Changing Scenery

Old, familiar edifices and landmarks are gone and in their stead are rising townhouses and businesses. Project 8 is becoming a multi-level residential and commercial area, which is welcome progress, at the same time that the transformation seems to wreck its old dear image of a traditional hometown community.

I can remember when Short Horn Road, the main route running right in the middle of Project 8, was lined up with pure residences. By the early 70s, some of them were already renovated, but many still had the housing project character. There was even an abandoned mysterious house along the road that was said to be inhabited by spirits, and which I wrote a book on. It's now a car wash outlet.

Anyway, Short Horn Road is transformed today into a commercial road, with lots of shops, eateries, and offices, even high-rise buildings. I foresee it turning something like Tomas Morato in the future, being now made an alternative route to the north or south via Road 20 and Mindanao Ave. It's extension, the GSIS Avenue, is partly commercialized. If this avenue is extended to Quirino Avenue, the potential will be greater.

All these are welcome development, but there are some setbacks for old-timer residents who saw the simple beauty of Project 8 in the beginning. Some of them feel that the place was kinda "abused" or "molested" from its innocent original character--that of a quiet town, far from the city bustle, secluded in privacy. Today, Short Horn Road is daily "invaded" by passerby-motorists making a shortcut to various destinations, often even lining it up with heavy traffic. Project 8, old-timers feel, has been unduly exposed to pollution, both air and scenery.

For my part, sometimes I feel being the newcomer in my street when the fact is I'm one of the few pioneers left here. Many original residents still remaining share my feeling. All my neighbors are new; most of the old-timers have gone. I've been here since 1969 and have seen how the entire place changed from being like a typical quiet and spacious hometown to a crowded, noisy, townhouse area, the tall edifices covering the horizon and blocking my view of the distant mountains. Public jeepneys are parked everywhere and the ugly noise of zooming tricycles have taken the place of quietude and soft nature sounds.

But I mostly like the progress as it is. I just miss the way Project 8 looked in my younger years. I guess that's how you ride on the tide of the times and not be left miserably in the past. You take in what is actually going on while remembering the past somewhat.