Pandacan Oil Depot, Baywalk, And The Railroad

By Neal Cruz
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:28:00 03/23/2010

THE PANDACAN OIL DEPOT, BAYWALK AND traffic were again the topics of discussion among political leaders of Manila and Parañaque last Monday. Reps. Amado Bagatsing of Manila and Eduardo Zialcita of Parañaque, and former Manila Councilor Ali Atienza, representing his father, former Mayor Lito Atienza who was busy escorting Manny Pacquiao in a homecoming motorcade, were the guests at the Kapihan sa Manila. Bagatsing is running for reelection, Zialcita is running for mayor of Parañaque, and Atienza is campaigning for his father.

The three agreed that the depot should be relocated as it poses a danger to residents of Pandacan in case of fire or a terrorist attack on the depot.

But where? Anywhere the oil companies like, was the answer.

The depot was the subject of controversy when the city government told the oil companies to relocate it because of the danger it poses to Pandacan residents. The oil firms resisted, claiming that relocation would be expensive and that the prices of fuel may have to be raised as a result.

But they will make a lot of money by selling the land to a mall or a land developer, the politicians said. Mall owners and land developers would outbid one another to buy that land. Contrary to common belief, the oil companies, not the city of Manila, own the land on which the depot stands.

Relocating the depot, at enormous expense, won’t solve the problem, however. The oil tanks can be relocated on vacant land—but only in the beginning. In due time, people will build their homes closer and closer to the depot, as what happened in Pandacan, and the same problem will crop up again.

The solution, as I see it, is to relocate the depot on reclaimed land in the middle of Manila Bay so that squatters cannot get close to it. Also, in case of fire, it would not spread to nearby communities and there would be plenty of water to put it out. Furthermore, oil and fuel can be barged in and out of the depot instead of being serviced by hundreds of tankers that clog the roads leading to and away from it. And when the oil companies need more space, all they have to do is reclaim more land from the sea. They can even build a pier where ocean-going oil tankers can load and unload oil and fuel.

What to do with the land once the depot leaves it was the next area of discussion.

That’s up to the buyer. Most likely, a shopping mall and high-rise condominiums would be constructed there to maximize the use and its investments. That would lead to the development of the Pandacan area and provide jobs to its residents. Being beside the Pasig River, the area provides a lot of opportunities for development, probably making it the New Orleans of Asia.

Furthermore, transportation would be plentiful. Besides land transportation, the mall and surrounding community can be serviced by ferryboats.

The politicians believe that medium-rise residential buildings should be reserved for the local residents who would provide the work force for the commercial establishments there.

What about Baywalk? When he was mayor, Atienza allowed the construction of many cabanas-cum-restaurants along the strip of Roxas Boulevard nearest the sea. When Alfredo Lim became mayor, he removed these cabanas because of complaints that they blocked the view of the famous Manila Bay sunset and that the noise disturbed the nearby residents. That is not a commercial area. That is an area for relaxation, City Hall said.

But Ali Atienza said that if his father becomes mayor again, he would restore the cabanas. A board walk would be constructed on the other side of the breakwater, he said.

But the cabanas would still block the view of the sunset, some critics said. And the noise would come back. Plus Roxas Boulevard would be clogged again with traffic.

Perhaps a ferry system on Manila Bay to service not only Baywalk but other communities along the bay can be set up. In fact, the ferry to Cavite can be revived, thus relieving the coastal roads of traffic jams.

To pursue this further, the Philippines, being an archipelago, should have efficient ferry systems nationwide. The Manila ferry on the Pasig River should be expanded and given incentives to make the ride more comfortable. The ferry will relieve the narrow roads of Metro Manila of land traffic. Also, the ferry can provide the lakeshore communities of Rizal and Laguna with another transportation system besides their narrow, traffic-choked roads.

A ferry through the Tenejeros-Tullahan River from Bulacan to Manila will relieve the congestion on MacArthur Highway. Boats and barges used to ply this river to take passengers and commerce to and from Bulacan and points north. Flat-bottomed barges, called “cascos”, carrying salt, rice, nipa shingles, and vinegar were poled along the river to and from Bulacan. We used to wait on the riverbank for these barges to buy what we needed.

When the Americans enticed us to buy their land vehicles instead, the barges and ferries faded away, and now our roads are choked with imported vehicles wasting precious dollars on fuel. Our boat-building industry has died. Imagine an archipelagic nation not having a boat-building industry and dependent totally on imported land vehicles.

Another mode of transportation we have neglected is the railroad. Anywhere in the world, in rich countries and poor, the railroad is the cheapest and most efficient means of transportation for both passengers and cargo. We used to have an efficient railroad from La Union to Albay up to the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal. Alas, the railroad was neglected by succeeding presidents. It is only now that there are feeble efforts to revive it. The next president should not only revive it but expand it.