Life is Awesome and People are Weird.

LB (from this video)

I’ve been walking around the Luneta Park and thinking - a dangerous pastime I know. And I’m referring to the thinking part - not the walking around Luneta part.

And if it isn’t obvious, my latest obsession is the DMCI Torre de Manila - an oversized condominium off Taft Avenue that - according to their architectural rendering - threatens to overwhelm the Rizal Monument. It was an image that went viral and caused national outrage online - by myself as well as many others.

This DMCI plan has resulted in the flamebombing of their facebook and twitter pages, creation of mocking memes, as well as media features and a protest on www.change.org PILIPINAS. It’s amazing to see that Filipinos online are speaking up about their desire to protect Manila’s history, promote proper urban planning, and moderate the greed of big business in the country (SM and SMDC being another issue).

It’s apparent that Filipinos are asking MORE from the developers and oligarchs who steer our economy. It seems not only do Filipinos want quality in the type of investments and projects are done in the country, but also accountability and sensitivity as well.

And although I am happy about our fellow Filipinos raising a howl, I also don’t want this to be another deadlock. This should not be another situation where the protection of our heritage, proper urban zoning, and economic development collide, create an impassse and nothing gets done. I don’t believe in whining for it’s own sake. So I took a walk and tried to look for solutions to this dilemma and this is what I kinda came up with…

Problem: The height of the DMCI Torre de Manila’s location behind Jose Rizal threatens to Photobomb the monument. Making the Rizal monument secondary when one looks at it while promenading in FRONT of the Rizal Monument. (The Rizal Monument is oriented to face west and this is the angle where we are SUPPOSED to see it).

Objective: Create a solution where the building itself DOES NOT impeding into the vista of the Rizal Monument itself. 

Possible Solution #1 - Cut the number of floors. Since this building is to the right of the Rizal Monument, it’s lower part is covered by trees. By removing around 19 floors, the building itself does not impede into the sightline nor take away the attention from Rizal.

Possible Solution #2 - Use glass to reflect the sky and make the building seem to “disappear”. Use the cool kind that Zuellig building in Makati uses…

Possible Solution #3 - Alter the promenade around  the Rizal Monument so that people can walk AROUND the monument and the viewing area is no longer is limited to the area in front of Rizal. Now people can approach the monument and see it from ALL angles.

Possible Solution #4 - Add a few more TALL trees behind the Rizal Monument to the left and the right. This will block the view of the building from the promenade and create a green curtain behind the monument. Leave the area directly behind monument clear so one can see the Sierra Madre mountains.

I would LOVE it if DMCI did the right thing and did Solution #1. But I’d be happy to have Solution #3 or Solution #4. Either way, it would be great if DMCI would just address this issue instead of just ignoring it. I mean, if their building is that great as they say, they should at least try to defend it. Communicating with the public who have to look at their building FOREVER is just as important as communicating with their own buyers. I mean, DMCI - you DO communicate with your buyers, don’t you?

But either way, I don’t think I should be the one to contact about this issue anymore. I will just promote the petition, file a complaint with City Council of Manila and emphasize the importance of proper zoning, planning, and protecting the vistas of Rizal park. The real people that the press should contact from here on are the Heritage Commission of Manila, The Heritage Conservation Society, The National Historical Institute, and DMCI themselves.

And…