“Tuloy na tuloy (It will definitely push through),” said MMDA chairman Romando Artes, in a press conference on Monday, March 11, at the MMDA head office in Pasig City.

Earlier, transport and mobility groups asked for a delay in the enforcement of the restriction of e-bikes and e-trikes in national roads in Metro Manila. Move As One Coalition, composed of over 100 groups, also asked for more public consultations on guidelines for light electric vehicles and better bike lane infrastructure in the capital region given that these are shared with e-bike users.

But Artes said that rather than delay the April 15 implementation, the MMDA would just release the draft IRR to these groups “at least 15 days before” so that they can give their feedback.

The IRR, said Artes in a meeting with the transport and mobility groups before the press conference, would clear up aspects of the policy. Confusion and alarm had greeted the “ban” when it was first announced because it appeared to cover all two-wheeled e-vehicles, even those that could already reach speeds of traditional motorcycles.

Must Read

Tiny e-trikes vs big roads: Gov’t admits it lacks regulations for electric vehicles

The MMDA officials asked e-vehicle groups to help update their e-vehicle classifications to reflect more current technology. The IRR, said Artes, can also allow e-bikes and e-trikes to cross or U-turn on national roads in certain parts.

‘Live in reality’

But discussions got more heated when the meeting turned to the gaps in bike lane infrastructure and infrastructure for e-vehicles. A recent Rappler documentary shows these glaring deficiencies in Metro Manila bike lanes.

Play Video

The e-bike and e-trike restriction means the only way e-bike riders can go on national roads is if that road has a bike lane. The active transport groups said the bike lane network in Metro Manila is still sorely lacking and unsafe, despite government funds being allocated for their improvement.

“Ang tanong ng aming mga grupo at ng mga vulnerable road users, imbis po na paalisin ang gumagamit ng mga e-bike at e-trike sa mga highway na ito, na saan na po ang nararapat na imprastraktura para po ma-ensure na maging safe tayong lahat?” asked Cristina Batalla of Make It Safer Movement during the MMDA meeting.

(The question of our groups and vulnerable road users is, instead of banning e-bike and e-trike users from these highways, where is the appropriate infrastructure to ensure we are all safe?)

She pointed to the Special Provision on People Mobility in the MMDA’s own 2024 budget. A look at the document states that: “The MMDA shall promote people mobility through road sharing projects and activities as well as the use of non-motorized modes of transportation. The amount appropriated herein for the Traffic Management Program shall be used to cover the funding requirements for the promotion of people mobility.”

The Traffic Management Program was allocated over P65 million.

Artes’ initial response was to question whether that special provision was in the Department of Transportation’s budget and not the MMDA’s. But proven wrong, he said that even if that were the case, Metro Manila’s road system just couldn’t accommodate the type of bike lanes the groups wanted.

“Kahit may ganyang mandato, siguro naman kung nag-iikot ka sa Metro Manila, ‘yung situation ng kalsada natin, hindi kaya lahat na ibigay o pagbigyan ‘yung ganyang klaseng mandato. Kulang na kulang talaga yung spaces natin,” he said.

(Even if there is that mandate, if you go around Metro Manila, look at the situation of our roads, we cannot give in to that kind of mandate. We really lack space.)

Later on, he sought to give advocates of wider bike lanes a “reality check.” For one thing, he said, did they not consider that there are many car-selling establishments along EDSA?

“Hindi kami papayag dahil imaginin mo, ang daming mga tindahan ng sasakyan doon. Kung isasara namin isang lane, paano sila lalabas, so didiretso sila sa second lane? Come on,” he told the groups.

(We won’t agree to that because imagine, there are so many car stores there. If we were to block off one lane, how will the car buyers get out? They will go to the second lane? Come on.)

“We have to live in the reality of life here in Metro Manila. We cannot insist on everything we want. And we cannot please everybody here,” he added later on.

Asked by Rappler at the press conference what the longterm plan of MMDA is given that laws like the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) orders government to construct lanes for e-vehicles, Artes said they would wait until vehicular traffic abates in the metropolis.

“Siguro ‘pag efficient na at maganda na yung mass transportation natin, particularly ‘pag nabuksan na yung MRT7, yung subway, mababawasan naman po yung sasakyan, baka by that time po, lumuwag yung kalsada na ma-accommodate sila,” said the MMDA chief.

