Chairman: Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

I have heard that the students of STE are

arguing about the issue conversion of farmlands to infrastructure. First, let me introduce to you
the two parties. On my left side the party we have Dorelyn Simora, Jennifer Segura and
Nicole Yvonne Simpas. And on the right side we have the part we have Jaymar Trojillo,
Kathleen Marie Sumbong and Erika Therese Jamoyot.

Dorelyn: A pleasant morning everyone. According to Department of Agrarian Reform between

1988-2016 a total of 97,592.5 hectares of agricultural land has been urbanized . But the fact that
our lands rear livestock and produces crops to produce food for humans is left unrecognized.
Before all the industrial works done, we have our natural resources as a source of that.

Yvonne: Agricultural lands provide our basic needs so basically we need it more than we need
establishments. Land as a factor of production is of immense importance. As has already been
pointed out, everything that we use can be traced ultimately to land. Land may be rightly called
the original source of all material wealth.

Jen: Environmental concerns are not always considered during the design, planning and
construction of infrastructure projects. It can have devastating impacts on the environment. Some
examples of these are destruction of habitats of species, and widespread air, water, and land
pollution.

Lorens: Thank you for the information. We just heard the side of the Environmentalists. Now,
let’s listen further to the side which supports the conversion of farmlands to infrastructures.

Kathleen: Infrastructure means connectivity. Like roads, rail, ports and telecommunications.
These are basic economic development and growth. With connectivity the economy will open to
outside world, trade and commerce will flourish.

Jaymar: With infrastructures, industries can offer labor to those unemployed citizens. Not only
that, with taxes from infrastructures it can help the government establish the needs of the people
and in addition to that, the income per capita will increase that will lead to the increase in
percentage of our economic growth.

Erika: Infrastructures have a great help in using raw materials to produce products and services
for the people to consume. It harnesses our resources for the benefit of the people. It is a
necessary part for development associated with the Philippines growth of human population.

Yvonne: It’s not only infrastructures that can increase the economic growth of our country but
our lands have a great help in products that can be exported to other countries. Therefore, our
lands are more important than building establishments.

Kathleen: Well, on the contrary the economy needs reliable infrastructure like transportation and
roads to connect supply chains to efficiently export and import goods and services across
countries. Yes, our lands can produce products but without the help of infrastructures it wouldn’t
be exported.

Erika: In addition to that, Infrastructure connects households to cities for higher opportunities of
employment, healthcare and education. This same economic logic applies to broadband
networks, water systems and energy production and distribution.

Lorens: Moving on, can your parties explain to us briefly how infrastructures can prevent
pollution or help the environment and how urbanization can be bad to the economy?

Erika: Infrastructure isn’t the root of all pollution. It all comes down to the ignorance and neglect
of human beings to do their fair share of cleaning as they go.

Kathleen: It’s basically, ‘Don’t count on infrastructures to clean pollution and stop climate
change, count on those with the rational mind.”

Jaymar: Well, there are a some ways that infrastructures can help the environment (to be
continued). Also, it can help the people face environmental challenges. We call it the structural
mitigation. Well in structural mitigation, government build infrasttructures like dams and
evacuation centers to in order for people to be safe during calamities. It’s a big help for
communities because it help them survive the calamities that they will encounter.

Jennifer: Rapid Urbanization can be a threat to the land management and economic growth.
Between the lack of land management and the rapid urban growth and land development, the
prices of land will increase, as well as the demand for housing.

Lorens: Let’s give our panelists a round of applause. Thank you for that informative and broad
discussion for the topic “Conversion of farmlands to Infrastructures.” We all know that both
infrastructure and lands are both important. To know more about or topic, we will now be
entertaining questions. Anyone?