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BALITANG LOKAL (PANGLAO)
P3.88 trillion utang sa Pilipinas
Hunyo 29, 2008
Mahal, hinungdan sa pagkalamukat sa ekonomiya, makadaot sa kinaiyahan ug budlay sa mga taxpayers.
Kini maoy baroganan sa grupong BAYAN nga gipadangat sa secretary general John Ruiz III kalabot sa pagtukod sa Panglao Bohol International Airport diin gipahigayon na ang ground breaking ceremony ug mismo si Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ang personal nga mipahigayon sa maong kalihokan.
Nagkanayon si Ruiz, nga ang Bayan supak nang daan sa giplanong Panglao airport sukad pa sa pagkamugna niini ubos sa Panglao Island Tourism Estate (PITE) duha ka dekada na ang nakalabay.
Matod pa sa Bayan, 'Daghang nagtuo nga dili na ipadayon sa gobyerno ang dili praktikal ug mahal nga proyekto, hinungdan daw gipasagdan na lamang kini sa mga oposisyon.
Sa panahon ni Governor Aumentado ug Presidente Arroyo mitumaw pagbalik ang airport project ug karon ingon sa daw mao kini ang ilang pet project nga gusto nilang sugdan (ug mahuman?) sa dili pa matapos ang ilang termino.
Gipasangil usab sa grupong Bayan, nga usa ka loan-maniac ug maikagon sa mga kwestyonable nga mega-project si Mrs. Arroyo.
Ang utang karon sa nasud miabot na og US$81.9 billion o mokabat sa PhP 3.88 trillion. Gikan sa tuig 2001 ngadto sa 2006 ang administrasyong Arroyo nakahulam na og PhP 2.83 trillion, sobra sa PhP 1.5 trillion total amount nga gipanghulam sa tulo ka mga nangaging administrasyon nila ni kanhi Presidente Ramos, Aquino ug Estrada nga miabot og 14 ka tuig.
Kini usab maoy kinadaghanan og nahisulat nga anomalosong mega-projects sama sa PIATCO-NAIA Terminal 3, Fertilizer scam (P729 M) Diosdado Macapagal highway, Mega Pacific poll automation deal, Railway project ug ang $329 M NBN scandal ($130 M kickbacks) ug daghan pa.
Gibutyag sa Bayan nga dinhi sa Bohol, aduna kitay kinamahalan nga dam (Bayongan dam).
Ang PhP 2.3 billion (+ 27% cost over-runs) mega dam project gilaraw nga makapatubig og sobra sa 5,000 ektarya kon kini mahuman.
Padayon pang nagpasabot ang publiko kon makaya ba niini ang ilang target. Ang Malinao dam diin adto mokuha ang Bayungan sa sobra niini nga tubig, gilaraw usab nga makapatubig og 4,960 ektarya apan na-short kini og dul-an sa 1,500 ektarya sa target service area ug ang grabe pa kay 1,000 ektarya nga yuta ang walay abot tungod sa over-estimation sa project capacity.
Ang kalag nga PhP165 M dam sa Talibon angayan usab hisgotan, sa gitawag og “development” projects.
Ang lain na usab nga mega-project, Panglao Bohol International Airport, gilaraw nga makapadani og daghang mga turista dinhi sa probinsiya ug makapasaka sa kahigayonan sa pagpanarbaho tungod kay kini makadawat man og mga dagkong abyon alang sa domestic ug “international” flights.
Wala usab niini apila pag kwenta ang mga balay nga maapektohan ug ingon man ang panginabuhian sa mga pobreng mga Panglaoanon, ang sangpotanan sama sa pagkadaot sa kinaiyahan, noise pollution sa isla nga mahimong makapahilayo sa mga turista, paghikaw sa binilyon ka pesos nga kantidad nga angayan untang investment alang sa social services o dili ba agriculture services sa katawhan taliwala ning krisis nga giatubang sa nasud.
Gipasupot usab sa grupong Bayan kon “Angayan ba gyod nga tukoron ang PhP 4 billion airport aron mokusog ang turismo”?
Gipasangil usab sa Bayan nga “gawas tingale kon dili gayod tinud-anay nga “development” ang giapas sa atong mga bureaucrats ug technocrats, kondili ang personal nga makuha niini gikan sa “SOPs”.
Mas dako nga kantidad sa proyekto, mas malipayon. Dagkong mga utang ang natigum sa gobyerno tungod niining mga dagkong proyekto nga ilang gipapas-an sa mga pobreng katawhan pinaagi sa buhis ug pagpakunhod sa mga gastos sa social services.
Ang limitado nga kapaninguhaan sa panalapi itumong unta ngadto sa mga proyekto ug programa nga magpalambo sa agrikultura, national industrialization ug pagpauswag sa social services nga makahatag benepisyo sa daghang mga pobre.
