yang 182 na puno.
Ang dapat pagtuunan ng pansin ay yung power plant issue sa Mindanao. Yan ang higit na malaking dagok sa kalikasan, at diyan titiba ang mga nagtago kay Cory noong naganap ang EDSA (Aboitiz).
Yes. Habang nasa EDSA tayo, sa panawagan ni Butz Aquino, ang Inang Santa ay iniingatan ng mga Aboitiz, at itinago sa Cebu. Ngunit siya ang Santa, habang ang mga madreng humarap sa mga tangke ni Macoy ay nalimutan na.
Re #21, Thanks Dioresca. Please take note that I changed into sentence case (not capitalized) your comments.
That’s easier to read.
All caps indicate you are shouting. That’s not necessary. We can understand better if we we discuss this things calmly and clearly.
Dioresca well said re #21. Hindi lang shopping malls ang pumapatay sa ecological balance at atmosphere ng Baguio kundi ang pagpasok ng napakaraming smoke belchers na nagbubuga ng maiitim at nakalalasong usok pati ang mga illegal settlers sa paligid ng bulubunduking CBD ng Baguio na walang habas na nagkakalat ng mga basura. During my college days sa SLU way back 1984 hindi pa ganyan ang Baguio ka polluted ang sarap huminga at mamasyal coz its cool, clean/green & foggy outside.
One Tree is very important and more important than 100 SM.
Sax, that’s absolutely true. The 2 biggest distributors of electricity in Mindanao, CEPALCO (Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co.) for CDO and outskirts and Davao Power and Light for Davao are both owned by Aboitiz Equity Ventures. The Energy Mafia bosses of the south.
They are virtually untouchable in that area. Why can’t Transco (NGCP) lay underwater cables in order to integrate the southern islands into the national grid? With the excess power available in Luzon, the 20KW shortage in Mindanao is peanuts.
The bigger issue is the environmental aspect of the present crisis in Mindanao. The coal plants there are negating whatever environmental advantages the hydros were offering.
When we built the electrical system for biggest plant in Mindanao in Iligan back in the 90s, we routed the big cables from Maria Cristina Falls all the way to National Steel Corp.’s 5-Stand Tandem Cold Mills. All the power was supplied by hydro.
Today, most new power plants in Mindanao are coal-fed, (including the one whose privatization was stopped which is the culprit for the power shortage) – dirtier and deadlier than all of the SM Malls combined.
The left has joined the anti-SM fray yet they can’t defend their position with science and facts, they just appeal to the emotion instead.
Which reminds me of the “kuyog” mentality in the Dela Paz vs Pangandaman mauling incident in the golf course. Everybody jumped into the bandwagon condemning the Pangandamans when it was later proven that the Dela Pazes were really not so innocent after all.
SM massacre of trees in Baguio is an extension of long-standing massacre of workers’ rights.
SM promoted contractualization , made salesladies follow a very taxing work regimen, busted the workers’ union there, and repeatedly dispersed workers’ strikes. has been ruthless to people, showing that is also ruthless to nature
Greed knows no boundary, especially among the superrich in this country. most of the money they earned came from the very people who help enrich them, but they have no conscience except to make more money out of others’ sweat and toil.
Patay na, Contractualization na ang issue. Kitam, wala ng science?
Kelan kaya susunod yung massacre ng Hacienda Luisita?
Yung Noynoying?
Supporting local farmers and retailers vs. giant corporations:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=342681919116638&set=at.260654373986060.73605.260649940653170.1283542002&type=1&theater
Dapat umpisahan ng mag protesta ang mga taga Mindanao at dito sa Manila.
Masyado ng ginagago ni Noynoy ang mga mamamayan ng Mindanao. Hindi lang yon, isang napakalaking insulto ang ginagawa sa Mindanao dahil isang sinto-sinto pa ang gumagago sa kanila.
E impeach na yang walang silbing sinto-sintong daan. Mag protesta na dapat ang mga tao, ano pa ang hinihintay?
Kamatayan malapit na!
At the heart of a city that used to be the country’s cleanest and greenest, more than a hundred pine trees await their death sentence. The trees happen to be in the way of a development project by the country’s largest chain of malls owned by the Philippines’ richest businessman.
The mall owners and developers want the trees uprooted and transplanted somewhere else, but this proposal was met with opposition from city dwellers and environmental groups fearful of losing one of the last patches of green in the city’s deteriorating downtown.
A court order has temporarily halted the “earthballing” of trees but once its effectivity lapses, an environmental massacre is about to happen.