(Maybe when our mass transportation improves, when the MRT7 and subway start operations, the cars will be lessened. Maybe by that time, the roads will be less congested and we can accommodate them.) – Rappler.com

Improving transportation infrastructure and policies is part of the call of various groups to #MakeManilaLiveable. On Rappler, we have created a dedicated space for stories and reports about liveability in Philippine cities. Learn more about the movement here.

The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) made this announcement Sunday evening, March 10, adding that this was the first time the NCMF and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Darul Ifta announced the same date for Ramadan.

In an advisory at 8:09 pm on Sunday, the NCMF said it “has determined that no moon was observed tonight by all the NCMF regional and field offices and their moonsighting groups.”

“This means that Ramadan will begin on March 12, Tuesday,” said the NCMF’s regional office in the National Capital Region.

Islam follows a lunar calendar that is based on sightings of the moon. The date of Ramadan, as well as the Muslim feasts of Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha, are determined through moonsighting activities in adherence to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.

Had the new moon been sighted on Sunday, Ramadan would have begun by Monday, March 11. A sighting of the new moon would have meant no need to complete the 30 days of the preceding month.

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Moonsighting in Manila

In Metro Manila, a moonsighting activity was conducted at Manila Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard and in front of Rajah Sulayman Park. The moonsighting was led by the NCMF and attended by Islamic scholars and members of Muslim communities. 

Moonsighting is “part of the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad,” explained Alzad Sattar, professor of Islamic Studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman, in an interview with a few journalists at the Manila moonsighting activity on Sunday evening.

“In Islam, if you want to do any religious act or actions, it should follow the way of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,” said Sattar, adding that Muslims “consider this a good deed.”

“The Prophet Muhammad said, ‘Do not fast in the month of Ramadan unless you see the moon,’” Sattar explained in a mix of English and Filipino.

Ramadan, one of the five pillars of Islam, is the most sacred month for Muslims around the world. During this month, Muslims are required to fast from food, water, and sexual intercourse, among other things, from sunrise to sunset each day. This practice aims to enhance the self-control of believers and to direct their attention toward the plight of the needy. – Rappler.com

“We shall proceed with the North Carpark Upgrade Project in order to enhance safety and improve drainage in the area. There will be modifications to the original plan so that no native trees will be cut down. The University shall adjust the design of the car park to save trees,” university president Fr. Roberto Yap, SJ said in a memorandum released on Monday, March 4.

Under the North Carpark project, which was first announced in December 2023, a total of 82 trees – mostly considered as invasive species – will be cut to upgrade facilities, improve pedestrian access, and increase parking slots, but the plan sparked outcry among Ateneans.

Yap said on Monday that only the mahogany and gmelina trees, comprising 62 out of 82 affected trees according to university officials, will be cut down for the project in accordance with ADMU’s sustainability guidelines.

“Apart from providing seedlings to DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) as required by law for each tree to be removed in the parking area, the University will replace the mahogany and gmelina trees by planting native trees in the non-buildable areas of the campus,” he added.

Following adjustments in its plans, Yap said that activities for the car park upgrade project will now continue on March 11.

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Transparency woes

The university president also announced the creation of a “Campus Mobility Forum,” composed of officials, faculty, and students, to help the administration craft “innovative solutions and sustainable campus mobility strategies” in Ateneo.

“The forum conveners will document ideas exchanged and prepare a report outlining a vision for mobility on campus between now and 2030. The Forum will consider, among others, policies and practices that will promote innovative strategies that will improve campus mobility consistent with long-term sustainability,” Yap said.

This latest move comes weeks after students, faculty members, and alumni who opposed the car park renovation project urged for greater transparency in the university’s decision-making processes during a forum mounted by campus officials.

Yap suspended the project in January to pave the way for consultations on the planned upgrade.

He also apologized for the lack of dialogues prior to the announcement of the project.

Since late December, over 1,200 students, faculty members, and alumni have signed an open letter to Yap, calling for the suspension of the car park project.

“Amidst the climate and transportation crisis happening in our country and all over the world, we cannot continue preaching sustainability and climate justice while we continue to undertake projects that only contribute to the worsening of the problem,” the letter read. – Rappler.com

Lance Arevada is an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow for 2023-2024. 

