Torre de Babel, Conclusion
If monuments are a symbol of heroism and skyscrapers are a symbol of progress, may they not stand side by side with one another? If my memory serves me right, Rizal himself in his El Filibusterismo wrote about a character’s satisfaction—while on a pleasure cruise down the Pasig river—at seeing “the factories in Mandaluyong”, clear symbols of progress among a people he did not wish to be forever colonized.
In
1927, the tallest structure in the Philippines was the newly built Main
Building of the University of Santo Tomas. The cross crowning its tower (from
which Manila Bay was reportedly visible) also served as Kilometer 0 from which
all distances to any point in Luzon were measured. The cross symbolizes the Pontifical University’s “mission of
salvation through the Cross of Christ”, and within the 21.5-hectare UST campus,
no structure was allowed to be built higher than the tower’s cross.
On January 25, 2010, the UST Main
Building was declared by the Philippine National Museum a “National Cultural
Treasure”, along with the Central Seminary, the Arch of the Centuries and the
Open Space fronting the Grandstand. In May 2011, the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines declared the UST a “National
Historical Landmark”, citing its “major historical significance in
Philippine history from the Spanish to contemporary times.”
At
present, the 12-storey Blessed Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, OP
Building—inaugurated in 2014, standing where formerly stood the UST
gymnasium—apparently rises higher than the Main Building tower’s cross, but is
anyone saying it is desecrating what that cross stands for? I dare say, not even the UST’s most
illustrious son, Jose Rizal, would see anything sacrilegious about that. Nor would the 403-year-old UST itself
balk at the mushrooming of Torre This or Tower That, condominiums and
dormitories on the periphery of its revered campus. I think the venerable 403-year-old UST, for all its
contribution to Philippine culture, history and human growth, understands the
price of urban development. That’s
the wisdom of the old and mellowed by experience. Compelled to suspend its function as an institution of
learning during the Second World War—when its campus was used by the Japanese
military forces an internment camp for allied prisoners—the UST stands as
testimony to the fact that while wars and the march of progress can mar a
symbol of greatness, it can not kill the spirit of greatness it represents.
Luneta’s
Rizal monument is now Kilometer 0, and the Philippines is no longer a colony—do
Filipinos still think a photo bummer could diminish the nobility of the hero
that his monument honors? Andres
Bonifacio’s handsome monument (Cry of Balintawak) is all but choked by the
commercial establishments surrounding it, but why is no one complaining? Does this mean we see Andres Bonifacio
as a second class hero?
If
the appearance of the Rizal Monument were so significant, why are the loud
voices being heard only now, now that over 40 floors have already been
built? If I were DMCI, or bought a
unit at Torre, I’d complain. Government agencies involved should pull their act
together to avoid repetition of the same.
I’d like to give the benefit of the doubt to DMCI, after all, oral
arguments reveal that it has not violated any law in the process. Besides, the National Historical
Commission of the Philippines has testified that “the Torre de Manila project
site is outside the boundaries of the Rizal Park and well to the rear (789 meters)
of the Rizal National Monument; hence it cannot possibly obstruct the front
view of the said National Monument.”
Judging from DMCI’s projects, of all the developments in its class, DMCI
has the best eye for the aesthetic aspects of condo-dwelling—they are not
afraid to “waste” space in order to secure beauty and healthful living for the
residents. Their low-rise
communities are a picture of order and harmony, ideal places for young families
to grow in. Most other condo
buildings look like artless shoe boxes stacked to towering heights, but DMCI
for the same price as those “shoe box towers” offers middle-income families
with spacious recreational facilities, well appointed study rooms, a gorgeous
lobbies, and reception areas residents may be proud to entertain in.
If I seem to be taking sides on this issue, you can be sure it’s only
the side of reason and common sense.
Torre de Manila’s bashers are an energetic lot and it’s sad to see that
much energy being aimed at a mere “photo bummer” as though the country (or even
Manila alone) were a picture of an immaculate paradise. Hellooow! There are other sights in Metromanila that “violate the
visual integrity” of our beloved landmarks and are a real affront to the ideals
our heroes fought and died for. Open thine eyes to the scores of other photo bummers
littering our metropolis! Ever
since I took my first job in the Manila
Times (of Chino Roces days) I’ve been calling readers’ attention to various
ills—beggar syndicates, prostitution, child abuse, illegal recruitment, OFWs’
broken families, mediocre television programming, fraudulent advertising,
garbage mountains on our streets, squatter shanties and clogged waterways,
unfair labor practices, etc. I’m
already hoarse from crying for families living on the sidewalks, small children
begging, girls selling sampaguita in the rain, boys gambling off alms money
from scrupulous Christians, to name a few.
Instead of bashing well-meaning urban developers and adding to the noise
that reduces Torre de Manila into a Torre de Babel, perhaps the erudite and
cultured members of our society can combine forces and encourage the production
of superior, well-researched films on our heroes—real heroes who have been dead
at least 50 years, not political figures catapulted to hero status by sheer
luck. Produce concerts or plays on
their lives so that our youth may be inspired by them instead of just screaming
over One Direction or paying thousands of pesos to see Madonna. To our beauty pageants, add essay
writing contests that draw out the Filipinas’ feminine genius —remember what
Rizal wrote to the young women of Malolos?
The Torre? Leave it
be. And let other developers even
out the skyline. The problem will
solve itself if handled with reason.
While still under construction, high-risers will naturally be an
eyesore, but once finished they will provide an appropriately lit backdrop for
Rizal’s monument, hopefully luring promenaders to the park, back from air
conditioned malls. Then I can hope
I won’t hear anymore what I heard from a Latin American meeting a Filipino for
the first time: “Before I met you I used to think people in the Philippines
were like monkeys, living in trees…” Hah!
Living in trees! The world
will come to salute a blazing Rizal monument with twinkling condo lights in the
background! And that’s the truth.