JULY 18 - JULY 24, 2021 12 ANC’S KAREN DAVILA....FROM P. 16


[input]. We solve the unemployment and poverty problems of the City with the P23 billion; we are not even asking for a sovereign guarantee. If the private entity fails in their mathematical computation, if they do not earn from this, it’s their loss. Dumaguete does not guarantee that. The bottom line is, we submit all these objections to the proper agency.


national government agencies.


And I myself would want to know, and want to require the proponent to prove to us, even to the City officials that this is viable. And I thank the environmentalists for coming out because they can give us their inputs, and they can give us their opposition. And if their opposition is valid, the DENR will not approve of it. That’s the end of the project.


Dumaguetnons wait patiently at the Robinsons Place Saturday to register as voters for the May 2022 elections in this COmelec- sponsored activity. (Photo by Judy F. Partlow)


excruciatingly bad, like Frankenstein pieces put together to resemble a dish, and the whole book thing was extremely tacky. The book titles they selected to adorn their space were so much of the bargain bin variety, any bookworm would immediately know this café was just using books for decorative purpose, and nothing else. They failed. Why am I going on


TEMPEST....FROM P. 9


about this when what I really want to talk about in this space is the reclamation issue in Dumaguete, which has consumed much of the City’s attention of late—even extending as far as national and international coverage in media?


identities? Will it be for the good, or for the better? The thing is, Dumaguete has an interesting history of public works projects affecting the local identity and the local economy, going as far back as the Spanish colonial period. For the longest time—


throughout most of the Spanish period, in fact—we were the ultimate backwater country, and so economically- depressed. We were right smack in the middle of two towering economic centers in the Visayas—Cebu to the east, across Tañon Strait, and Iloilo (and Bacolod) to the west, across the Cuernos de Negros and Mount Kanlaon.


Because I want to contextualize what “growth and development” means for Dumaguete—which is not always what and how our businessmen, and apparently also our politicians, understand it.


growth and development means profit. For the politician, it means political will and legacy. (Some people would also say it means under-the- table kickbacks for these people.)


For the businessmen,


For most of the locals, however, growth and deve lopment me ans


measured step forward with all good things considered, always with due diligence, and not just a matter of money or political force. And above all, not changing the fragile fabric that makes Dumaguete “Dumaguete.” The City is still small enough for most of its population to know there is a certain thing that makes something “Dumaguete”—and when that something feels false, we are only too ready to reject it.


a to boot).


Oriental side was a rocky landscape with some excellent spaces for agriculture in Bais, Tanjay, Siaton, Bayawan, Sta. Catalina, Canlaon, and Vallehermoso—nothing compared to the bounty of the Occidental side.


What we inherited in the


While being the most populous town in the eastern side of Negros—which made


What about Dumaguete?


readily the capital of the new Province—it also has the smallest land area in the whole of Oriental.


i t


Dumaguete was negligible, and economically- unimportant—and what’s more, adding to that economic depression is the fact that we lacked the infrastructure to participate in the trade flourishing all over the Visayas. Historian T. Valentino Sitoy once wrote in Kabilin: “Except for the sugar plantations of the elites in Bais and Tanjay, the provincial economy had long suffered from numbing lethargy since the Spanish regime. In 1904, the industries of Negros Oriental were ‘next to nothing,‘ said Governor Demetrio Larena. The few that existed were small home industries for local consumption, such as the weaving of textiles, fish nets, mats, hats, baskets, and sacks (bayong) for sugar packing. There was some cigar- and cigarette-rolling. But the pillow- and mattress-making, which in Spanish times was a ‘great industry’ exporting 100,000 to 200,000 pillows annually, had now atrophied for lack of demand. The only hopeful new industry was carpentry, for most of the carpenters in the province had been employed in the construction of the first buildings of Silliman Institute, particularly what is now Silliman Hall.”