“The closure is in line with the LGU’s authority under the Local Government Code, jurisprudence, and local ordinances to regulate any business, trade, or activity within the City of Taguig through issuance of a Mayor’s permit after submission of documents and payment of fees and taxes,” Taguig said in a statement.

“Makati Garden and Park has no permits from Taguig City Hall,” it stressed. 

The park, which operated under Taguig’s jurisdiction, had been used by Makati City as a “garage for its heavy equipment and storage for various objects.”

Taguig reiterated that has the “right to possess and administer the same notwithstanding Makati’s unlawful possession.”

In a statement on Sunday, the Makati government meanwhile said it received a closure order for the park for not having a business permit. It added that Taguig padlocked the park “trapping Makati employees inside.”

“Should there be violence, it will be blood on Taguig’s hands,” it added.

This was latest development from Makati-Taguig dispute that started due to a jurisdiction issue. 

In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that the EMBO barangays are under Taguig’s jurisdiction.

These 10 barangays are the following:

• Cembo
• Comembo
• Pembo
• East Rembo
• West Rembo
• South Cembo
• Pitogo
• Post Proper Northside
• Post Proper Southside
• Rizal

– Rappler.com

MMDA Regulation No. 24-022 prohibits e-bikes, e-trikes, tricycles, pedicabs, pushcasts, and kuligligs from traveling on national roads, circumferential roads, and radial roads in all cities of NCR starting April 2024.

Here is the list of roads where these vehicles are banned:

1. C1: Recto Avenue
2. C2: Pres. Quirino Avenue
3. C3: Araneta Avenue
4. C4: EDSA
5. C5: Katipunan/CP Garcia
6. C6: Southeast Metro Manila Expressway
7. R1: Roxas Boulevard
8. R2: Taft Avenue
9. R3: Osmeña Highway
10. R4: Shaw Boulevard
11. R5: Ortigas Avenue
12. R6: Magsaysay Blvd./Aurora Blvd.
13. R7: Quezon Ave./Commonwealth Ave.
14. R8: A. Bonifacio Ave.
15. R9: Rizal Ave.
16. R10: Del Pan/Marcos Highway/McArthur Highway
17. Elliptical Road
18. Mindanao Avenue
19. Marcos Highway
20. Boni Avenue (Mandaluyong)
21. España Blvd.

Those caught violating the ban will face fines of up to P2,500. Motorists driving “electric-powered motor vehicles and tricycles” will also be required to have a driver’s license. Those apprehended without a license will have their vehicles impounded.

“Due to the proliferation of e-vehicles, the MMC deemed it imperative to regulate and penalize those who will traverse the national roads using such means of transportation,” MMDA Acting Chairman Don Artes said in a press conference on Wednesday, February 28.

Each local government unit within Metro Manila may also issue their own ordinances for secondary and other inner roads in their area.

Previously, the MMDA admitted that it lacked unified guidelines regarding the use of e-trikes and e-bikes. Before the MMDA resolution, the most commonly cited regulation for e-vehicles was an administrative order by the Land Transportation Office that categorized electric vehicles and outlined where they could travel based on their maximum speed. 

Is a ban necessary?

Artes said that this was not a total ban on e-vehicles. Instead, the resolution is meant to set clearer guidelines around e-bikes and e-trikes, which were “a common cause of traffic and road crash incidents.”

There were 554 road crash incidents involving electric vehicles in 2023, according to MMDA’s data.

However, the Move as One Coalition (MAOC) has questioned the move by the Metro Manila Council to ban the light e-vehicles on the basis of safety risks, saying “MMDA’s sweeping statement lacks context.”

MAOC pointed out that based on MMDA’s 2022 data, fatalities from bike, e-bike, and pedicab accidents only accounted for 33 of the 681 total fatalities, or 4.84%. Bikes, e-bikes, and pedicabs also only accounted for a similarly low 5.88% of total non-fatal injuries and 2.05% of total road crashes.

