NAIA woes

The damage wrought by Milenyo is slowly being repaired. One could not imagine the devastation that hit our surroundings. The death toll was in the hundreds. Structures and billboards were torn off their hinges, homes were shattered, electric and telephone connections cut off.

At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, six employees were injured by flying debris while performing their duties. But despite the efforts of the Manila International Airport Authority to clean up the mess in the aftermath of the typhoon, critics were quick to throw brickbats. Airline operations had to be suspended for a few hours, but stranded passengers had little room for forgiveness in their hearts, complaining as they did about the air-conditioning being down. They had no thought of the electricity and air conditioning all over Metro Manila and surrounding areas being knocked out by the unusual strength of the storm.

A friend of mine laments that kind of mentality. "They ignored the larger picture – which is that through timely and adequate measures, the MIAA management, headed by Alfonso Cusi, prevented heavy losses in lives and property among airline passengers and airline companies. Expecting a stronger than usual typhoon blows, the MIAA suspended airline operations in the morning, a few hours before the typhoon struck. By 3 p.m., normal operations were resumed. But of course there were the normal inconveniences, such as lack of air conditioning because the electric distribution system was knocked out of service all over Metro Manila."

But take note, my friend said. No passengers’ lives were lost and no planes were damaged. And normal operations were resumed after just a few hours after the typhoon abated. These, to my friend are what mattered most.

Then, my friend continued, there is the oft-repeated complaint that the airport authorities intended to impose a $3.50 surcharge on departing passengers for the installation of additional safety safeguards against terrorism. The additional complaint is that even OFWs or overseas Filipino workers would be charged this amount.

Airport authorities have time and again announced that OFWs would be spared this surcharge in deference to their contributions to the national economy and their sacrifices for the nation, my friend said. "Unfortunately, these repeated pronouncements are ignored, betraying the ill-will of the MIAA’s detractors."

The imposition of the surcharge on ordinary passengers surely means an additional $3.50 fee would be minuscule, compared to the benefit of safety and security that a passenger would get, says my friend. Security surcharges are already being imposed in airports all over the world because the threats of terrorism, like that posed at the Heathrow airport in London. Why should we make NAIA an exception?

My friend said, "Certainly, it would be fine if the NAIA Terminal 3, which is more modern and updated, would be opened to air travelers. We all hope that this would finally happen – the sooner the better. But we cannot blame the MIAA, especially since Manager Cusi had already made the down payment for the just compensation for the government’s expropriation of the NAIA 3. MIAA is already conducting repairs and modifications at NAIA 3 in preparation for its formal opening early next year."

So, instead of complaining, how about a little encouragement for the MIAA-NAIA for its commendable handling of the Milenyo crisis?

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MAYORS and other key officials of 15 local government units (LGUs) in the Caraga Region will go on an "Investment Selling Mission" to obtain technical and financial support for various projects this month. They will be presenting project proposals developed under the technical assistance package of LGUMTP, a joint project of the New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-Caraga.

These municipalities (and one city) comprise the first batch of LGUMTP-covered LGUs. The project offers a complete technical assistance package in Project/Program Development and management to selected LGUs in the Caraga Region. For this first batch, LGUMTP worked with the Ateneo de Manila University Professional School in developing the training course and conduct of training/coaching activities.

The investment mission will be headed by the LGUMPT Project Director, Lurraine Baybay Villacorta, who, along with the NEDA Regional Director, Carmencita S. Cochingco, expressed pleasure and excitement at the presentation of these projects.

Five municipalities have prepared proposals on the establishment of Level III water systems. Others are on the establishment of municipal vocational training centers, the establishment of an integrated public transportation terminal complex, and a grain center. Other projects seeking support are on an abaca industry support project, a poverty alleviation project for fisherfolk, a communal irrigation project, and an integrated trading center hub market.

Villacorta and Cochinco hope that donors/investors will provide financial and technical assistance to these projects so that they can be realized and contribute towards the development of the Caraga region.

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I bank with the New Rural Bank of San Leonardo, Inc., which has been helping so far over 70,000 micro-entrepreneurs through its microfinance program. To the dismay of the bank officers, Mark Enriquez in his program, "Imbestigador," (GMA Channel 7) last October 7 made the announcement (flashing the name of the bank and its signage several times) that the bank did not accept P0.25 coins. Abundio D. Quililan Jr., NRBSLI vice president and CEO, says the charge is not only false (and absurd, from my point of view) as the bank is "bound by circumstances to accept coins by the very nature of our microfinance activities." An apology for this grave error from Mr. Enriquez and GMA-7 is in order.

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The Court of Appeals Presiding Justice swore in and gave an enlightening talk before the new officers of the Silliman University Metro Manila Alumni Association the other day. Sworn in were Grace A. Sumalpong, president; Belen D. Calingacion, vice-president; Chona S. Yap, secretary; Gloria P. Belarmino, treasurer, and directors lawyer James K. Raterta, Lillian E. Pickard, Justice Ramon Bato, Dr. Romeo Ariniego, Tata J. Villanueva and Reuben T. Sy. Not present was SEC Commissioner Jess G. Martinez, director.

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Many of us went through rough times when typhoon Milenyo hit us. Many suffered losses in property. Corrugated sheets were torn off roofs, some houses had whole walls blown away. Trees that had seemed so sturdy and offered shade and shelter were uprooted. Our good friend, Fel, was devastated at the sight of more than 600 banana trees savagely ruined by the strong winds. On my part, eight of 17 mango trees in my small farm in Cavite were yanked off the ground, and in my housing village in Pasig, three mango trees that the youngsters used to climb fell over – two of them over my pickup truck. Talk of misfortunes.

But the disaster also brought out the best in the guys in our neighborhood. Glen, Jun, Jess, Caloy, Alex, Saeed, Reggie and Alfred brought out saws and bolos to cut off the tree trunks and branches. The women put out bottles and peanuts for the eager volunteers. In four hours, the fallen trees had been sawn off and the mountains of leaves piled on the sides.

In my farm, a couple of men earned P3,000 from sawing off the tree trunks, and families gathered twigs and branches for firewood. So, all’s well that ends well. At least my farm is clean and there’s a lot of space between the surviving trees.

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My e-mail:[email protected]