Dangers of Shrine Hillside Developments

by J. Stacey Baird

I am concerned, confused, and frustrated about the safety of Shrine Hill subdivision development against landslides and run-off. I live in the potentially affected area of earth movement and flooding from Ma-a Shrine Hill developments. I also have good friends there.

I am confused by differing expert opinion on the stability and risk of Shrine Hill development. Of course, I know experts can differ but when someone else tries to make decisions for me which will result in benefit to them, I somehow feel they could see things differently than I do.

I am also confused and fearful because of what seem to be dilutions or loopholes in safety assurances by some geologists. I don't understand the true long term safety of the place. In other words, they say, it would be safe if you . . . . or, it will be safe until . . . . or if mitigating measures are strictly enforced and maintained . . . . I ask whether proper maintenance over 10 to 100 years is likely?

Article Continues.....

Big Step

If anything, this advocacy of the Federation resulted to one big step - the City government is now more inclined to regulating property development activities.


a timid step

DMCI had started talks with the Federation, beginning with the Trinidad Greenhills Homeowners Association, on the flooding issue. A timid step but, still a step forward.

A Spendthrift?

Now that I have spent some time in updating on the issue, one development on the matter that caught my attention was the threat by DMCI to sue the Federation for asserting the homeowners' rights over their respective properties beneath the hill. Its rights end where those of the Federation members begin.

I just discovered that drowned among the many messages in my mail box, during my long absence, was the comment in the form of a link to newspaper article on the matter of legal action by DMCI. Pity, I was not around to post it so the legal threat lost its bite or the lack of it.

Obviously, DMCI's reluctance to discuss openly with the Federation on the latter's danger issues with their project makes it suspect. It seems it does not want to spend for mitigating measures against any untoward incidents to the neighboring subdivisions. But any responsible property developer will. Yet, it avers that the subdivision will be one of the best in the City.

Still, it has no other recourse but to listen to the complaint and attend to the mitigating measures acceptable to the Federation membership because the group is unflappable. It is good business sense to think beyond one's geographic area.

Update........

I have neglected this blog for sometime now since I was laying the groundwork for social development activities in a town in Surigao del Sur, where the internet facilities are not that sophisticated yet.

Fortunately, while I was gone the Federation and media have been doing the work.