“For added context, MMDA should release the 2023 data on road crashes involving cars and the number of fatalities and non-fatal injuries. Cars have consistently accounted for the highest percentage of vehicles involved in a road crash since the [Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System] began in 2005,” MAOC said in a statement. – Rappler.com

Must Read

Tiny e-trikes vs big roads: Gov’t admits it lacks regulations for electric vehicles

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This comes after the university’s Office for Student Affairs (OSA) ordered the organization to delete a photo of students from the College of Information and Computing Sciences (CICS) entering a convenience store inside the campus. OSA said the image caused “public ridicule.”

The picture was a part of TomasinoWeb’s social media post on Thursday, February 15, which featured students from different colleges wearing their “Type B” uniforms, which are typically worn from Ash Wednesday until the end of the second semester.

According to a report by The Varsitarian, there were jokes that compared the Type B uniform of the CICS students to those of convenience store employees.

UST journalism instructor Leo Laparan II, who is also a desk editor at The Philippine Star, said in his resignation letter that “the recent turn of events has rendered my position in the student organization immaterial and insignificant moving forward.”

“I felt like I was trampled upon with what happened. Natapakan yung pagka-journalist ko sa nangyari because that is a clear illustration of censorship,” he told reporters in an interview.

Laparan will continue teaching journalism classes at the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters.

Fr. Louie Coronel, UST’s secretary-general, told Rappler in an email on Tuesday, February 20, that “collaborative efforts are being undertaken to resolve the matter,” and that they “value the inputs shared on various platforms” as these help them deliberate on the matter.

Not a publication

According to the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, having an adviser is only optional for student publications at the tertiary level. 

But technically, TomasinoWeb is not a student publication. Under UST guidelines, they are classified as a student organization.

TomasinoWeb, like other student organizations, follows guidelines set by the OSA. Student publications, on the other hand, report to the Office of the Secretary-General.

According to rules laid out by the OSA, when the adviser of a student organization resigns, it should “cease to post anything until such time that a new adviser is appointed.” 

Those who violate the policies may not be accredited to operate in the following academic year.

How does this technicality affect the work of a student media organization? For TomasinoWeb president Jan Carlo Zamora, this means that they have no true freedom as part of the campus press.

“​​We are not truly free to write and create content because we are subjected to checks by the office, while other student publications can be as expressive as they want,” he told Rappler in an interview.

Laparan shared the same sentiment, adding that until it could operate “devoid of external forces,” TomasinoWeb cannot fulfill its true purpose. 

“I don’t think that it’s going to work because a media organization cannot fulfill its purpose, its duty to inform the public if there’s going to be intervention,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

‘A long standing fight for press freedom’

Zamora hopes that Laparan’s resignation will serve as a call for university officials to create an environment where students can freely express themselves, and organizations like TomasinoWeb can start discussions on pressing campus issues.

“His resignation, while a very huge loss to the organization, shall start a university-wide call for a better administration and for an environment where students can express themselves to their fullest,” he said. “TomasinoWeb has been in a very long standing fight for press freedom, only to end up like this.”

Miguel Angelo Sumalinog, the organization’s executive editor, also urged the public to help call for press freedom, as it “goes beyond the matter of the issue inside the campus but to a national level as well.”

But this is not the first time that UST’s student organizations have experienced intervention from university administrators.

Laparan said that in December 2023, the OSA flagged the organization’s post about the jeepney modernization program, saying that this could be misinterpreted as the university’s stand on the controversy.

Organizations also called out the university in 2020 for implementing stricter rules for social media posting. Back then, student leaders had to submit Permission to Post forms to their dean, Student Welfare and Development coordinator, and the OSA before releasing any publicity material or announcement online.

The Varsitarian said in a report that those who fail to comply with the requirement will be reprimanded, and their accreditation to operate may be suspended or revoked.

Processes like these, according to the National Union of Students in the Philippines, are “roundabout methods of legitimizing and extending student repression through online means.”

What happens now?

While they are looking for a new adviser, TomasinoWeb will continue to post updates on its website, especially during UAAP Season 86 and the upcoming student council elections in UST.

Its officers are also coordinating with its alumni and other press freedom advocates to discuss the next steps for their organization.

On Wednesday, February 21, hundreds of UST alumni signed a petition showing solidarity with TomasinoWeb and urging the university administration to end their “repressive, arbitrary, and outdated policies.”

“It is clear that what brought UST public ridicule is not TomasinoWeb’s photo but the university itself and its refusal to uphold and recognize students’ rights,” the petition said.

