Allow us to greet you first a Happy Mama Mary Day on the occasion of Our Lady's Nativity!
Many expected that the September 6 forum would focus merely on the issue of the contested flyovers proposed by the DPWH and Del Mar.
Gratefully, Joel Lee of Cebu Permaculture Initiatives opened the discussion by emphasizing the wider context to view the problem of the flyover project, to pursue what is good, true, and beautiful for Cebu, to view the flyover project within the paradigm of a livable, sustainable Cebu.
The September 6 forum was multisectoral, with participants from the academe, from media, the youth, the urban poor, the religious, the business and professional sectors, among others. The September 6 forum solicited the multisectoral commitment to pursue immediate action to stop the flyover project and to continue the movement, beyond the flyover project, to have what is good, true, and beautiful, to create a livable sustainable Cebu for Cebuanos and for Cebu.
Who would not want to live in a place where one can experience the goodness, the truth, and the beauty of nature and of people? If this is a dream, then who would not want to have such a dream?
Our people have been so socialized to give up their dream of a livable, sustainable city or country. With so much negativities around, corruption, greed, dirt, poverty, hopelessness, to name some, many of our people have been driven to leave this country or to resign themselves to think that this grim negative reality IS the only reality and that this dark scenario will persist and continue forever.
Those who dream are deemed foolish and useless.
The so-called realists or pragmatists tend to isolate those who entertain and embrace positive goals such as creating a livable, sustainable city or country where corruption cannot be allowed to run free, where informed citizens reign and responsibly share in governance and in the creation and maintenance of a sustainable world, and where dreamers are allowed to pursue their dreams.
Are not those who pledged to join the Stop Cebu Flyover Movement mere dreamers imagining that they can stop the mighty flyover project?
There was much discussion in the forum about the Banilad flyover protest that “ successfully failed” to stop that project in the not-so recent past. Rather than be daunted, the multisectoral forum participants instead decided to proceed with their dream. They decided to be more united, to be stronger by learning from the precious lessons of the past. Instead of giving up on their dream for Cebuanos and for Cebu, everyone eagerly proceeded to share their ideas about how to proceed towards the immediate goal of stopping the flyover project and towards the long-term goal of creating a livable, sustainable Cebu!
There was so much hopeful, positive, excited exchange and sharing of ideas and pledges that afternoon. Even beyond the meeting room, participants were observed to have continued their animated sharing, possibly about the flyover issue and about their resurrected dream for a livable, sustainable Cebu?
The informative presentation of Architect and urban planner Joy Onozawa enlightened the audience about the features for effective and sustainable planning. That raised several questions such as whether the approved P600-million followed all the proper requirements and steps required of plans, whether effective public consultation was conducted, why the latest flyover project seems to be rushed despite apparent public protest and so on.
The free sharing of information, the healthy, open dialogue during the forum led to the suggestion to invite Rep. Cutie del Mar and the DPWH to present their side of this contested project and also to conduct the protest movement “positively” by focusing not on personalities but on solid issues, one that will result in unity, rather than division.
The “dreamers” for sustainable Cebu realize there are still so much left to be done immediately and for the future. If the reward will be a livable, sustainable Cebu, with no flyovers to block the beautiful view of the sky and nature, with no flyovers to disallow the pedestrians and the bikers to co-own the roads meant for people than for cars, and with much space, clean air, beautiful biodiversity and more, why not continue not only to dream but to move together to actualize that beautiful dream for a livable, sustainable place for our people?
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Email: cherryb_thefreeman@yahoo.com