Community garden healing in Philippines

**Don Boekelheide d*@yahoo.com**

Sun-Star, Pampanga, Philippines

Judge rules to continue herbal garden
By Dante M. Fabian and Chris Navarro

MABALACAT -- Homeowners at the Madapdap Resettlement
Center here expressed delight Sunday over the decision
of the court favoring continuation of their community
herbal garden project. 

Evangelyn Sama, Madapdap Home Owners Association
president, said the decision would allow their group
to pursue their plans of producing inexpensive
medicines for the people of Madapdap. 

Sama was reacting to the decision issued last November
by Ma. Angelica T. Paras-Quiambao, presiding judge of
Branch 59 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Angeles
City, on a petition they filed against Barangay
Madapdap Chairman Javier Taruc, Wilfredo Dan, Mr.
Yanga et al. 

Quiambao resolved the conflict between the barangay
officials and other respondent-residents pertaining to
a parcel of land used by the homeowners as a herbal
garden. 

The judge issued a writ of preliminary injunction
enjoining Taruc and other barangay officials "to
refrain from occupying the subject area, coercing,
intimidating, and barring the entry of the
petitioners' officers or persons authorized by it
until further orders of the court." 

"We win, the area will be used as a herbal garden to
settlers," Sama said. 

Asked for his comment on the conflict, Mayor Marino
"Boking" Morales said: "Our vision is to see Mabalacat
as a city of peace, if only to uplift the socio
economic well being of our people. A city, comparable,
if not equal to Angeles and San Fernando, as well as
the CSEZ." 

"But what we need here is for the people to be united.
We have to work together for unity, solidarity, and
teamwork and peace will be attained in our community.
When there is peace, there is progress," he added. 

Morales urged the people of Madapdap to resolve their
differences and have a common stand to help the vision
of the municipality, if only to improve the delivery
of basic and social services. 

He expressed hopes for the realization of the cityhood
of Mabalacat, stressing that considering that if
Mabalacat will become a city, its income will be
increased from P154 million to P420 million. 

"I urge the people of Madapdap and Dapdap to bind
together and work for the common good and at the same
time take care of their differences, and resolve them
amicably," he said. 

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