Let Flowers Bloom not in Gloom in Baguio City this Panagbenga
Many drivers, whether drunk or sober, have accidentally stolen lives. But never was there a traffic enforcer on duty victimized by such an accident. Many beauty pageants have made the titlists ecstatically scream. But never was there a beauty who fainted then and there she was declared the queen.
Realization of such situations shall become headlines just like many practical ways on improving lives of the hoi polloi in our dear Baguio City- both paradoxical and wistful.
Baguio City sidewalks could have been picturesque with sunflowers and Benguet lilies instead of being festooned with illegal vendors. Instead of playing hide-and-seek with the cops in blue, these illegal vendors can be more productive with handicrafts, furniture, or any sort of practical legal business.
If only the number of pubs in the City of Pines will be limited, the other existing pubs could have been schools, restaurants, or mini-factories. It could have engendered more meaningful living to the assiduous members of the hoi polloi as it diminished the population of dipsomaniacs in the city.
The name Baguio City connotes serenity, sanctuary, peace of mind, not to mention, chill. But this famed name inevitably has taken its toll on itself. More and more tourists, Filipinos from the lowlands and foreigners alike, are flocking in the City of Pines. Spend a day at Burnham Park and meeting a stranger asking directions is a sure thing. Take a walk along Session Road and you would meet three foreigners per meter (for crude arrogant estimators only).With this aggrandizing population, risks aggrandize, too.
Business and tourism benefit the elite, the lucky few, while underneath them are the inhabitants of the lower and wider part of the societal pyramid compromised. Unemployment, traffic jam, crimes- these are synonyms in an egregiously populated city.
The flocking of tourists per se is not the culprit putting the city at risk. It is the city dwellers themselves inappropriately welcoming and unwelcoming these visitors.
Regardless of these cynical views, even the most fastidious grouch in Baguio City has a reason to be grateful for being in such a haven away from terrorism, famine, and plague. February is a good month for Baguio people to celebrate, not for Valentines Day but for our very own Panagbenga.
This Panagbenga, may the flowers bloom with the real essence of the festivity. Let Panagbenga be a festivity of thanksgiving for the blessed Baguio City with all its beauty symbolized by the flowers. Let Panagbenga not be exploited and spoiled as business opportunity for merchants of cupidity. Flowers bloom in gloom in Baguio City if after the Panagbenga, controversies arise from tiffs among our respected leaders.
Let the name Baguio City denote serenity, sanctuary, and peace of mind.
Tags: 2009, February 1, the original version of the article in Baguio Midland C