From Mother nature to Stone, Metal, GI sheets…
Initially, SM Baguio plans to cut the trees as approved by the environment agencies both at the local and national levels. Following the massive criticism the planned cutting of the trees earned, SM stated that it would instead “earthball” and transfer the trees to nearby grounds. Out of the 182 trees, 86 were slaughtered.
Signaling the transformation of the Summer Capital of the Philippines into a more urbanized landscape.
“Earthballing” pina cute pag tabas ng puno, “Earthballing” pina cute na pag paslang ng Puno na gawa ng Diyos..!
Earthballing may sound more environment-friendly instead of simply cutting the trees, but Dr. Michael Bengwayan of the Cordillera Ecological Center warned that “Benguet pine trees and Alnus will barely survive earth-balling.”
Pine trees and Alus are taproot trees that have one main root which goes deep into the earth. When dug, the trees will be be subjected to “stress-related problems due to tremendous root loss”.
Alay ko sa lahat ng may puso para ka Inang Kalikasan
Ang mga batang ngayon lang isinilang
Mayhangin pa kayang matitikman
May mga puno pa kaya silang aakyatin
May mga ilog pa kayang lalanguyan
Bakit `di natin pag-isipan
Ang nangyayari sa ating kapaligaran
Hindi nga masama ang pag-unlad
Kung Hindi nakakasira ng kalikasan
Darating ang panahon, mga ibong gala
Ay wala nang madadapuan
Masdan mo ang mga punong dati ay kay tatag
Ngayon’y namamatay dahil sa ating kalokohan
Lahat ng bagay na narito sa lupa
Biyayang galing sa Diyos kahit no’ng ika’y wala pa
Ingatan natin at `wag nang sirain pa
`Pagkat `pag Kanyang binawi, tayo’y mawawala na
Mayro’n lang akong hinihiling
Sa aking pagpanaw, sana ay tag-ulan
Gitara ko ay aking dadalhin
Upang sa ulap na lang tayo magkantahan
What’s in 182 trees? Sentimental Environmentalists in Baguio’s case are milking the issue dry. They were taken for a ride by one advocate, a lone ranger who finally found it fashionable to make online noise to stop the transfer of a few trees when Baguio had been suffering from more than a decade of ruin from denudation, deforestation and illegal squatting in the hands of the locals. These are the same people who are now standing tall in their soapboxes lashing out at the colossal ENEMY.
I would not describe these people as hypocrites. Remember the saying – looking at the trees and not seeing the forest – this is exactly the case in Baguio now. They are missing a major, major point. Luneta Hill MIGHT lose 182 trees. Or NOT.
Compare that mere probability to the thousands already cut where they built their shanties! Yet not a whimper about it. The change should begin with THEM, not from any gov’t agency, not SM! Those who believe otherwise just have to look at the picture I linked above to see what the locals have done to themselves. Imagine a cataclysm the magnitude of a Typhoon Ondoy and it would easily kill thousands, maybe MILLIONS of Baguio’s residents. Jesus Christ!
They have denuded Baguio of TENS OF SQUARE KILOMETERS of forest cover and replaced those with shanties like those favelas in Rio de Janeiro. Right in the slopes of the mountains. And they are waving their flags and banners against a mall. Still in the denial stage.
Pathetic.
They should be thanking the project proponents instead because they are constructing the first soon-to-be LEED-certified sustainable GREEN shopping mall building in the now-overcrowded resort city so that future builders could learn a lesson or two from the project. It is probably also a first for the whole of the Philippine construction industry under the Mall Category. Definitely a first for Baguio. And if there are companies capable of reversing the aweful situation and creating sustainable buildings to raise the bar for future constructions, especially in borderline cases like Baguio, SM is one of the very few.
One of my suppliers from Singapore caught me online and we were discussing this project (He also supplied some of our SM projects in the past) and I told him people were complaining about the trees that will be “balled”. He kinda laughed then goes, “All the cities in Southeast Asia are building at breakneck speeds and you are still trapped in that ‘tree-vs.- concrete’ debate that has been decided 80 yrs ago. You are wasting precious time.”
“Do you know how many trees they had to cut in Malaysia to construct a Formula One track a la Monte Carlo right in the city? Do you know how many trees were cut to build our famous Changi Airport? The great industrial parks in Thailand? And in Vietnam? You wouldn’t want a 2000-ton tree suddenly crashing on your head, right?” my chatmate asked.
