La Trinidad as a city, a boon or a bane?
Is it appropriate to turn an agricultural area to a densely populated place such as by converting La Trinidad into a component city of Benguet?
I lived in La Trinidad for 67 years and witnessed its transformation from a salad bowl to a strawberry basket, flower garden, and now a congested municipality.
If La Trinidad becomes a city, it would become a concrete jungle like Baguio. There will be an influx of people, vehicles, educational institutions, businesses, and entertainment establishments that would displace the fields and forests even if rules are promulgated.
Although there would be greater budget in being a city, the expenditures for more public services will also increase. The valuation of real estate will rise and taxes will increase.
Genuine development is one that uses wisely the natural resources of a place to benefit people while conserving the environment. La Trinidad is gifted with fertile lands – for us to cultivate, to have food and income to survive.
Once the proposed cityhood of La Trinidad is ratified by Congress, it will be presented in a plebiscite.
Should we allow the municipality to be converted into a city or let it remain and prosper as a globally renowned strawberry, vegetable, and ornamental hub with state-of-the-art facilities employing efficient and environment-friendly technologies? Our choice will determine the kind of life we will have. — PERCIVAL B. ALIPIT, Baguio City