Baguio City as Korean Enclave?

The influx of Koreans in the summer capital is literally creating much disturbing noise, adding to the already head-breaking air pollution from thousands of vehicles plying the strip of the city’s central business district. City residents and local visitors wonder at just how much the Filipino’s tolerance can handle this situation. In the first place, why permit this seeming social deluge? The city government paints a rather ambiguous picture to offer the citizenry.

In the midst of an angry protest against the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement that will, in effect, turn over the management of the Baguio City Athletic Bowl to a group of Korean investors, the city mayor said it is all chismis (gossip), and that he still has to approve the proposal for it to become official. Nonetheless, a citywide information and education campaign on the proposal would have effected participatory consultation among the city folks and produced recommendations from those who have long been for the best interest of the city’s development. The city government’s role to lead the people by making their (people’s) voices heard in order to form a consensus over a critical matter such as the issue at hand has not been satisfactorily accomplished. After all, it is not just the Athletic Bowl in itself but what it represents. It is a part of the culture of Baguio City, and leasing it out to a foreign group is like cutting a foot from a human athlete; thus, emotions still run high!

If development per se is the benchmark (bleacher mark?), then we could easily abuse the implementation of such and miss out on the essentials of human development. If development for the people is the principle of governance, then we will give due importance and significance on what people think and how they want their present and future to be. Need we divide and allow others to conquer?  But where has government gone?