Golden Mile

            Traces now of  the development of  Golden Mile in Cagayan de Oro City   is fast approaching for completion.  With all those trusses installed and ground paved, Friday Night Gimmick might just be as well soon be transferred there anytime, a good move in decongesting  Divisoria of traffic jam and most specially restoring the fresh ambiance that is truly sylvan Divisoria of the past out from its present  urine-scented atmosphere characterizing Fridays and Saturdays night each week. Being night time, the lights of the bridge seen dancing through the reflection  of the waves by the river and the fresh biting air coming  from Macajalar Bay  could be just  an added attraction among frequent promenaders or tourists  simply gawking along the concrete pavement.

With Isla de Oro further connecting the Golden Mile in the near future under the trademark  Build, Operate and later Transfer scheme  of now Mayor Vicente Emano could be another premium for Tourism Industry of Cagayan de Oro. Apparently too, it seems that the factorial equation of the project is explainable benefiting the people. But I’m not sure if  the cost for environment specially the waterways from watersheds of Dominorog and Talakag towards Macajalar Bay passing through this river was taken with great consideration. But it seems such concern was addressed as blueprint for The Golden Mile was already approved as it is has been posted ever since for general viewing public outside City Hall. Let’s have some reality check here.  

 For here’s the catch. How in the world such proposed project was allowed  eating  up majority of the area of the river squeezing all the more its already  limited waterways what with St. Augustine Cathedral, Tennis Court, City Hall and now Golden Mile all the way down used what supposedly forty meters easement area both sides of the river as stipulated in DENR law.  How would you enjoy in the first place when the river is silted. I doubt if land consolidation  was considered and instituted in pushing this project. Moratorium would have been invoked in protecting these easements which would have been utilized for greening and protection purposes of the river enhancing the beauty of  the area. allowing the waterways to breath and protect the river from destruction during deluge. We did experience that of  last year’s tragedy and already paid the cost. What now given the penchant of utilizing these easements for projects that would in the end destroyed them  causing collateral damage among the inhabitants along restricted area.

Land consolidation would have first been addressed before installing and implementing all these special projects otherwise we would soon wake up with all those catastrophes blowing right before our faces. So you want for better Night Café? Ok no problem. But better not go there daytime as what you’d see there are not green and blue water with fresh fishes frolicking but  river whose chocolate color would give you goose bumps and nosebleeds what with siltation now taking its toll on this river.

Golden Mile is definitely an example of an excellent project rammed down into the wrong place at the expense yet of mighty river whose water flow swiftly to  majestic  Macajalar Bay.  If we could not hold on with this penchant of making similar project without out caring at all with its adjacent  environment, time would come we would be in the losing end. As we all know Boracay has two faces. One is that we all see with its pristine blue sea water extending all the way to the tip of the island from Station One.  The other, the usual Boracay, a village on the other side without sophistication and urban trappings. Had the local government allowed its twenty five meters easements utilized by enterprising Pinoys, there would have been probably no fast earning paradise that is Boracay today.

Look how our beaches here have  consumed those easements making them even privatized when they are public property fencing them even including our seas! It simply sucks. That’s what you get when you are engaged in a project for profit without consideration at all of the environment, its people –the consumers, supposedly the most  powerful as they are now the bosses today - ended merely in a joyride for development.        

(Dare to share? Email me at rfmaulion@yahoo.com)