Christmas cargo, kingly treasures, Glory

With Christmas just around the corner, cargo flow is peaking. It is, after all, the time of the year when Filipinos are in the mood to spend, ordering everything they can find online for the holidays and likewise sending goods to their families across the globe. OFWs are filling their balikbayan boxes which they will soon send to their loved ones here in the country.

This, of course, is good for the country. The flow of goods and people is always good for the economy.

However, this otherwise positive development is facing challenges at NAIA, which is struggling with a shortage of warehouse space – a problem now overwhelming cargo operators.

Against this backdrop, Customs brokers have asked President Marcos to help resolve the problem, which stems from two gates at NAIA being shut down by court injunctions.

“Two gates with ramp access that would have allowed other warehouses to transport cargo directly to and from the aircraft have been shut down by court injunctions. If this were a horse race, all the gates would be locked except for one. And the bettors – in this case, the roughly 30 foreign airlines – have no choice but to sign up with the lone runner,” they said in their letter published in The STAR on Monday.

One gate was shut down in 2020 and another, earlier this year by courts acting on complaints.

Unfortunately, they said, there is a cargo monopoly that is causing the problem by keeping the gates blocked.

It’s good that the New NAIA Infra Corp., in the short time it has taken over NAIA, has taken strategic measures to improve passenger experience despite opposition from some sectors. The cargo sector will also require improvements.

The brokers said that at present, shippers use other countries because it sometimes takes 12 hours in the Philippines to sort out a single container from an aircraft. The problem is also causing a snaking line of trucks outside NAIA on Sucat Road and worsening the Christmas traffic.

One gate with ramp access can ease the problem and potentially transform the country into a regional hub.

With Christmas cargo flow reaching its peak, the Marcos administration needs to act fast on the matter. Otherwise, it will be a messy Christmas for the cargo industry.

Kingly treasures

Bonifacio Day this year will see a tribute to our valiant heroes at the Kingly Treasures Auction of León Gallery.

I just learned that the year-end auction will put the spotlight on two of the most revered heroes of the country, whose combined efforts helped pave the way for the Philippines’ unshackling from the vestiges of colonialism: Andres Bonifacio and Jose Rizal.

One rare find that has resurfaced and will go under the hammer is The Last Seal of the Katipunan, a 3.81-centimeter seal engraved with the words “Mataas na Sanggunian-Katipunan ng Mga Anak ng Bayan.”

It has resurfaced after more than 127 years, just in time for Andres Bonifacio’s 161st birth anniversary. It also encapsulates the Father of the Philippine Revolution’s ultimate vision of liberty and peace for his beloved country.

The seal on offer is from the collection of eminent scholar and ilustrado Trinidad Pardo de Tavera.

I share the excitement of historians about this piece of historical treasure, which reminds us of the courage of our valiant heroes.

Another rare find that will be part of the auction is Jose Rizal’s sculpture Josephine Sleeping, made for his love Josephine.

According to noted historian Leon Ma. Guerrero, she was the only woman who made Rizal “pause in his restless journeys” and “pierced the armor of his cold passion for his country and her rights and liberties.” The work was one of several sculptures Rizal made during his four-year exile to Dapitan.

How did this rare piece surface?

It was offered to León Gallery for auction by the descendants of Narcisa Rizal, Jose Rizal’s second eldest sister.

These and more will be part of León’s year-end offering on Nov. 30, Bonifacio Day.

Glory

Three distinguished alumni of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication received, over the weekend the prestigious Glory Awards, which commemorate the legacy of Dr. Gloria Feliciano, the founding dean of our beloved UP CMC.

The Glory Awards honor alumni who exemplify the highest standards of integrity, innovation and social impact in fields like broadcasting, journalism, advertising and more.

The 2024 honorees are radio veteran Willie Inong, journalist Joyce Pañares and advertising director Mandy Reyes.

Inong has spent over 40 years revolutionizing the radio and TV industry in the Philippines through his unique programming and innovative formats, while Reyes is a pioneer in Philippine advertising, according to the UP CMC Alumni Association.

Joyce, managing editor of Manila Standard, received the award in recognition of her “fearless reporting and dedication to media ethics.”

I personally know Joyce because in 2013, we spent two weeks as Deutsche Welle fellows studying regional integration and trade in Myanmar. We even attended a rally led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Wow, those were the days.

It was a fun time there with Joyce and our other classmates. We learned a lot from her as she was active in class.

Salute to Joyce and her fellow 2024 honorees for their well-deserved Glory.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.