LIP SERVICE DOES NO GOOD TO ILIGAN

I've been in the public service for the last 17 years when I started as an SK Chairman, Barangay Kagawad and on my second term as Punong Barangay of Kiwalan, Iligan City. For more than a decade in the local governance, I've been an actual witness to this beautiful City's politics. Probably there are those in the political animal kingdomship who may say that they have stayed almost a half century in Iligan's politics and may probably assert that they can better say about the dynamics of Iligan local politics.

In my case, I may share my humble analysis of some of the basic points about Iligan politics. In all of those years that I've been in public service spanning three City Mayors, I would say that our beloved city's politics is very dismal because it's very traditional.

All political issues in Iligan everytime local elections are coming, they are just recycled of issues of the past defeated politicians. It is a repeat with the former villain is now the hero, and pretty well sure that in the future will become a villain. Balos balos Pilar as they say.

Issues like nepotism controlling the departments, family members in various elected posts, gambling and drug issues, cartel of selected contractors and suppliers, payroll of unknown aliens lurking in the fields of City Hall and all the others everyday we heard being lambasted in the local media outlets. And all these issues have been staying in local politics since the time of the former Mayors with their opponents becoming the new Mayor and the latter now being attacked with the same subjects he exhorted before.

Because they are recycled and redundant, lip servicing is very clear in Iligan City's local politics. To us of the internet generation, it's already an utter disgust hearing some politicians who have already mastered the art of lip servicing. Like a magicians, they can make white black and vice-versa. To me they looked like an old clown jesting in stage, making fun of the already recycled or rehash local political issues.

Nothing's new actually. Nothing new because these political clown making some so much lip servicing have been there even before the second world war.

That is why I would say that lip servicing have done no good to the development of Iligan City. So much have been invested on petty polticking instead of investing on hope and opportunity for the City of Iligan.

I tell you, before the second world war, there are only two famous streets in Iligan, and these are Quezon Avenue and Aguinaldo Avenue. Now, 2009, still we only have two famous streets, still Quezon and Aguinaldo Avenue. In fact we are the only highly urbanized city in the whole country where our political system is traditional and obsolete. Iligan remains to be a living mummy in local governance. We have good leaders but we are using an old and obsolete system making our development a mummified being pre-dated before the second world war. Look at how we are electing our City Councilors, we are still electing them at large when other cities have already subdivided their city's into districts in order to make a proper and direct representation and distribution of the government's resources attuning to the increasing population and demands of the people.

In this view, it's time for our people to be awakened and be aware of what's going on in our City. It is needed at present, the education and the inculcation of values in the right selection and the political recruitment of our local leaders that will bring real action and concrete development to the City, instead of that aged and dreaded lip servicing of our mummified politicians of the long past.

WHY ILIGAN SHOULD LEARN FROM BUSH'S FAILED TAX CUTS

Like a Wildfire, how Obama's Platform of Change Abrogated the Elitist Tax Cuts of Bush

In America today, they attributed the recent economic woes to the failed Tax Cuts of former President George Bush. Obama made it clear that such tax cuts depleted the resources of the government, favored the few and promote patronage, nepotism, cronyism, curruption and lobbying within the government.

Upon reading the various articles on the effects of the Bush Tax Cuts especially to the ruinous economic crisis of America, I find it very relevant to the current financial status of our beloved Iligan City. Many are wondering why the City's coffers is on a shortfall, why the entire machinery of the City Government is relying on the payment of the delinquent taxes of the defunct National Steel Corporation. At the same time, with the shortfall of the funds of the City which is synonymous to bankruptcy, there is an utter spending of funds to highly polarized and populist but not sustainable programs.

Tax cuts in America favored the few, elite and rich businessmen who have close connection to the administration. These sectors with so much money are sponsoring lobbying groups that will enable to influence the President and the legislators to pass laws that will reduce their tax payments in the pretext of promoting the influx of fresh investments thereby creating employment opportunities. But in a long term analysis, it really favored the rich while the hard paying middle class are not given such kind of an aristocratic previlege. As a result the rich become richer and the poor poorer. It even promotes so much graft and corruption because of the lobbying efforts made by the rich few to the government officials.

The situation is very relevant in the City of Iligan because a long time ago it has become a fad in our City to give tax exemptions to the selected few business men in the City. These tax breaks, just like in America in essence, were made to promote or encourage the businessmen to invest more in Iligan and make Iligan as a best haven for investment.

However, in my humble analysis, the tax cuts, breaks or exemptions made by the City never went to the lowest echelon of our society. It rather went to the pure benefit of the selected few. These selected few may have initiated a strong lobbying to influence the formulation of policies on tax cuts, breaks or exemption. As we have known in the world of political science, that lobbying is coupled with oiled money, graft and corruption.