Dili unta kini usikan sa mga proyekto nga magsilbi lamang sa pipila ka mga elitista ug foreign interests ug ang mas grabe nga himoong gatasan sa mga corrupt nga technocrats ug bureaucrats, daghang nang wala mahuman, white elephant ug simbolo sa kahanggaw nga mga proyekto dinhi sa nasud bisan dinhi sa lalawigan.”
Economist calls to stop President and Governor in pursuing
PBIA
By: Priscilla Richards
June 22, 2008
UP Professor and Economist Ernesto Pernia says there must be a plan of action now to get the Governor of Bohol and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to stop the idea of putting in the newly projected Airport slated to be in Panglao Island.
Pernia together with some members of the Boholanos for Truth discussed on reasons why it is not a good ideal or is it sound fees able enough to be in the province.
Chito Visarra from dyRD/Chronicle says there is a need to raise the idea of awareness for both President Gloria Arroyo and Governor Aumentado and to all others concerned.
Members of the organization on Truth say that presently both Governor and the President of the Philippines like the idea of the airport and the two are also in favor of charter change as well.
Prof. Pernia spoke with Boholanos in San Francisco California who are in opposition of the Panglao Airport, one of them being Father Boboy Cosap, and Pernia also spoke with Mayor Inting’s son and the two guys will draw up a draft statement with other Boholanos in the community where they live in the states.
They plan to also have the drafted statements put into local Bohol newspapers as paid advertisements.
Pernia said that Mactan Cebu International Airport is having 200 flights per day.
Tourism Secretary Ace Durano is promoting Cebu while at the same time offering day trips to Bohol.
Members along with Pernia spoke amongst themselves with local media at Saya’s Restaurant last week.
“Most tourists coming to the Philippines do not know what Bohol has to offer as it is not promoted enough.”
Prof. Pernia also added that the ones wanting this project to go on would like to make Bohol as a stay only tourist destination,
And who wants to stay in one place when you’re traveling?”
“Bohol is ranked as the most poverty stricken country in Asia and why should they have airports that out number other Asian country’s who are bigger in land mass and who have more better and stronger economic structures compared with the 33% ranking for Philippines poverty level and that ranks at the lowest on the pile of just about every aspect needed to build the Panglao Airport to begin with,” Prof. Pernia said.
Prof. Pernia told the organization last Thursday that Governor had also promised to be at meeting and then when Pernia arrives in Bohol for the meeting he is given a letter by governor saying that he is attending marathon meetings and unable to attend the meeting with Prof. Pernia?
These meetings have been made aware of for governor months at a time or more in advance.
He presented the governor’s letter to the organization in last week’s discussion with regards in the airports issues.
One concerned citizen living in Panglao and abroad
who is also opposed of the Panglao Airport Project says that there are rocks
already rolling down certain hilly spots in Tawala.
A place that is close to the runway.
During month of July Prof. Pernia plans again to reschedule another meeting and will be giving Governor another invitation to attend.
Trial judges seek Cong.
Chatto’s help against “anti-pay” law
June 1, 2008
The trial court judges in the country have sought Rep. Edgar Chatto’s legislative intervention to review certain policies affecting the discharge of their essential duties.
One of their concerns involves a law which reduces the judges’ special allowance in the event their basic pay is hiked.
They made suggestions during the National Executive Board Meeting of the Philippine Trial Judges’ League (PTJL) held for the first time in Bohol, specifically at the Bohol Beach Club in Panglao island, Friday night last week.
Headed by their national president Judge Kaudri Jainul, who is a Muslim, the judicial group invited the Bohol First District solon to their dinner conference.
Jainul handles the Shaira Court in
Isabela City, Basilan. The Shaira Court is a Muslim court.
Judge Leo Moses Lison of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC – name the
covered towns) explained that the trial court judges have been granted a special
allowance equal to their basic pay.
But a law authored by Sen. Francisco Pangilinan says an increase in the salary of the said lower court judges shall be taken from their own special allowance.
Because any amount of salary raise is charged against the special allowance, they thus get no additional pay at all, the judges said.
They said that whatever may be the rationale behind the “anti-pay” provision of the law, the mathematics is the same.
Many trial court judges individually handle the salas in as many as three towns, which explains the extra expenses on their tour of duty.
The PTJL is comprised by first-level judges of the Municipal Trial Courts (MTCs), MCTCs and Shaira Courts.
The group’s chapter in Bohol is headed by Judge Jorge Cabalit of the MCTC for Catigbian, San Isidro and Sagbayan.
The judges also appreciated the congressman’s eager interaction with them on other concerns that affect their vital role in the judiciary, a pillar in the country’s justice system.
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