Calling all Christians and Filipinos with Heart:
“As Christians, we are bound to be stalwarts of keepers of the environment and preach about the immorality of greed at the expense of God’s creation and gift to all,”
Pack Road can be developed as a first class terminal but not to the extent of sacrificing the fully-grown pine trees.
They will kill tress to accommodate 6000 vehicles.
Shame on You….!!!
And then again, Filipinos decide technical matters with their heart.
Baguio City was founded w/o SM.we can and have survived without it and so with you Tongue Twisted.We stand to whatever is left for the future of our grandchildren.We don’t need SM and “greedy” people like you in BAGUIO,it made our politicians corrupt.The people that support our stand,the migrants and we the Igorots,our “VOICE” is one………
Oh no, don’t get me wrong, igorot man. You have all the right to destroy your city. Like you have already done. I thought I was trying to put some sense into your brains by sarcasm.
I don’t care if SM cancels that project. Now, I am hoping that they do!
Who needs their new parking lot? Their customers can park all the way down to Session Road and make worse the traffic and the congestion and the smoke and the pollution, the noise and the works. You are entitled to all that.
Who needs a new underground recycled water reservoir? The present water supply of the city can sustain the needs of a big mall can’t it? They don’t even need that recycled water for the plants and trees of the city gov’t that SM has committed to supply. Including water for the city’s firetrucks. No, you and your friends Mr. Igorot Man, don’t need any of those, right?
BTW, I’m not greedy as you thought me to be. You have enough greedy politicians and residents you don’t need outsiders like me to intervene.
Listen, the building height limit in Baguio is six storeys but what do you know, in the past five years, more than 50 medium rise structures have been built surpassing the six-storey limit. Now, there are two 20-storey buildings undergoing finishing touches. Imagine the amount of water these two skyscraper condos will regularly suck out of your pipes. Imagine how much garbage their new residents will generate. Think how many new cars will be added to the traffic-stricken metropolis. I would not have discussed the air pollution but you have cut most of the forests already. In terms of Square Kilometers! How about Camp John Hay? How many building clusters will be constructed? Imagine all the weight imposed on the soil, is it already beyond capacity considering the underground has been drilled by miners and soldiers for many decades? All you have to do is ask the architects. The engineers. I know a handful from Baguio who are just as frustrated as I am with the overcrowding.
Yeah you can have all of that to yourselves but when disaster time comes don’t come begging from us. You are now staring down at SM alone yet the whole landscape tells a worse story. And the problem gets worse because none of you, Mr Igorot Man, accepts that a worse problem already exists. It’s late in the game and many are still in denial.
The ecological clock is ticking away and the devastation might come sooner or later. You owe it to your children and your children’s children to leave behind a sustainable environment as it is the responsibility of every builder like SM, engineers like me and residents like you to guarantee a comfortable livable city like Baguio for many future generations.
Now tell me who are the greedy ones?
amazing tongue twisted,you seem to know the secrets of BAGUIO.Sorry to say but don’t be a flip-flop to your conscience and to what you say.You maybe right on our past mistakes but we’re not that late to stand from our nightmares.These is who we are now,struggling to tell the “truth” not only for the good of us but to the rest of the Filipino People.Tell you what too tongue twisted,sayote shoots crawls faster than your help if ever BAGUIO crumbles to your knees and we’re good for that without salt.We feel sorry to your career and millions loss,we see it don’t fit to our “future”…..
@tongue-twisted
I do respect and admire your arguments and vast knowledge about which is which and even how good you are in dissecting my arguments. I would not counter with point-for-point arguments.
The people of Baguio did not want SM here in the first place but we have become accustomed to its presence. The picture you have posted came AFTER SM came here. We are simply saying we do not want SM to expand in the cost of OUR 183 trees. We are simply saying we do not want more of SM. We are saying we do not want the progress SM offers. We would prefer progress that everyone will enjoy yet preserve Baguio’s integrity. If SM could offer that then we wouldn’t have any problem. Right?
I admire your logic but not all logical arguments are the right answers my friend.
Lastly, you cannot claim what the local residents’ opinions are be false or misled, simply because you DO NOT live here and have not loved Baguio the way we do. Your logic to the issue is biased towards your employers…
The simplest way to explain my posting is SM have done enough. We do not agree with their proposal for development and progress. Give us another option… Baguio might reconsider, if not… SM leaves a sour taste in the palate of the very people they are offering their services too (In the word of commerce… dissatisfied clients). I am sure SM wouldn’t want this…
Also, just because Baguio made mistakes in the past does not mean we allow SM to make another one. Yes, we made mistakes before, we learned from it, that is why we are against what SM proposes to do.