Interested alumni can still sign the petition through standwithtomasinoweb.com.

Progressive groups were also quick to show support for the student media. Just hours after Laparan’s resignation, student activists held a protest outside the university to call for campus press freedom.

Progressive groups were also quick to show support for the student media. Just hours after Laparan’s resignation, student activists held a protest outside the university to call for campus press freedom.

In a statement, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines slammed UST for its order, as well as its “long history of academic freedom violations and disregard of genuine student concerns.”

Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines blasted UST for the imposed takedown and its “elitist stance,” urging them to protect press freedom and “uphold the dignity of work and honor the workers’ contributions to the Philippine society.”

The issue revived discussions on the amendment of the Campus Journalism Act, which has several flaws that compromise campus press freedom, including the lack of provisions protecting editorial independence.

In 2021, former Kabataan representative Sarah Elago renewed her push for House Bill No. 319 or the Campus Press Freedom bill, which hopes to better protect campus journalists and hold erring administrators accountable. 

The bill was not passed into law.  – Rappler.com

According to city officials, more than 200 couples participated in the event. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the ceremony was a way to fulfill their promises to the LGBTQ+ community when the city passed its Gender-Fair Ordinance.

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Among the sponsors and guests for the event were Outright Action International Project Coordinator Ging Cristobal and Drag Race Philippines season 2 winner Captivating Katkat. 

2024 would mark 10 years since QC passed the Gender-Fair Ordinance. Bills to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination remain pending in Congress even after more than 20 years of lobbying by its allies. 

Here are some photos from the event.

– Rappler.com 

QC gender and development head Janete Oviedo said Saturday marked the first day of distribution for the “right to care” cards, which also marked the city’s fourth commitment ceremony. 

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“We will start calling people who have ‘right to care’ cards for distribution. It will be given in the Gender and Development Office in Quezon City Hall,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

Oviedo added that those who have yet to receive their cards have their own copies of the special power of attorney contracts which can be shown to hospitals in the city.

The program was formally introduced during QC Pride in June 2023, with the first batch of couples signing their special power of attorney contracts in August. The ordinance for the program was also passed in October 20, 2023, with officials still drafting its implementing rules and regulations.

Rappler talked to some of the couples who were filled with joy and excitement after receiving the card. 

‘Safer’ together

Transgender woman Richard Ella and her partner Lester Paradero said that they felt “lucky” to be among the first QC residents to receive their own “right to care” cards. 

“Happy [ako] kasi…ako na lang po magdedesisyon para sa partner ko. At the same time, napakalayo ng pamilya [ni Lester] sa amin. Nasa Batangas ‘yung family niya na tawagan in case [may emergency],” Ella said. 

(I’m happy since I can make decisions for my partner. At the same time, Lester’s family is far from us. His family is in Batangas should we need to call them in case of emergencies.)

The couple have been together for four years and decided to attend this year’s commitment ceremony to renew their vows for one another when they went to the event in 2021. They hope to start a business together to get “stable income” as Lester is earning money through contractual jobs. 

35-year-old Leslie Ampo-an and her boyfriend Ash Musnit said that they were happy to finally receive the card as they witnessed their LGBTQ+ friends being denied by their family to visit their partners.

“Bilang mga mahihirap na mamamayan ng Quezon City, nakapahirap po para sa amin na kahit mag-pacheck-up pa man lang. So importante na meron ‘right to care’ card kasama ng partner namin kasi there are instances po na may nangyayari sa amin pero never po nakikialam ‘yung partner,” Ampo-an said. 

(As we are among the marginalized sectors in Quezon City, it’s hard for us to even get ourselves a check-up. So it’s important that we have a “right to care” card with our partners since there are instances that something happens to us, but our partners can’t get involved.)

JR Tabor and Jeremy Abrogar said they felt their bond got stronger when they finally got the card as they marked their 18th year as a couple this February. 

“Ngayon, mas safer na kami sa isa’t isa…kasi at least kahit malayo man kami sa family namin, at least mayroon ganitong card na kahit papaano na makakaensure kami na may right decision-maker para sa amin,” Tabor said.

(We feel safer with each other because even if our families are far away from each other, at least there is this card that would ensure us that there is a right decision-maker for us.)

