A glimpse of development projects in other places
Very often, we can become parochial. We get focused on activities and events in a particular place and forget about what’s going on elsewhere. That constricts our view of what’s going on around us. Tunnel vision constricts – and gives us false illusions about the realities.
This was what happened to me. The recent visit of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo naturally had a lot of impact on local projects and developments in Negros Occidental. And I got bogged down that I overlooked happenings in
And just when my attention turned to
That was a headline-grabber in Negros Occidental. Together with Pangandaman, the other DAR officials included Undersecretaries Narciso Nieto and Jeffrey Galang, regional director Alexis Arsenal, and PARO Stephen Leonidas. The police and military officers were PNP deputy regional director Superintendent Reynaldo Rafal; Col. Jesus Manangquil, chief of the 11th Infantry Battalion; Regional Mobile Group commander Superintendent Pedro Merced, and La Castellana police chief Regidor Alvarado.
Mario Diaz, counsel of businessman Roberto Cuenca, earlier had warned Pangandaman that he should postpone the March installation because of a pending case before the high tribunal.
The DAR chief, however, dismissed that warning, pronouncing “there is no legal impediment.” But, as pointed out by Diaz in his petition to cite the DAR secretary for contempt, the high tribunal’s decision in G.R. No. 174163 was still awaiting final decision.
Later, Gov. Joseph Marañon asked the DAR to clarify the initial findings of the survey-audit of the CARP in the province. The governor noted that in the case of Calatrava town, most of the agrarian reform beneficiaries had two or more CLOAs in their names. One even had 10 CLOAs.
That naturally created a major stir. And attracted public attention.
On Wednesday, I listened to Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas painting a rosy picture of
What caught my attention was Treñas’ reference to the establishment of several call centers in the city. These included, among others, e-PLDT Ventures, Call Box, Echo Global Mega Communications Inc., Techno Call Corp. and
Besides, Treñas said other multinational call center companies such as TeleTech and Sutherland will soon open in the city.
This impressed me. The TeleTech and Teleperformance firms in
Treñas also cited the promise of tourism for the city. Dinagyang, the top-of-the-line festival of
Dinagyang’s tribe was also a guest performer at the Texas Folklife Festival in
Treñas also cited the Fil-Hispanic Month and the closing rites of the National Heritage Month in May.
The tourism program, he added, is being spearheaded by the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras Economic and Development Council.
He later dwelt extensively on the infrastructure projects designed to improve the mobility and traffic of goods and services through the transport planning program of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and MIGEDC.
The program includes the widening of the
There is also the extension the
It will still be completed in 2010, but the P4.2-billion Iloilo flood control project will mean a tremendous relief to thousands of
There were many more that Treñas mentioned. But his State of the City Address presented listeners an optimistic future of
Sheriff Tugado’s slay plot
Tugado’s killing prompted the police to reinforce security around the provincial capitol and other places where sheriffs of the city and the province hold office.
That confession, however, was greeted by some with skepticism.
Jimmy Dollete, alias
Dollete swore to his claim in an affidavit he executed at the provincial legal office last Tuesday. Loloy, however, belied Dollete’s claim and branded him an expert robber.
In his sworn statement, Dollete claimed that it was
Dollete claimed in his affidavit that he failed to participate in the actual killing of Tugado because he was arrested the night before in a bar in Pototan.
Tugado died last July 5 due to eight gunshot wounds in his head and chest caused by caliber .45 and 9-mm pistols.
But Tugado, according to Winston Eguja, president of the Sheriffs’ Confederation of the Philippines (SCOPHIL), earlier had informed his companions of having received death threats after the demolition of a property at the old
Well, for the moment, there has been no word as to who offered the P200,000 for Tugado’s head.
The
ADDENDA. Members of the 47th Infantry Battalion, employees of national and local government units and students planted some 19,000 seedlings to boost the government’s Green Philippines program in Alcantara. Capt. Antonio Tumnog, of the 47th IB at
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