Murder by numbers
by JP ALIPIO, RAPPLER.com
January 21, 2012

 BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – By far, Friday’s January 20 rally was one of the biggest in the history of Baguio. 5,000 people and not just anyone, it was everyone! Young children on strollers, artists, film makers, teachers, mothers, fathers, students, deans and chancellors, the elderly, and even some of the business owners in SM itself. The only people missing from the biggest rally in more than two decades were the people who run the city of Pines, not one showed up but everyone who voted for them did.

The reason for all this: 182 trees and 1,500 square meters of open space. To be replaced by a parking structure for 1,500 vehicles. SM says that their aim is to decongest the city, and the Mayor Mauricio Domogan supports this, saying that the city is in urgent need of parking spaces. A green building, with a green roof, and a water catchment area. So why did everyone from the oldest to the youngest come out to declare his or her displeasure with the local government and SM Supermalls?

Mike Arvisu, in his speech during the protest, sums it all up elegantly. “Uprooting the trees to give way to a green mall is like taking out your lungs and replacing them with an electric fan.”

Moving past the emotional sentiment of the day, does it really make sense as the mayor of the city so adamantly proclaims that it is a necessity?

Read full article @ www.rappler.com