This morning, I chanced upon a news bit concerning the rapid site development in Shrine Hills and, let me tell you, it was not good news.
As a brief background, even before I left for Manila, parts of Shrine Hills had already been denuded of trees in preparation for the development of high-end hillside subdivisions. I remember silently grimacing to myself every time I passed by the Alexian Brothers Matina Health Center along McArthur Highway. That's because every time I passed that certain landmark, I would always gaze up at the huge backdrop of the Health Center: the towering facade of Shrine Hills in the distance, engulfed in trees as it commanded the entire horizon. Nowadays, every time I pass by, all I see are huge mansions precariously nestled in the hills, pavements running to and fro, and some trees who seemed to have lost interest in producing their own foliage. That's the situation then and now.
The news bit actually just confirmed a common sense assumption I had a long time ago. According to the reporter, most parts of Shrine Hills have been considered at risk of landslides. This is definitely bad news for the property developers who have already started their site preparations.
The news bit also featured a clip of councilor Avila calling for more exhaustive studies about the feasibility of developing properties in Shrine Hills in light of this alarming revelation. But I had to stifle a giggle because any real estate development in the city had to pass through the city council first, implying that most of the sites being developed in Shrine Hills already have the blessings of our dear councilors.
Now, I'm tempted to say, "I told you so!" although I didn't quite say it. But then again, hindsight never fails to make everyone appear wiser and more prudent. I hope the city council has the will to rectify their previous decision and thus avert any future tragedy.
As a brief background, even before I left for Manila, parts of Shrine Hills had already been denuded of trees in preparation for the development of high-end hillside subdivisions. I remember silently grimacing to myself every time I passed by the Alexian Brothers Matina Health Center along McArthur Highway. That's because every time I passed that certain landmark, I would always gaze up at the huge backdrop of the Health Center: the towering facade of Shrine Hills in the distance, engulfed in trees as it commanded the entire horizon. Nowadays, every time I pass by, all I see are huge mansions precariously nestled in the hills, pavements running to and fro, and some trees who seemed to have lost interest in producing their own foliage. That's the situation then and now.
The news bit actually just confirmed a common sense assumption I had a long time ago. According to the reporter, most parts of Shrine Hills have been considered at risk of landslides. This is definitely bad news for the property developers who have already started their site preparations.
The news bit also featured a clip of councilor Avila calling for more exhaustive studies about the feasibility of developing properties in Shrine Hills in light of this alarming revelation. But I had to stifle a giggle because any real estate development in the city had to pass through the city council first, implying that most of the sites being developed in Shrine Hills already have the blessings of our dear councilors.
Now, I'm tempted to say, "I told you so!" although I didn't quite say it. But then again, hindsight never fails to make everyone appear wiser and more prudent. I hope the city council has the will to rectify their previous decision and thus avert any future tragedy.
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