Often, we do this in a subtly-done exercise of plainly ignoring this langyaw of a thing, with the hopes that our inattention will make this langyaw go away—but when push comes to shove, we can be vehement in our opposition. This is what is happening now. I started this essay with the new figures in our 2021 census because I thought it was uncanny that the reclamation issue—which first came to light in July 7—would burst forth in roughly the same time frame. The thing to take from this coincidence is that Dumaguete is indeed growing, and with growth comes new and often uncomfortable reckonings with regards our infrastructures, our changing economic models, and crucially, our way of looking at ourselves.


the City’s basic services— water, food, waste disposal, transportation, etc.—reflect that growth with its requisite new demands?


We are growing: Does


Sitoy continues: “Moreover, business in Negros Oriental in 1904 was in the hands of foreigners, with 78 stores owned by the Chinese, two by Americans, and two by Spaniards, while only about six little more than sari- sari stores were owned by Filipinos. The Chinese dealt with all sorts of merchandise, including groceries and canned goods, dry goods and textiles, wines and liquors, drugs, medicines, perfumery, etc., and nearly monopolized the buying of local agricultural products, such as copra, corn, sugar, tobacco, abaca hemp, kapok, etc. The American or Spanish stores sold only groceries, beverages, and stationery.” Sometimes, political shenanigans especially by those in powerful positions have led to the economic stagnation of Negros Oriental.


agricultural stronghold of places like Bayawan, Siaton, Canlaon, Bais, and Tanjay—but Dumaguete’s saving grace was unique, and it came with the Americans.


It does not boast the same


founded in the town in 1901, Dumaguete surged forward as a cosmopolitan-minded locality, its treasures being its educated people and its carefully-cultivated arts and culture scene, which gave way to a City that knew how to transform itself into a genteel place that was economically vibrant not because of agriculture and industry, but because of its people. This is Dumaguete. Still, you can only do so


With Silliman Institute


Davila: Mayor, very quickly: I understand that as local government chief, you want to solve the poverty problem, you want business to flourish. I agree with you. That is the goal of every single mayor. But may viewer na nagtatanong: why not put up condominums, shopping malls, esplanades, business establishments in the empty lands in Dumaguete? This viewer is from Dumaguete, and said there is so much inner land in Dumaguete. Why not develop there [instead]? Mayor: You know, Karen, Dumaguete, as I said, is the smallest in land area [in Negros Oriental]. Most of the land, if not all, are already owned by five or six families. If I have to use the present dry land, I have to expropriate or buy this land. I have no money. The City has no money to buy this land, and that would be a burden to the City.


Davila: You need to understand that more than the [decision of] national agencies, there’s also a lot of trust; it’s civil society, it’s stakeholders. It’s not just what you said the rich in Dumaguete. I’m gonna read them to you...Right now, you have the Kabataan para sa Karapatan in Negros Oriental, Mangrove Matters PH, the Association of Young Environmental Journalists...they gathered 4,400 signatures as of Sunday, they are against this [reclamation]. You also have a fishermen’s group, you have ordinary citizens who are against this. So ang tanong ko nga is, to be fair to you, people will not be against this [reclamation] if the City has come clean, and shown them the possible project and explained [to them the supposed benefits]. Mayor: Yes, Karen, that’s why we are now in the process of application. When the detailed plans are firmed up so that we have something to discuss, especially on the scientific side, the vision is [made] clear. But they are environmental side. Me, not being an environmentalist, I want to hear from both sides, the Dumaguete-based environmentalists, the proponent’s environmentalists, the DENR, and the PRA officials.


Now, Karen, because of this pandemic, it’s impossible to gather 4,000 signatures. Those signatures were gathered electronically all over the world without, unfairly, knowing the plans of the City.


With the reclamation, in other words, walang puhunan ang City government. By the way, if I have to expropriate, it will take years. And I don’t think the landowners will agree to [selling] 174 hectares. The single largest landowner in Dumaguete is probably 20 hectares. Do you think the landowner will sell to me at P4,000 per square meter? Of course, not! They will file cases in court. So it is impossible to have a mini BGC in Dumaguete with that proposal. [BGC is the glitzy commercial hub Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City filled with upscale restaurants, cocktail bars, hip cafes, and nightclubs.]


much with “people.” The local economy was so bad throughout three centuries of Spanish rule, and even straight on into the early years of the 20th century with the Americans now in control of the archipelago… until the pier was built in 1919.


ships and boats bearing people and trade barely took note of Dumaguete as a vital stop in regular routes. “Commercial traffic was also slow, a carry-over from earlier days, as Dumaguete was off the main shipping lanes,” Sitoy wrote. “Though there were steamers from Cebu every two days, and two others every week from Iloilo, those from Manila sometimes came only once in 20 days.”


