According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there should be 9 square meters of green open space per person, with around 10 minutes of walking distance to be considered ideal. However, in most cities here in the Philippines, this is not followed.
One morning, I decided to accompany my mother on her morning walk. It's been a while since I felt the gentle rays of the morning sun and the cold morning breeze, and since that day was fine, why not go outside to touch some grass?
We also got our dog and put him on a leash. Since we are living in a subdivision, letting our dog run around without a leash will scare people and possibly put their safety at risk. Cheers to responsible dog owners!
The nearest green open space in our area is located outside of the subdivision. It's around a 5-minute walk. There’s still another green space nearest to us, but it is already 10 minutes away and the management put a bob wire around it so people can’t access it. They said it is for the security and privacy of their subdivision.
Photo by Ignacio Brosa on Unsplash
Just for context, we live in a residential area composed of 3–4 subdivisions and villages. There are still lands that are left untouched, and we consider those as our green open space. But the homeowners association requested a fence to prevent outsiders from coming in.
Upon reaching the open space, we finally removed the leash from our dog so he could roam and run around freely. While walking, I saw the new houses being built. It's just sad that the place we treat as a place where we can jog, bike, play, and do other recreational activities will soon be converted into another residential area.
A few years ago, the land developers of our residential area had a deal with Manilad, a well-known water service provider here in the Philippines, to build water pipes connecting to the lines of every house in the village.
Lack of water supply has been the problem of this place since the day it was established. Back then, they were able to build a water tank with the water coming from the deep well, but the supply was not enough to last for years. Since then, the development has become stagnant and the residents have slowly left the place.
After new management took place, changes were made, including bringing a stable water supply. From that point, the construction of new houses is one after another. It is truly the case that water is the source of life.
Despite the progress, the only open space we know will finally be filled with houses made of blocks of cement. Another thing is, can we still access this place once the construction is fully completed?
Here in the urban areas of the Philippines, green spaces are not prioritized. As long as there are empty spaces on land, it will be converted into a commercial area or even housing. Obviously, local government units have poor urban planning, focusing only on profits and not on the welfare of people.
According to the Asian Development Blog, there is a correlation between proximity to green places, such as woods, parks, community gardens, and even grasslands, and reduced death rates. Studies indicate that green areas promote mental health by encouraging physical exercise and by giving the psychological advantages of being exposed to nature.
Photo by Benjamin Child on Unsplash
The mental health effect of the pandemic is exacerbated by the lack of green places in the cities since people don’t have any nearby place where they can unwind and relax.
Sadly, most cities in Asia just ignore these facts.
Aside from the health benefits, urban green spaces give several benefits to our environment. According to the research study of several architect students of Islamic Azad University, open green spaces in the city increases the biodiversity of plant and wildlife, influencing urban climate by reducing air temperature and urban heat islands, enhancing air quality, reducing air pollution and carbon sequestration, reducing noise, and removing toxins.
Photo by Owen Lystrup on Unsplash
Maybe this is one of the reasons why air quality in metro Manila is poor compared to the relative country that has urban areas. Anyone who lives near the city can relate.
So far, the construction of new houses continues. Although I am kind of against it, who am I to stop them? I have no choice but to watch this place get bulldozed and be covered with tall and regal houses.
Fin.
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