SM’s expansion project will just be added to the list of mistakes we have made before. Two mistakes does not make something right!
It’s been a long long time (decades) since I’ve been to Baguio.
I was shocked to see that photo of the city now (per link of Tongue’s comment #29). I can see the point of Tongue. The beautiful mountain resort city has practically been ravished and is gone.
And I think the residents are now up in arms against SM because this was probably the last straw. It broke the camel’s back. MrMrREMM’s #59 comment I believe explains it all. They accept their mistakes of the past, no need to add to it.
The question now is can they win against giants who want to come into their city? Or will life be so downgraded that present and future generations will just decide to leave and look for greener, cooler more livable pastures? And making Baguio a ghost town of sorts decades from now.
just as an aside though, I have noted that SM malls are one of the biggest noise polluters in this country.
I don’t enjoy going to malls at all. I can’t hear myself think. I can’t hear my cell phone ring and even if I do, I can’t hear the other person on the line. I get edgy and my blood pressure goes up.
Malls are for the young ones who have gone deaf listening to all that shrieking and screaming on radio, TV and SM’s sound systems. I have complained personally to SM’s supervisors and managers about 3 or 4 times already. Nada.
SM sounds like a barangay fiesta on weekends.
SM should play only soft but lilting music, preferably instrumental… preselected by central management and the volume settings should be pre-set such that the decibel level does not go over that of conversation level (60 decibels).
And government should inspect all malls (and all barangays) who play music in public and see to it that noise polluters are fined.
Noise pollution is bad for the health.
Malling is no longer fun in the Philippines.
Malls in the US are such a relaxing and enjoyable experience.
Quiet and relaxing. One can sip coffee with a book or newspaper and not be suddenly zapped by screaming bashees.. Or one carry on a conversation with someone over a quiet lunch or dinner without straining one’s vocal chords and without getting a sore throat afterwards.
Malling in the US is more fun.
Spare the oxygen…
“We cut it all for you” ‘ we got it all from you”
Stop Shoe Mart Development Corporation from harming, uprooting and cutting some 85 Alnus japonica trees and 97 Benguet pine trees,” Cutting and harming of the trees is deadly as one pine tree or alnus tree absorbs an average of 40 to 45 pounds of carbon a year, thereby helping reduce global warming.
“The 182 trees are contributing to the reduction of an average 8,790 pounds of carbon in the atmosphere yearly. This helps in reducing global warming,” causes death of many plants, reduction of immunity to diseases and depletion of water sources. “one tree of about 50 feet tall produces 3,000 pounds of oxygen yearly which is almost the oxygen needed by five to six people for one year.”hold water and prevent water run-off.
“An average 10-year-old tree holds some 1,500 to 2,000 liters of water. Thus, the 182 trees store as much as 364,000 liters of water,” The loss of 182 trees, endangers the Central Business District of Baguio City as water run-off is increased, especially since concrete will have replaced the soil.“Flooding is imminent in Magsaysay, Harrison and Burnham Park. People will suffer greatly. Mall authorities, meanwhile, claimed they continued operations despite threats of protesters to occupy a portion of their property.
Greed…greed..greed..!
Continue the battle for the city’s few remaining green patches which, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, have dwindled to 18 percent from more than 50 percent in the 1950s.
“Nature has its own way to teach us; don’t wait for the lesson to come,”
Technical Greed..greed, not techinical matters, its greed, greed nothing but gree…greed.
Urbanization has destroy the world. When you cram millions of people into a city, then things can get ugly very quickly. Urbanization (herding people into cities) has caused massive problems in the world. The elite are suppressing food and water to the poor around the world. The World Bank has bankrupt nations, cutting off their resources.
Pera..pera sinasamba ang pera..pera.. tubo..tubo..profit..profit..
The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. (Ralph Waldo Emerson or John Muir)
If man was renting the earth, he would have been evicted long ago.
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. (John Muir)
Last week fifty people picketed City Hall demanding that something be done about air pollution. Then they got into their 47 cars and went home.
A little boy on the beach was throwing starfish back into the ocean after the tide has gone out.
Someone asked, “Why bother? You can’t save them all. There are too many here to make a difference.”
He replied, “Well, it makes a difference to THIS one,” as he tossed another one back into the water.
Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. (Albert Einstein)
Man to patent attorney: “I’ve invented a pop sickle that glows in the dark.”
