A recent study, promoted by Rappler, has unveiled that in Baguio City, the “summer capital” of the Philippines, only one of its 128 barangays is deemed livable. The sole gem in this mountain metropolis? South Drive.

One can almost hear the laughter echoing through the pine trees, as South Drive, with its population of less than 600, is akin to a millionaire’s row. Flanked by posh hotels like The Manor and the sprawling greens of Camp John Hay, this barangay offers condos at a paltry P13 million and house-and-lots for a modest P68 million.

It seems that “livable” in this context equates to owning a luxury vehicle to brave Baguio’s notorious traffic en route to the public market or central district. One wonders if “livable” also includes dealing with the inefficiencies of BENECO and the Baguio Water District, the city’s beloved utility providers.

Perhaps the study’s authors were dazzled by the sheer opulence of South Drive, mistaking it for a utopia amidst the urban jungle.

Instead of titling the study “livable,” a more fitting moniker would be “the most affluent barangay.” After all, in the grand narrative of urban living, where traffic snarls and utility woes are the great equalizers, South Drive’s affluence seems to be the only distinguishing factor.