Letters on the Kang-Irag Golf Course and CBCP

We wrote two articles on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and on the ill-fated Kang-Irag Golf Course up in the Busay mountains behind Cebu City and I got two letters from our faithful readers in response to these two articles. Here’s the first one about the Kang-Irag Golf Course:

“Bobit… Thanks for reminding us of the ill-fated Kang-Irag Golf Course. Cebu as an island does not contribute much to solving the national food crises that the country is experiencing right now. In fact, Cebu is a net importer of basic commodities from other provinces. Being so, we should focus on its strengths in relation to the leisure and recreational industry if it wants to be counted in contributing to the nation.

“Cebu is the hub of the inter-island shipping of the country. It is the gateway for the Visayas and Northern Mindanao with Mactan-Cebu International Airport. And we should also consider the non-arable land because of steep slopes as one of the strengths. Golf as a tourist (attraction) is a no-brainer. Australia and Singapore, to mention a few, are into it. Singapore island, which is approximately half the size of Cebu, boasts of 12 golf courses designed by world-renowned golf architects. Australia’s Gold Coast alone, as of last count, has nine 18-hole golf courses. And Cebu, sad to say, has only one that we can call at par with world standards, Alta Vista Golf. The rest are of local standards.

“Years back we could have had another world-class golf course – that’s Kang-Irag Golf Course. For reasons that the local golfers know too well, instead of having an addition to the golf industry in Cebu, this golf course is back to being a pasture land. The appointment of Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano as the general manager of the Philippine Tourism Authority will greatly be of help in reviving the Kang-Irag Golf Course.

“The pronouncement of Secretary Durano to focus on attracting ‘better tourists’ is timely. Golf, as it is publicly perceived, is an ‘elitist’ sports. Golfers, elitist or not, are spenders. Not only for the game itself but they also spend after the game while telling their golf game stories. No doubt the golf tourist is the quality tourist that Secretary Durano is looking for. It is envisioned that with the infrastructure laid out already to welcome the golf tourist, it’s high time that the DOT head a task force composed of different government agencies to fast-track the development of golf courses in Cebu by giving red tape-free documentations and permits to developers/investors so developing golf courses will be of no cost to the government.

“What Cebu needs for the golf industry is the product. Meaning, to have at least seven world-class standard golf courses spread around the province of Cebu. We cannot and will not be considered as a golf destination without such because golf tourists want to play in at least three golf courses with their five-day golf tour in Cebu. Again this is not an innovation. Just look into the golf tour packages that Singapore and Gold Coast in Australia are promoting. Regards, Butch Chiongbian.”

Thanks Butch for your comments. I just got a text from Ace who told me that he was on top of the situation, which is right now in the courts. Here’s the other letter on the issue about the CBCP’s support for CARP:

“Dear Bobit, Somewhere in 1984, I read an article in a foreign magazine predicting that the next century will be full of confusions. Confusion will reign in the business world and chaos will be a new buzzword. Economics will be in disarray. Now here we are, experiencing what had been predicted. First, the CBCP is participating in the confusion regarding CARP.

“They want to extend CARP without knowing the details, failures and corruption that I experienced. The CBCP line of thought is only for farmers to own the land without considering the two other factors – capital and entrepreneurship. This is the reason why we have rice shortage. You mentioned ‘vengeance.’ Is this not against what the CBCP is preaching? Confusion!!!

“Second, Nueva Vizcaya Gov. Cuaresma led in barricading the mining project of Oceana Gold after the firm allegedly failed to pay local taxes. The DENR secretary warned that the governor might also be trading on ‘illegal grounds’ for leading the barricade. The DENR said that the firm was granted a Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) by the government. The FTAA is a form of mining contract which adopts a single benefit-sharing of 50-50 (net) to the government. Is this not tantamount to taking over the power of the local government units to determine and prescribe the use of virtually all lands in their respective territories? What happens to RA 7160 or the Local Government Code? Confusion!!! 

“To solve all these confusions, Congress must rush federalism. Anyway many of them, if not the majority, are in favor, unless it is not a show-window for 2010. Regards, Joe B. Nacilla, BF Resort Village, Las Piñas City.”

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For e-mail responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit Avila’s columns can also be accessed through www.philstar.com. He also hosts a weekly talkshow, “Straight from the Sky,” shown every Monday, 8 p.m., only in Metro Cebu on Channel 15 of SkyCable.