Before the pier was built,


major public works project undertaken by Dumaguete— carved into the Dumaguete shoreline, but also brought with it a steady stream of economic progress. Later, Mayor Ramon Teves Pastor and the town leaders after him set out to develop the Dumaguete beachfront into what we now know as Rizal Avenue [or Boulevard], previously called the Marina. The seaside stretch, which


The pier—the first


We are growing: Does the City still think of itself as fast urbanizing place with new economic considerations? (Which can be hard when nostalgia for the “rural” Dumaguete of yore is still very much entrenched in our idea of place.)


We are growing: How does the City see itself now? Are we still a “University Town”? Are we still the “City of Gentle People”? Are we still the “Cultural Center of the South”? All of these are precious identities for most locals. In what way does a new branding like “Smart City” change our prior expectations and our old


When the plan was laid in 1890 to separate the island of Negros into two provinces so that the ignored eastern side would have more chance at political autonomy and economic vitality—the government in Bacolod divided it not according to proper geographical consideration, but according to what pieces of the economic pie would be more favorable to those in power. They took the Cuernos de Negros as the demarcating line for most of the length of the island—and then, right at the point of Mount Kanlaon, suddenly shifted the demarcating line towards the east, leaving the vast agricultural fields (and haciendas) of San Carlos, Calatrava, Toboso, Escalante, and Sagay still in the hands of the Occidental side when they are clearly in the Oriental side (and Cebuano-speaking


invariably “destroyed” the natural beach front—concrete over sand—and moved the small beachfront community to somewhere else, was the second major public works project in Dumaguete, with the new road connecting with the other arteries in town, including Calle Sta. Cecilia [now Silliman Avenue], Calle Sta. Catalina, Calle San Jose, Calle San Juan, and Escolta [later Alfonso Trese Street, and now Perdices Street]. This was a profound


Davila: And that is your goal, no? (Just between us, so we know.) It’s understandable that every city mayor would want a “mini BGC”. The issue is, it should not be in exchange for marine life and the ecosystem suffering. It should not be an either-or [proposition]. Mayor: Thank you, Karen, I agree with you, Karen, 100 percent. Yes, there should be a reasonable, equitable balance between economic growth and the preservation of the environment. It can only be threshed out if the proponent would come out with its plans. And we will criticize, we will oppose those plans. Because it is my opinion that a reclamation per se is not harmful. It can be mitigated. For example, the mitigation can go this way: the DENR can require the proponent to build artificial coral reefs or put up environmental funds…


Davila: Okay, but you and I are not experts on this. Let’s move on to the contract itself, because that’s where you have the purview and the power. For transparency purposes, were you ever affiliated with this construction firm, EM Cuerpo Inc.? Mayor: Of course not, Karen! I knew about them when we issued...when they proposed to the City an unsolicited proposal to the City sometime in November 2019. I have had no dealings with them previously. Contrary to those coming out on Facebook,


not a single government official has benefitted from this personally. But we honestly believe the project will be sustainable, and a solution to the poverty of the people of Dumaguete and Negros Oriental. We won’t have to rely on the national government.


Davila: Mayor, just to set the records straight: your best friend does not own this construction firm, you don’t know the owner, your relative does not own this -- because this will come out if you do. Mayor: Oh yes, of course, I can look at you


So can we just wait for the plans to be laid out, and for us to apply, so that the process will continue? The process will go on. The process is that consult phase na tayo. Every step of the way, from the plans, from the geological findings, we will give to them for discussion.


