The times they are a-changin'

‘The myth of mixed used developments‘

Every time I visit my Mom, Marita, at Eastwood it is a stark reminder of the lie in real estate marketing called “Mixed use complex”. In the last decade, developers have fooled so many people into believing that there is nothing better than to have a residential condominium within a commercial/ mix-use complex.

The sales pitch was all about having everything within walking distance or for the ultra lazy, just a trip down the elevator. Most people who bought into the idea are now living in a perpetual town of noise, pollution, and high cost of living! Many retirees like my Mom thought it was the ideal situation to be in a mixed use complex especially when the units were affordable.

But now, she and her “flat mates” have to contend with non stop honking of horns from illiterate Filipino drivers who don’t even realize they are in a residential zone where the rule is no blowing of horns. Add to this the noise of modified exhaust pipes, car stereos blaring to get attention and the regular “promotional” concerts staged by various outlets to attract crowds.

In terms of being an ideal community, such mixed-use sites are a nightmare for non-residents who often have to go around in circles competing with several hundred other drivers looking for a place to park before they can visit a friend or a relative in one of the thousand units in the area.

In terms of value for money, none of the mixed-use complex I’ve seen has provided for a community market or are accessible to a “public” market that provides the day-to-day needs of a Filipino family. So what ever you eat need or buy will certainly be more expensive, processed and bagged. Not cheap.

The mixed-use concept would have been great if the units had soundproof “Kenneth & Moch” windows in a country where I wish we could afford the electricity to have 24-hour air conditioning. It would be great if horns were disconnected upon entry and if the residential areas were kept separate from the human & automotive traffic of the commercial areas.

So in the next administration, lets all lobby for a quasi judicial body headed by Arch. Jun Palafox that will have the power to scrutinize, approve or disapprove and monitor mixed used areas that makes all the money but punishes the members of the community!

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We are all amazed how technology has changed everything around us especially our lifestyle. As Bob Dylan put it: “the times they are a-changin’” but not only in technology.

Things are changing in the Philippines and we all have to start paying attention at the changing values and perspectives of people. Last week we saw how a “lowly” Judge stepped out of the norm and in no uncertain terms expressed his contrary opinion to the “high and mighty” who have often dictated upon the courts.

Before the weekend, no less than the Supreme Court made it clear that it was time for the Big 3 oil companies to pack up their gear, clean up the mess and get out of the Pandacan oil depot. Not only did the Supreme Court make a final Judgment, it also made clear that the Big 3 were not allowed to make any further appeals etc.

Perhaps the “no further appeals clause” should ring as a sign that “the times they are a-changin’”. It is evident that the court expects the lawyers of the oil companies to petition, appeal and to lobby heaven and earth as well as the Supreme Court just to pull off the miracle of changing the decision.

In fact there is reason to suspect that a group is already busy trying to get a number of councilors to pass a city ordinance that would repeal the existing law that caused the removal of the oil depot in Pandacan. The law would in effect cite the global financial crisis and the disastrous impact that the relocation of the depot would cause on many citizens of the City of Manila particularly in Pandacan.    

A public relations campaign may also be creating a scenario that would fault then Mayor Lito Atienza for not having properly prepared for the economic displacement of people employed or generating income from the presence of the depot in Pandacan. This is revenge for Atienza supporting the removal of the oil depot at the start.

Most people may think that the Pandacan oil depot is just about public safety in relation to accidents or terrorist acts. Actually, the decision and the judicial process that led to it, is quite historical because it will affect all of the industrial and commercial establishments in Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

The decision can also lead to the closure, removal or relocation of factories, industrial plants or any establishments that prove to be a health hazard or may endanger the community, several thousands of whom pollute the Pasig River.

If all the real estate developers actually worked with the MMDA, the Save the Pasig movement, the best way of transforming the Pasig is by converting it into an upscale “mixed-use” development. In most developed countries, such properties would be one of the most expensive and not wasted as bodegas and factories.

The SC decision will also be the benchmark for local government officials who often collude or collaborate with businessmen to avoid closure or relocation of such facilities.

Sooner or later, cement plants, steel mills, paint factories, chemical factories, or any company that has “air pollution” capabilities, or can be potential health hazards can no longer say “we were here first” or we built up this place when it was just a barren field. Sorry but that’s the cost of real estate booms and lack of population control.

In the end we all have to come to terms that people and industries cannot live in the same square kilometer and live happily ever after, either the businesses relocate, or the people die.