"Green Spaces" must be protected, preserved and expanded

Akbayan Partylist Nominee Tom Villarin

Akbayan party-list today welcomed the veto of the proposed Davao City ordinance which would have weakened or removed the 10 percent green space requirement in all subdivisions and urbanized areas.

“Preserving the integrity of our environmental safeguards must be upheld even as we pursue development,” said Tom Villarin, Akbayan nominee and a long-time advocate of sustainable development. “Developers should not skirt on their long-term responsibility to protect the environment in exchange for short-term convenience and profitability.”

On top of the mayor’s veto, “the resolve of citizens to guard Davao City’s environmental health and keep the city council’s overreach in check is a triumph of accountability and people power,” added Villarin, a resident of Davao City.

Akbayan reiterated that the passage of the ordinance did not satisfy free and prior informed consent requirements, as the Save Davao Green Spaces (SDGS) coalition had earlier demanded an explanation why there were no public hearings and consultations on the said measure. All city councilors except Councilor Mabel Acosta, approved the passage of the ordinance.
Villarin also noted that a National Land Use (NLU) Act, which Akbayan has been lobbying for more than 15 years, could have made the ordinance irrelevant, “it would have provided our city legislators with a policy framework to temper our interests in urban development with measures for environmental preservation and disaster risk mitigation.”

Akbayan will study the feasibility of having a national law for 10 percent green spaces in urbanized areas. Akbayan has been pushing for legislation in support of local campaigns like the banning of aerial spraying in agricultural plantations, in-city relocation of informal settlers in urban centers, among others.

UN bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have set standards for accessible green spaces proportionate to the number of residents pegging it at 9,000 square meters to at least 1,000 residents. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) likewise have incorporated it as a major universal indicator.

International standards ensure that there should be accessible public parks or recreational open spaces within 500 meters of every city resident. This standard aims to provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces particularly for women and children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.