Attorney: “Amazing! What’s the secret?”
Man: “You just use the water downstream from the nuclear power plant.”
Man’s heart, away from nature, becomes hard. (Standing Bear)
Nature thrives on patience; man on impatience. (Paul Boese)
Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money. (Cree Indian Proverb)
Really we create nothing. We merely plagiarize nature. (Jean Baitaillon)
Finally, a local owing to past mistakes.
For starters, I am not biased in favor of my employers. I do not have employers. I have my own firm involved in electrical construction, electrical system integration, process automation and digital metering.
We’re but small tech junkies who are aware of our country’s position in the developing world. We also supportive of any effort to modernize according to pre-selected world-renowned set of standards or mere improvement of process and techniques that would make work more cost-efficient, fast, and accurate.
So we’re excited how a big client like SM would implement a LEED-registered and US Green Building Council-sanctioned project not just for themselves but for the benefit of the whole Phil. Construction Industry vis-à-vis growing opposition triggered by misinformed self-proclaimed environmental messiahs. If that is considered an act of greed so be it.
Oh, by the way, I am a practicing environmentalist myself, in the aspects of renewable energy and water resource conservation and Ellen knows that.
My small company practices Environment Management styled after ISO 14001 though we have the complete literature, the P2-Million cost of inspection and testing prevents us from being actually certified but we operate under the same set of principles.
I borrowed the phrase “environmental messiahs” from Fr. Larry Faraon OP who said:
Ooops. Hehehe.
Fr. Faraon further expressed:
Just as I finished reading Fr. Faraon’s article, this one came up:
Boy, ain’t that a big slap on the face of the environmental poseurs?
“SM Tree Massacre”
Aquino and Sy as “partners in crime against the environment”, Aquino’s silence and inaction but as well as his active and dubious participation in the planned uprooting of close to 200 pine trees to give way to SM Baguio’s expansion project is nothing but greed.
Aquino’s finalization of the lot acquisition requirements to grant SM full ownership of Luneta Hill as well as the various environmental and building permits granted by his administration, is the side of corporate greed while relegating the environment and safety of Baguio residents to the sidelines.
“Aquino’s silence and lack of sense of urgency by themselves are enough telling signs of which team he’s on in this battle for environmental justice.
With the national government approving the sale of Luneta Hill to SM Corporation, Aquino practically told SM to do whatever it pleases with a property now in the hands of a private corporation notorious for its atrocities against workers and the environment in the past,”
Takaw…Dayukdok…Mukhang Pera…Garapal.
Aquino quickly spelled a doomsday scenario as the “boy who cried wolf” in the issue of the North Korean rocket launch while the “real animals of greed and violence are left unscathed, committing environmental crimes of outrageous proportions in the middle of the night.”
A government that has a clear political will and concern for the environment can move heaven and earth a la Corona impeachment by exercising its imminent domain powers and expropriate the property and buy back the land from SM as suggested by local government officials and environment groups.
“But Aquino appears to be preoccupied looking straight up and waiting for rockets to fall from the sky,” .
Insatiable greed…greed..Kadayukdukan..!
stop the cutting and balling of Baguio’s pine trees, “a grave environmental injustice that favors SM’s insatiable greed for profit at the expense of the environment and the safety of local communities.”
Ode to the Lady
Oh my dear SM saleslady, you go through hell every freaking day of the week
For what? As a contractual, your salary is a little over P200 meek
Absolutely no security of tenure, employment process itself is dehumanizing freak
For eight hours, more, you are made to stand seems merchandise will leak
You stretch your legs every so often, wondering about those darn varicose veins.
You are forced to smile at everybody that passes by,
Including those jerks (mostly teenagers) who get off by watching
you as though you’re Izza Ignacio in a Tanduay calendar
But you can’t complain because before you were hired,
And you can’t be rehired just like that. In fact, if ever you re-apply
SM management made sure to inspect almost every inch of your body part
As though you were the merchandise the store would sell apart
I think that I shall never see
A billboard lovely as a tree.
Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,
I’ll never see a tree at all.
~ Ogden Nash, “Song of the Open Road,” 1933 ~
Alone with myself
The trees bend to caress me
The shade hugs my heart
~ Candy Polgar ~
He that planteth a tree is a servant of God, he
provideth a kindness for many generations, and
faces that he hath not seen shall bless him.
~ Henry Van Dyke ~
He who plants a tree
Plants a hope.
