Dear Mayor Lourdes Arcasetas,
I really hope this reaches you. This is regarding my Facebook post from two days ago in which I published a screengrab of your municipality’s share of Mt. Banajao (Read all about it here), a mountain that is shared by nine other LGUs. I was quite alarmed with what I saw there via Google Earth — huge swathes of land along the slopes of the mountain have been converted into farmlands, with many plots nearing the peak already.
I am a frequent user of Google Earth, ma’am, that is why I have become accustomed to various terrain types from across the globe even if I have never been to those places physically. Throughout all those virtual trips, I have never seen any mountain whose slopes have been converted into farmlands, let alone nearing the peak! But that is exactly what’s happening there in Nagcarlán’s Banajao side.
From that same FB post, somebody alerted me (a certain Jebel J. Musa) about mixed-use zoning, a land development activity that, admittedly, I am not familiar with. He opened up the possibility that perhaps your municipality (together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and, perhaps, the Department of Agriculture) has some sort of arrangement with concerned stakeholders on how best to utilize your share of the mountain. Be that as it may, whether or not mixed-use zoning plays a factor in determining the use of your land area, I can confidently say that this is NOT what a beautiful mountain is supposed to look like.
Here’s another angle…
The red line is Nagcarlán’s border. See that red circle? I placed it there to point to a plot of farm which is already situated at 3,500 ft above sea level. Is that even a normal farming area? That could probably be one of the world’s most elevated farmlands, but on a sloped area. As I have said earlier, this is NOT what a beautiful mountain is supposed to look like.
In closing, let it be known that I am not from Nagcarlán, so I hope you will not suspect that this is politically motivated. I don’t have friends there in Nagcarlán. Even if I’m from another place, I still have my stake at this mountain because I am a Filipino. But make no mistake: I already lost count on how many times I’ve visited your place. Sometimes alone. Sometimes with my family and friends. I love your municipality. I have relished each visit. As a nature lover, I find Nagcarlán to be one of our province’s best when it comes to showcasing natural beauty. So just imagine my huge disappointment and disgust with what I saw there from Google Earth. I hope you will not take this personally and instead take proper and immediate action. Before it’s too late. You are currently Nagcarlán’s mother. May you not forsake every nook and cranny of your alluring household.
Sincerely yours,
Pepe Alas
Nature Lover
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EL FILIPINISMO 