Davila: But Mayor Remollo, this is what’s different. I’ve moderated forums on urban planning and building around the city, so I understand ‘reclamation’. I’ve been to many countries where islands have been reclaimed, like the Maldives. But this is the difference: The planning of reclamation comes from the city, and they look for the partner. What happened in Dumagute is it’s the private sector that proposed the reclamation plan. If the city plans it, the city then comes with the intention of protecting what the stakeholders believe need to be protected. But you see, what’s strange about this, as you said it is a private business that gave the unsolicited reclamation advice, and you as Mayor were about to get into an MOA July 12. Let’s face it, if people did not oppose, you would have signed that! Mayor: No! No! No! No! Why? Because this is a PPP scheme, like a Joint Venture, which is allowed by law, and is being encouraged. The City has no capital here! It’s being encouraged [by national government], and the City will put its inputs, and it is not too late for the private sector to put its inputs because this is not a done deal, as what you’re saying. We are putting the plans [out] to the public for discussion. If it is not approved, there is no reclamation to talk about. It is the process.


discussion will probably take two years. So at least, I will leave office without being said that I did not try my best to uplift the lives of the poor. So if it will be disapproved, it’s not my fault. I still have 10 months to go, Karen. I have already accomplished [many things]: I have closed the dumpsite of Dumaguete; I have an MRF and a pyrolysis machine that will solve the garbage problem of the City; I have preserved the heritage of the City by converting our City Hall into a museum.


I am even glad we are talking about it. The


lie low, but do something that might, I believe, solve sustainably the economic problem of the City and the Province. This is not a done deal. I just hope that you are right, that the environmentalists are right. When they gave me their opposition [statements], I inputted the suggestions in the MOU -- that it is not final, that it is different from the PPP contract. So it is a matter of them waiting for the right time for the plans to be ready, and I will present the plans to them for criticism.


But with the CoViD pandemic, I cannot just


with a straight face that I have no financial interest either directly or indirectly. It is just an academic thing, you know.


Davila: You also have stakeholders asking, “Why the rush?” The timing is also questionable. Let’s face it, the filing for candidacy is already in October. Are you running again? I’m guessing...you’re running again for mayor! Mayor: I may not run, Karen, I may not


run. When you say, “[Why the] rush”, that is a product of a malicious mind.


undertaking in all actuality, and invariably changed the pace and the outlook of Dumaguete. We cannot think of Dumaguete anymore without thinking of the Rizal Boulevard—it has become an icon—but it started as a visionary project that probably had its naysayers back in the day.


I shall continue this essay in another installment.


Davila: If you are about to leave office, why go into an agreement of this size? This could be described as a midnight deal.... Mayor: This is not a midnight deal. Some people would look at it that way, especially those with malicious minds. By the way, Karen, the proposal was lodged with the City in November 2019. In fact, I am even guilty the Selection Committee only decided [on this] two to three months ago. It’s even late. So the unsolicited proposal should take its course. The project will have to go through.


By the way, there’s a lot of misconception, misinterpretation that the MOU is already the contract. The MOU will simply trigger the Letter of Intent, and that MOU -- a particular provision I’d like to point out to you, Karen – states that should it be disapproved by the PRA and the DENR, then the parties release each other of any claims, any obligation. So it all depends upon the


Davila: I don’t mean to cut you…what would you like to assure your stakeholders? Mayor: Correct, that’s true, Karen, thank


you. The assurance is that no reclamation, or even the wastewater treatment facilities will be built, no structures unless all the clearances would come from PRA, DENR, even NEDA, the DOF, every step of the way, we will discuss this. Whatever plans the proponent will have and presented to the DENR, I will give to them [the oppositionists], and even promise that all their opposition, as thick as that, I will hand over to the DENR and the PRA. That is how I will show my transparency. [I will say] “Okay, while I am applying, sir, I have also the opposition. So please decide on it.”


Davila: On that note, Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo, thank you so much for your time this morning. Mayor: Thank you for giving me time to clear the air because there are a lot of wrong information coming out. And especially, I think your video of the corals...I don’t think that was taken in Dumaguete. Please tell your people there that is not [taken in] Dumaguete.


Davila: Let me ask them, okay? Mayor: Yes, please, please! Because that [video of coral reefs] is not Dumaguete! And I am sure of that. Probably, that is in Apo Island [in Dauin] because there’s no such corals in Dumaguete! It might mislead the public. Not to cast aspersions but it’s not fair if that will be documented as [coral reefs in] Dumaguete.


METROPOST


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