~Lucy Larcom, from ‘Plant a Tree’ ~
*******
(Shame on you murderers..)
Practicing what..???? (palusot pa.. wala kayong masabal sa “Puno”)
There is no denial that greed brings about environmental degradation as seen in the case of SM. The inability of our government to concern about.To save the environment, everyone, be it young or old, rich or poor, should play a part in conserving the earth as a collective effort definitely makes a big difference.
lalong trapik at polusyon ang aabutin ang baguio kung sakaling matuloy yung planong parking space… kc iisipin ng dekotse na di sya mawawalan ng paradahan.
nakatulong ka nga na magkakaroon ng trabaho, turista, city income, etc… pero sinisira na natin ang ibinigay na tahanan, nadadamay kami na mayroong pagpapahalaga sa kalikasan.
agmula tayo ketdi ti kayo! saan nga agpukan!
sige na nga. punongkahoy la’ang naman ‘yan, eh. maaaring mapalitan ng iba o magtanim ng punla kapag naputol na.
punongkahoy kapalit daw ng kaunlaran, sabi ng mga negosyante natin. payag na tayo.
inaanyayahan ko ang mga environmentalists diyan sa Pilipinas na dumayo dine sa saudi arabia dahil dine ay mas pa kaysa punongkahoy o kagubatan ang sinisira para la’ang sa pagpapaunlad ng pamayanan KUNDI mga bundok na tinitibag upang gawing kalsada at pagtayuan ng mga bahay upang magtatag ng bagong distrito. walang nagra-rally dine’t nagpo-protesta.
o, ano pang hinihintay? dali na!
Hahaha. Di pa rin tapos? Ayun sa Sucat, nagra-riot yung mga iskwater sa Silverio Compound laban sa demolition squad. Nagsisisigaw yung maka-Kaliweteng Karapatan. Magtatayo raw ang SM ng buildings doon. Mga manloloko talaga. Dami namang nagpapaloko. Hahaha.
Naku Magno, dito kabaligtaran. Dito ang tinitibag yung kongkreto para ipambato sa pulis na bantay sa demolition squad. Winawasak ang semento para manatili ang mga iskwater. Hahaha.
Practicing what..??? (Practicing greed..greed..greed nothing but greed).
“There is a growing consensus that the human race is damaging the world’s ecosystems at an alarming rate and that urgent action is needed,” “One of the difficulties is that we all want everyone else to change their lifestyles, so that we can continue with ours. We need to pray for a consensus to emerge at global and national levels that we all need to live differently.”
Man’s heart, away from nature, becomes hard. (Standing Bear)
*******
Saudi Arabia’s city greening projects is amazingly remarkable. The cosmopolitan central Riyadh main roads and freeways are perfectly green. Talo pa nga ang Maynila eh.! Malalaki ang puno talaga,road pavements, islands puro puno with maintained irrigation, magugulat ka sa dami ng puno!
The landscapes of Saudi Arabia, Jubail, Khobar, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh’s DQ in particular have become the kingdom’s precious urban resources and perhaps Saudi Arabia’s most accomplished work of “City Greening”.
btw, cutting off trees in Saudi is “strictly” prohibitted.!
TT is correct except one, the photo caption he displayed was an old one. Besides, Quezon Hill where mostly thousands of shanties were built was “pure” hill, there were no pine trees cut down that made way for these squatters.
Luneta Hill is much like Quezon Hill, it will not erode even all the pine trees were removed.
Tilamsik and Dr. Bengwayan are both hypocrites on these issue. Why single out SM Baguio? If both individuals really care for the environment, they could have well protested against illegal loggings within the Cordilleras and nearby provinces where the systematic cutting of any tree including the Narra, is rampant.
Bishop Cenzon and his Nuns protesting SM Baguio for cutting down small number of trees? More hypocrites! They seemed to forget how many thousands of trees were chopped for the expansion of Saint Louis University along the beltway of General Luna to Magsaysay avenue all the way to Rimando Road. How much more idiots can you be? It’s just unbelievable there were no blowbacks to these religious freaks from Baguio’s citizenry.
Just like some folks in here who made comments, I am not a fan of malls, never been to SM Baguio although been to the in Manila or Quezon, it was a five story shopping mall.
But times are changing, it’s becoming a progressive world and if it’s done responsibly, cut down some trees to make way for that damn parking lot. It will be more organized compared to people who patronizes the place parked all over the sorrounding streets. Think Progress. Not backwards.
TT: It never crossed your mind “igorot man” is chijap, este fartsee, wink!