When fields give way to concrete
As we build walls that separate us from the soil, we risk severing the vital link that binds us to the earth.
Daily TribuneAs we build walls that separate us from the soil, we risk severing the vital link that binds us to the earth.
In an ever-changing landscape, we are witnessing a silent transformation that goes beyond mere bricks and mortar. It is the conversion of fertile agricultural lands into sprawling residential developments.
The metamorphosis, driven by the relentless march of urbanization, carries profound symbolism and raises questions about priorities, the erosion of our roots, food insufficiency, and the long-term consequences of land developers' agendas.
Shelved opinions on the silent transformation broke out a few months back when Senators Raffy Tulfo and Cynthia Villar clashed over the conversion of farmlands into residential and commercial areas during late last year's plenary deliberations on the 2024 budget of the Department of Agriculture.
"Farmlands are getting smaller as big developers buy and convert them into commercial and residential lands. What is the DA doing about this?" Tulfo asked as he probed the diminishing farmlands in the country.
Villar, whose family owns prominent property developer Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., countered that they didn't simply purchase lands in rural areas.
The sponsor of the DA's proposed P160.85-billion budget for 2024 offered an intriguing account of her family's journey transforming acquired lands into thriving residential and commercial ventures.
"That's our business. I want to tell you that we don't buy agricultural lands in the provinces. Nobody will buy houses on agricultural lands," she claimed.
Villar emphasized that developers focus on purchasing properties in urban areas, as they are easier to sell.
However, Tulfo, hailing from Isabela, presented evidence of farmlands being transformed into subdivisions. He underscored the need for the National Land Use Act to address these concerns.
According to Villar, developers do not acquire agricultural lands in rural areas, but rather convert urban lands into subdivisions.
She urged Tulfo to consider the business aspect of agriculture, suggesting that landowners could sell their lands for a higher price and invest in cheaper farmland elsewhere. Tulfo persisted, seeking clarification on the actions that should be taken.
Nothing was, however, addressed by the trade of barbs.
Something is revealing in Villar's remark: "They allow conversions in cities and capital towns because if developers buy your land, they buy it expensive. And you can re-invest the money, and you will make more money than planting on those lands."
A scenario looms that once, as far as the eye could see, lush fields stretched to the horizon, painting a scene of abundance and sustenance. But now, the horizon is obscured by the rise of concrete and steel.
The loss of agricultural lands depicts a shrinking connection between humanity and the source of our sustenance.
As we build walls that separate us from the soil, we risk severing the vital link that binds us to the earth, leaving us disoriented in a world detached from food harvest cycles.
Agricultural lands are more than soil and plants; they are the custodian of our heritage and ancestral ties, where generations before us tilled the land, sowed seeds of tradition, and cultivated a sense of belonging.
As the plows give way to developers' bulldozers, farmers' roots are uprooted, severing the cultural and historical threads that anchor them to their past.
The erasure of this connection leaves us adrift, disconnected from the very fabric of our identity.
The conversion of agricultural lands to residential use may sow the seeds of discontent because as communities lose their agricultural lands to selfish property developers, they also lose the self-sufficiency and resilience that come with it.
Dependence on external sources for food grows, as does the vulnerability to disruptions in the global food system.
The concrete structures surrounding us cannot nurture or sustain us in the same way the agricultural lands once did.