Awareness

Oviedo said more than 700 couples have signed up for the “right to care” card as of February 2024. Despite this development, city workers are still actively working to get LGBTQ+ couples in the city to sign up for the card. 

Workers were giving documents for the “right to care” card to interested couples in the commitment ceremony, with an orientation set for February 24. 

QC government workers are also giving documents for the city’s “right to care” card to interested couples.

The card was introduced last year during QC Pride. It hopes to provide LGBTQ+ couples in the city with the right to make healthcare decisions for each other.

15 couples… pic.twitter.com/dStFCmc5q5

— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) February 17, 2024

Among those who received documents during the commitment ceremony was Kurt Mante and his 21-year-old girlfriend Nicole Delgado. The couple said that this was their first time hearing about the program and are undecided on signing up for the card.

“‘Di ko pa masyado maintindihan. Kailangan ko ng explanation para ma-go din tayo parehas. (I don’t understand it that much. I need an explanation so that we both have the go [signal]),” Delgado said.

Oviedo said that the QC government plans to do orientations in all of the city’s barangays. She added that they have also connected with LGBTQ+ organizations to also orient their members on the “right to care” card.

Those who wish to avail of Quezon City’s “right to care card” can register by going to the Quezon City gender and development council office or through bit.ly/RightToCareReg. – Rappler.com

The students held protest actions following the February 12 House hearing on the proposed bills.

Under House Bill No. 8860, PUP’s governing board shall have the power and duty to enter joint ventures with business and industry for PUP’s profitable development and management of economic assets. It also allows privatization in managing non-academic services in the school including health, food, and building. 

Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan (SAMASA PUP) chairperson Ronjay-C Mendiola told the House committee on higher and technical education, which is conducting hearings on the proposed bills, that the privatization may increase the prices of food and other products of stall concessionaires inside the main campus.

He said this will also affect student organizations who have to rent school venues for their events. 

Baguio City Representative Mark Go, House panel chairman, explained that the proposed provision is a broad function for the governing board to exercise. This, he said, should be appreciated in the context of benefits for the whole university. 

The lawmaker also argued that even if the national government has to allocate a budget for state universities like PUP, state universities also have to generate internal incomes and not just rely on the national government. 

Mendiola told Rappler that the proposed provision will allow the government to “escape its responsibility” of prioritizing funds for state universities and colleges.

“Pinapatakas natin ‘yung government doon sa responsibility na sila dapat ang nagbibigay o tumutugon. ‘Pag umoo tayo na magkaroon ng income-generating projects, kung pipiliin ng university na magkaroon ng ganito, parang inaabswelto na natin ang government doon sa pag-mi-misprioritize nila ng budget,” Mendiola said. 

(We’re allowing the government to escape its responsibility that it should be the one giving or addressing [funding]. If we allow the existence of income-generating projects, if the university will favor this, it would seem like we’re absolving the government of misprioritizing the budget.) 

PUP student regent Miss Kim Modelo clarified that students support the other provisions in the bills, including the appropriation of an P8-billion budget for the university, which is higher than its P3-billion* budget for 2024. (*Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story indicated a 6-billion budget; this has been corrected.)

Modelo also called for more consultation with PUP’s stakeholders, including teachers and non-teaching personnel, on the proposed bills.

During the hearing, PUP president Manuel Muhi reiterated that elevating the state university to a premier academic status will allow the school to address gaps in education and employment, design programs tailored for a modern work setting, and assist other polytechnic schools in the Philippines. It will also subsume various campuses that are currently funded by local government units.

Then-president Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the bill in 2019 due to “serious reservations.”

This is not the first time that joint ventures in state universities and colleges were criticized by stakeholders. 

Republic Act No. 9500, which strengthened the University of the Philippines (UP) into a national university in 2008, vested the UP Board of Regents with the power to approve joint ventures.

On February 6, UP Diliman students protested the increasing commercialization of campus spaces in the national university. Various food stalls in the campus were told to end their operations in February to make way for the March opening of DiliMall, the former UP Shopping Center.

In January 2023, the Samahang Manininda sa UP Campus slammed the opening of the UP Diliman Gyud Food Hub, another avenue of concessionaires managed by private partners of UP, for not giving spaces for small campus vendors.

