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Changing the Neighborhood One Tree at a Time

By: podc (Added: 2009-07-01)

The Santiago family are among the pioneering residents of Golden Glow North (GGN). Harvey is from Cagayan de Oro, but his wife Marilen hails from Manila. The couple moved in on October 2006. Both are bankers, with Harvey working at RCBC and Marilen at Bangko Sentral.

The couple chose Pueblo because of its location and bet on GGN as there were a limited number of lots and it would be a small community which they thought would be a perfect place to raise a family. They have two girls, Danie (age 4) and Kim (age 1).

Initially it was a little daunting being one of the first residents of the new village, but as more families moved in, they noticed that many of their neighbors were like them - new families with young kids, with many OFWs as well.
Harvey has always been active in social work and has joined numerous organizations since he was in school, and that hasn't changed. He is currently the Vice President of the GGN Homeowners Association while Marilen serves as the Secretary.

Believing that having a good community should start at home, Harvey has also taken it upon himself to implement improvements such as landscaping their garden and since he is also interested in carpentry, built a covered porch by himself. He has taken it a step further and has planted 80 trees around the open spaces of the village by himself. He cultivates the seedlings, which include coconut, royal palm and acacia, in his garden. This is purely on a voluntary basis, because in a month, he schedules a day for planting, preferably when he knows it is going to rain. It is his way of giving back to the environment.

His example has prompted other residents to think of other ways to beautify GGN, such as landscaping the areas near the perimeter wall. In the future, he hopes to convince his neighbors to implement an "Adopt-a-Tree" program and plant first within the village then later along Macapagal Drive.

Harvey expressed the need for homeowners to be vigilant and work together to maintain clean and orderly surroundings in the village. "Fortunately we all know each other," he says.

As Golden Glow North continues to grow, the Santiagos are sure to be at the midst of helping the village establish itself as a close-knit community for their families.