This is by no means intended to belittle the value of symbols; after all, people become productive only the moment they assume images of themselves as mature persons and stop being dependents of their parents. But for symbolic constructs to move people and institutions towards greater heights of socio-economic achievement (which is what gets to be articulated in proposals for HUC-hood) other givens must exist, such as proper and effective zoning, peace and order, positive environmental conditions, among many other things. In other words, cities become sustainable not so much because they are considered by law as HUC, but because conditions for their being sustainable and progressive have been established. People do not become productive by telling themselves they have become mature individuals; they are productive because they employ the means—skills, attitude, time, hard work, etc.—to become one.
In my view, that is how the planned conversion of Tacloban from a component city (of the Province of Leyte, Philippines) to a HUC must be contextualized. While no immediate gains (from the perspective of majority of its constituency) are to be expected, there are also no compelling reasons why such a planned conversion cannot be supported—even by the biggest stakeholder who stands to be adversely affected (or “slighted”) by its realization, which is the Leyte Provincial Government. HUCs, according to the law, are independent of the province where it is located, which in this case is Leyte.
The immediate effect of conversion would be that the Provincial Government of Leyte will lose its supervisory powers over that of Tacloban City. All ordinances and Executive Orders enacted or issued by the city, for example, will no longer pass the Sannguniang Panlalawigan for review, unlike in the case of component cities. The constituents of a HUC will also have no need to vote for the elective officials of the provincial government. Instead, a HUC can constitute at least one legislative district; its voters can therefore elect their own representative(s) to the House of Representatives.
Another immediate effect of HUC conversion would be the increase of salaries of Sangguniang Panglungsod members, among others. This alone is incentive enough for component cities to initiate the process of conversion to HUC, the Sangguniang Panglungsod being the one authorized by law to initiate such a process. Although this sounds self-serving, the increase in salaries is justified from the perspective of equity. HUC officials are bound to assume greater responsibilities, and should be properly compensated for it.
Beyond these symbolic changes and increase in salaries of city officials lies the real HUC challenge: creating conditions for a sustainable city.
Urbanization is a phenomenon where there is significant movement of population from rural areas to urban areas. Attracted by better livelihood opportunities, people leave their homes in rural areas and resettle in urban areas, especially large cities. The dramatic rise in the number of population of Tacloban City resulted not from high population growth rates but rather from intense in-migration. On the one hand, this is a positive commentary of how the city has grown economically over the years. People see it as a progressive city and want to be associated, at least economically, with that progress; they establish their livelihood in the city, become one of its inhabitants, and eventually make the place their own. Indeed the former barrio of Basey, Samar, has now grown big enough to become home of people coming from the Samar provinces, Biliran, as well as Leyte and Southern Leyte municipalities.
On the other hand, high levels of urbanization strain the carrying capacity of a city. The primary basis for its economic boom, which is the increase in population (meaning increase in purchasing power stimulates more economic activities and production), can turn to bane unless managed satisfactorily. HUCs may experience congestion, pollution, environmental degradation, rising crime incidence, prostitution and, eventually, the blight of urban poverty. All these negative effects of urbanization can contribute to the rise in cost of doing business in the area, not to mention the cost of living. They can become disincentives for investors and eventually derail the economic progress of HUCs.
One key area which Tacloban City must focus on to improve its investment climate is to promote the efficiency of doing business. Traffic congestion must be addressed through improved zoning regulations. In Tacloban, little is known about setbacks and buffer zones. It is not uncommon to see one piece of land having three or more conflicting uses. A street, for example, aside from being passageway for vehicular traffic, is being used as market or store, pedestrian area, and parking or terminal area all at the same time. In many socialized housing areas (not to mention structures in the downtown area), people have appropriated for themselves as part of their housing units what should have been left as setbacks—or even sidewalks in some cases—for the public. The main thoroughfares hardly provide areas or spaces for separate uses, such as parking and pedestrian lanes. Apart from causing inefficiency in mobility, these can create problems in terms of public safety and the overall well being of the city.
Other key concerns relate to the need to maintain peace and order, control noise and air pollution, general cleanliness and protection of the environment. How Tacloban City is able to address these concerns will be an indication of its capacity to sustain its progress as a highly urbanized city.
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