MANILA, Philippines - Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento on Thursday cautioned the military leadership against a proposal to sell off part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines golf courses as an income-generating measure.

In a statement, Sarmiento said selling the golf courses in favor of malls and other commercial enterprises would destroy what little greenery is left in Metro Manila.

“The golf courses does not only provide our veterans and the public a healthy diversion but more importantly, these areas are basically the only patches of greenery that can be found in Metro Manila aside from our wildparks that are sporadically located in the metropolis,” he said.

He added: "There is a need to balance such proposal because Metro Manila is running out of green spaces for carbon dioxide absorption."

Sarmiento said the sale of the AFP golf courses will bring in revenue but may have an effect on the air quality in Metro Manila.

Senators earlier urged military officials to become more resourceful and creative in utilizing their current assets to augment their modernization fund. They noted that golf courses controlled and managed by the AFP in Metro Manila were underutilized.

Senator Franklin Drilon took as an example the 33-hectare Veterans Golf Course in Quezon City, currently valued at P11.5 billion, but which only makes an annual profit of P1.6 million.
 
According to Drilon, the golf courses of AFP in Metro Manila have an estimated value of at least P45 billion.
 
"I don't think we need these golf courses, what we need is to modernize our Armed Forces. We are asking the (Department of National Defense) to look into these assets....as a source of revenue for the modernization of our Armed Forces," Drilon said.
 
The senators said that while the exact mechanism of income-generation will have to be studied "very closely,” the AFP can already enter into long-term leases with the private sector to boost revenues from these assets.

Lease instead of sale

Sarmiento, meanwhile, said that if the AFP leadership does use its real estate assets to generate revenue, it should ensure that the revenue raised is put to good use.

“We've sold much of Fort Bonifacio and Villamor Airbase but I have yet to see a modern AFP. With due respect to the past administrations, I think that it is only under President Aquino that we are beginning to see an honest-to-goodness modernization plan for our military. However, I really believe that we should now do away with this policy of selling military lands in exchange for a one-time revenue,” he said.

What should be done, Sarmiento said, is to duplicate the Singapore model where properties are put out on a long-term lease, with the rental paid upfront to immediately generate income for the government.

Sarmiento said that specifically, Singapore-- a country which is even smaller than Quezon City-- have adopted a policy of entering into 60-year lease agreements with on the use of its real estate but license of its usage has to be renewed after 30 years. Nonetheless, the lessor must pay in full upfront for the 60-year lease, immediately generating income for the government without really giving its real estate asset.

As a pre-condition for such lease agreements however, Sarmiento said that developers should be required to provide a green sanctuary, including high-rise eco-parks, before they are allowed to develop a certain area to ensure that development will not get in the way of the global battle against climate change.