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REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER DMCI HOMES IS BUILDING A HIGH-RISE CONDOMINIUM JUST A FEW METERS
AWAY FROM RIZAL PARK IN THE HEART OF MANILA.
BUT NOT EVERYONE IS AMUSED WITH THIS NEW PROJECT.
NETIZENS STARTED AN ONLINE PETITION TITLED "NO TO DMCI'S TORRE DE MANILA PROJECT" URGING
THE DEVELOPERS OF THE CONDOMINIUM TO RETHINK THIS PROJECT. THEY BELIEVE THAT THE HIGH-RISE
CONDOMINIUM WOULD BLOCK RIZAL PARK'S CLEAR SIGHT LINE AND WOULD BE "OFFENSIVE" TO THE
PHILIPPINES'S NATIONAL HERO.
CULTURAL ACTIVIST CARLOS CELDRAN, WHO STARTED THE ONLINE PETITION, SAID: "SO FROM HEREON,
EVERY TIME YOU TAKE A PHOTO OR LOOK AT OUR NATIONAL HERO AND THINK OF HIM - YOU WILL
ALSO TAKE IN THE SIGHT OF THIS TERROR OF MANILA."
AS OF NOON OF JUNE 16TH, ALMOST 2,000 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED THE ONLINE PETITION.
ONE OF THE SIGNATORIES COMMENTED THAT "THERE OUGHT TO BE A ZONING LAW THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY
THAT IS ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED" IN ORDER TO PROTECT HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SITES AND
PARKS.
MEANWHILE, NETIZENS TOOK THEIR PETITION TO THE NEXT LEVEL BY COMING UP WITH A MEME THAT
MOCKS THE CONDOMINIUM PROJECT. NETIZENS POSTED EDITED PICTURES OF FAMOUS LANDMARKS INCLUDING
THE EIFFEL TOWER, THE LONDON BRIDGE, AND THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT WITH THE TORRE DE MANILA
BUILDING IN THE BACKGROUND.
THE URBANHISTORIAN WROTE ON TUMBLR, "IF YOU THINK THE TORRE DE MANILA [PROJECT] IS A NON-ISSUE,
THEN THINK AGAIN. I DON’T THINK PARISIANS, LONDONERS AND AMERICANS WILL BE WARM TO THE
IDEA THAT A HIGH RISE BUILDING WILL RUIN THEIR HISTORICAL AND IDENTIFYING LANDMARKS."
OTHER NETIZENS WHO JOINED IN THE MEME ALSO POSTED IMAGES OF TORRE DE MANILA "SPIN-OFFS"
SUCH AS TORRE DE LEGAZPI, TORRE DE BANAUE, AND TORRE DE BOHOL.
BUT ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL PARKS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY THAT MANAGES
THE RIZAL PARK, THE CONDOMINIUM PROJECT WILL NOT DIRECTLY BLOCK THE RIZAL MONUMENT.
NPDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JULIET VILLEGAS ALSO SAID IN AN INTERVIEW WITH JPR THAT THE PLANNED
TORRE DE MANILA PROJECT WILL, HOWEVER, BLOCK STRUCTURES AND BUILDINGS NEAR RIZAL PARK SUCH
AS THE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM BUILDING AND THE NATIONAL LIBRARY BUILDING.
DIRECTOR VILLEGAS ADDED THAT THE NPDC PREFERS TO HAVE THE PARK FREE FROM OPTICAL OBSTRUCTIONS
OF ANY SORT, HOWEVER, THE NPDC ALSO RECOGNIZES THE RIGHTS OF THE LAND OWNERS TO DEVELOP THEIR
PROPERTIES.
DIRECTOR VILLEGAS ALSO EXPLAINED THAT BASED ON HER INVESTIGATION, THE CITY GOVERNMENT
OF MANILA HAS GIVEN LOCATIONAL CLEARANCE AND NECESSARY PERMITS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF
THE CONDOMINIUM ALONG TAFT AVENUE.
HOWEVER, DIRECTOR VILLEGAS BELIEVES THAT MASSIVE CONSULTATIONS ARE NEEDED TO REVISE THE PLAN
AND MAKE IT MORE ACCEPTABLE TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS AND THEN LEGAL REMEDIES MAY BE SOUGHT TO RESOLVE
THE CONFLICT, IF NECESSARY.
DMCI HOMES HAS YET TO RELEASE A STATEMENT REGARDING THE ISSUE.
REPORTING FROM MANILA, I AM JERIC PENA.