In a 2016 article, UP Diliman student publication Philippine Collegian reported that the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the millions of unpaid obligations of Ayala Land for both the Technohub and the UP Town Center, which “deprived” the stockholders of benefits for the supposed additional funding. COA had directed UP to bill ALI for this. – Rappler.com

Chris Burnet Ramos is an Aries Rufo fellow. A graduating journalism student from PUP Manila, he currently writes for the progressive sector and the studentry as a senior news writer for PUP College of Communication’s The Communicator.

La Mesa Nature Reserve is a popular training ground for trail runners and mountain bikers, owing to its wide expanse of green space and proximity to many who live in Metro Manila.

It is expected to open this March again, MWSS administrator Leonor Cleofas confirmed during a handover ceremony on Thursday, February 15.

Upon news of the closure, long-time patrons of the nature reserve had turned to social media to express their sentiment on the future of the watershed without the ABS-CBN Foundation (AFI). Cyclists, supporters started a petition calling for continuity of ecotourism under new management.

Meanwhile, park rangers who are set to receive severance pay from the ABS-CBN Foundation (AFI) can still expect employment under MWSS. Park rangers not only patrol the watershed but also serve as trail guides for visitors.

“In the interim, while the engagement of the service provider is still being processed, the rangers and the security will be absorbed by the MWSS through our concessionaires starting February 16,” said Dizon.

Retaining park rangers should help in the smooth transition of the conservation of the watershed.

“Sila po talaga ang nakakaalam ng daily needs ng ating watershed reservation at saka ng ating ecopark,” Cleofas said.

(They’re the ones who really know the daily needs of the watershed reservation and our ecopark.)

The nature reserve and ecopark are expected to open again in March. Cleofas said this will be done in phases.

Transition period

The watershed is now under the MWSS, which is set to implement a sustainability roadmap together with concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad.

The arrangement with AFI expired on December 31, 2023.

How reforestation programs will continue and the roadmap implemented under the new leadership are still under discussion. “For the transition, constant communication is still being undertaken among parties,” Dizon said.

Last December, MWSS took over as chair of the technical working group of the La Mesa Watershed Reservation Multi-Sectoral Management Council.

The council was created when former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared the watershed, covering 2,659 hectares, as a protected area.

Shadow of past MWSS housing project

While the turnover is said to be aligned with the Integrated Watershed Management Roadmap for Angat, Ipo, and La Mesa (IWMRAIL), there are concerns over the new management given the history of MWSS and the watershed.

IWMRAIL is the sustainability roadmap crafted by the MWSS and concessionaires to sustainably develop watersheds until 2047 to provide clean water for Metro Manila.

One long-standing issue in the watershed is the MWSS housing project, which necessitated intervention from the Office of the President and the Supreme Court.

The housing project for MWSS workers and employees was approved back in June 18, 1968, in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement of the MWSS with two labor unions. A total of 1,411 employees were supposed to benefit from the housing project.

It was delayed when a former acting general manager refused to sign the deed of sale to beneficiaries and when former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. wanted a Maynilad filtration plant built on the housing project land.

In 1999, the AFI began campaigning for the rehabilitation of the La Mesa watershed.

Two years later, the University of the Philippines-National Hydraulic Research Center (UP-NHRC) recommended in its study that the watershed not be used for housing projects.

The study said the reservoir water, which is consumed by Metro Manila residents, may potentially be contaminated because of construction activities. Tree cutting to make way for the housing project may also increase sedimentation and siltation in streams.

In 2006, the Senate conducted two hearings on the issue. The Senate recommended the passage of a law to declare it as a protected area.

“The inclusion of the La Mesa watershed as an initial component of NIPAS [National Integrated Protected Areas System] and its eventual declaration as a protected area through Congressional action will prevent MWSS from further alienating lands within the reservoir just to satisfy its contractual obligations,” the Senate committee report released in 2007 read.

Arroyo did so when she signed Proclamation No. 1336, series of 2007. She ordered the DENR and the MWSS to manage the watershed “in accordance with sustainable development, without impairing its usefulness as source of water for domestic use and other related purposes.”

However, the proclamation also said that the watershed is “subject to private rights.”

The housing project has not proceeded since the DENR cancelled the environmental compliance certificate of property developer Century Communities in 2016. – Rappler.com