By MITCH MEÑEZ
Photos by LITTLE WING LUNA
THE once lush plant life of the Manila Seedling Bank is now a thing of the past. Last month, the demolition of plant nurseries, vendors’ stalls and other structures inside the seven-hectare property pushed through despite the absence of a court order.
Now enclosed by makeshift gates and fences, the view is gray and grim. Inside, the greens are replaced by upturned earth—brown and black. Tractors and workers continuously are digging through every inch of the land preparing the area for whatever the Quezon City government has in store for it; the property is reportedly being developed into a mall.
The city government claims that the property has been forfeited in its favor due to non-payment of real taxes. However, the Transfer Certificate of the compound (Title No. 309814-309816, T-004-2012005017) shows that the owner of the property is still the National Housing Authority.
The city government has not shown any proof that it has right of possession over the property. Yet, it ordered men in plain clothes to demolish the structures inside the property last Jan. 20. Trees and plants were torn and uprooted without a second thought. Koi fish were taken out of aquariums and breeding grounds, thrown to the ground and thrashed to death. Water and electricity lines were cut. The property was cordoned off and curfew was imposed on the gardeners.
On Feb. 8, members of the Manila Seedling Garden Owners Association, staged a rally in front of the Manila Seedling Banks’ gates. Their demands: 1) Relocation to a suitable site in Quezon City owned by the national government, which is readily accessible to their clients and patrons, while the legalities are still being threshed out. 2.) Access to water and other utilities to enable them, and their plants and trees, to live. 3.) Reimbursement for lost and destroyed inventories and garden structures. 4.) Access to micro/small loan financing so that they do not have to borrow from loan sharks. 5.) Medical assistance for those who have suffered post traumatic stress disorder due to the unjust and inhumane treatment received from the city government, officers of the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the Marban Security Agency during the demolition.
Secrecy shrouds the true state of the Manila Seedling Bank. The Local Government Code of 1991 (R.A. 7160 ) withdrew the realty tax exemption privileges of the Manila Seedling Bank, but this was restored when the Urban and Housing Development Authority Act of 1992 (R.A. 7279, Section 19) was enacted. The exemption is also recognized by the Bureau of Internal Revenue in BIR Ruling No. 1-2004, dated January 2004.
What is clear though, is that we have lost another patch of green in the urban jungle that is Metro Manila.