UP LAND USE

Public or Private?

I say Private.

It’s time to shift our attention elsewhere. I believe that we should move on from the controversial topic of UP land use and focus on increasing the productivity of such land. For me the problem about UP land being a publicly owned and used by the private sector (Private Sector Participation or PSP) should no longer be an issue but rather a reality that we have to accept. Times have changed and now is the right time for UP to open up to opportunities that will promote the utilization of idle lands. The UP administration has to understand that the idle lands are white elephants that yield no benefit for the UP community. It’s no longer a matter of mandates, tradition or the preservation of assets at this point. We have to be practical about this and get something out of the land UP owns.

Ayala has its Technohub and UP Town Center already in place and that’s the start we need. As an Industrial Engineering major, I put a lot of emphasis and importance on productivity which is basically output over input. If we consider the productivity of UP’s land then I think that productivity is low given the vast idle lands that UP has. UP has to increase its productivity and land use is one specific area to start with. Who knows once UP lands become productive through PSP, then funding of quality education might no longer be as much of a problem as it is at present. The utilization and increase in productivity of UP land might just be the key to a better UP.

Again, I say yes to PSP! Let’s put our resources to good use!