Because of the tax cuts given to the selected few businessmen, the tax collection of the City is depleting. Namely not only on those granted the tax breaks but also to those who feel bias and may have the thought "of why should I pay when I'm not given the same privelege as those of the selected few."

The classic example for this is that one granted to the tax delinquentcy of the National Steel Corporation. The unpaid tax is in Billions, with the capital B my dear friend. Pressured or compelled, the City did give discounts to the latest payment of NSC despite a very horrible argument whether the offer of NSC will utlimately free them from their tax liability.

In this line of thought, what will the common Iliganon get from all of these tax cuts, breaks or exemptions. Nothing actually but just maybe a simple ingratitude that we do not belong to the selected few aristocrats especially when our leaders' lineage and skin tonings are from the local aristicracy. Aristocrats breed aristocrats and defend the aristocrats. Whew! Worst, still on the pretext that because they are the selected few, they are the only one who has all the right to populate the City Hall at the expense of all the Iliganons' taxes.

ILIGAN CITY: NO WATER, HGH COSTS OF ELECTRICITY

Most people in Iligan City would think that today is the worst time of the City after the second world war. The city is suffering from a lingering diseases, unattended to for almost a decade now. The City's current problems have been here for quite a long time and it is still the same problems repeating for the last ten years. Yet, the people are very anxious of where is this City going to.

Water crisis is the City's major problem now and this has been the problem during the previous three administration of the City. Almost all of the internet sites connected with Iligan City are bombarded with the loudest shootouts regarding the drying of the major water pipelines despite our crazy call that ours is the City of water falls. Major Barangays in Iligan City are experiencing the lack of water supply and it is very difficult for a modern household lacking that basic necessity in life when talking about health, food, sanitation and others.

Until today, the City is still talking about the overyly publicized loan for the water project and this loan has been there for quite a long time. I could not analyze well wether our thirst for effective water service will be filled with lip service, false hopes or failed projects in the end. I say this because the Iliganons are clinging to the hope that this loan being applied to a long time ago will solve the problem. Aside from that no other programs were made for this water crisis. Still the same, there's so much procastination and waiting for the implementation of the loans. Sensible people in Iligan are very curious about the escalation of prices of the water project whether this will ultimately finish the project or at least meet the demand of the people of having a clean, potable water.

Another fresh issue in Iligan today is when we are surprisingly awakened about the current high costs of electricity. Let us all be clear on this that imposition of this new rate is of without clear and true public consultations. Right now, Iliganons are up in arms because of this ill imposition amidst the current economic crisis.

The City Government has a thousand of options in solving this current increase in the cost of electricity. Aside from the fact that there was no consultation and the manner of its imposition is not transparent, the City with all its available resources has the capacity to stop or restrain the increase; it has also the ability protest the ill imposition with all its best and brightest lawyers at hand and its accessibility to the energy regulatory board; it has also the ability to mobilize the Iliganons; and the ability of the city to reprogram its share from the national wealth to reduce the costs of electricity.

Lack of water and the high cost in electricty, I tell you, are critical elements that investors and visitors would have a hard time to invest and visit Iligan, this in addition to our current problem in peace and order, tax delinquency and favoritisms, infrastructure problems, bankruptcy or shortfall of the city's coffer and all other major problem of the city.

It is true that what our City needs today is the strong political will from our political leaders. However, political will without the strong assertion of good governance from our city's bureaucracy, the former will still be nothing. Political will can be very effective once it is coupled with the assertion of good governance by the city governments civil departments. Political leaders will just come and go, and what will remain is the comprehensive plans and vision of the city's departments.

The invisibility of the actions from our city's department will give us a sure assurance that this problem will continue to reside with us irrespective of how many leaders will come to the City. Leaders, at the same time, must recognize the very important role of our departments in managing the city's affairs. To empower a regular department in solving the problem will be better than delegating it to political leaders whose aims are very limited and highly politicized. Thus to bypass a department or cut it with its role will not do good to the political leader.

TO MY NEPHEW YUAN

I know that by the time my nephew, Yuan, will become of age and will read this blog, he will truly be happy that he is his tito’s most favorite nephew. I know that if I’ll be having more nephews and nieces or children someday, all of them will understand that this is also for all of them.

You know sometime when the times of our life seems so hard to understand, God is so good that He is always sending us someone in a most amazing and surprising ways in order for us to be happy and at all times be inspired and still be on course.

Yuan, who’s true name is John Roderick whose taken from his paternal and maternal grandfathers’ name respectively. He came to our life last December 18, 2001, when our family was struggling hard to survive after my father left his job and we ventured on a business all of us had had no experienced. It was the time when my elder sister Aloha, Yuan’s mother, went to Manila and joined Edgar, Yuan’s father, and it was very hard for our parents most especially because we are a very close-knit family. Aloha was the first in our family to separate from us (ironically she is staying right now in our parent’s home). It was very difficult for us because we were struggling at that time and our business was really not doing good. Our home at that time was very empty because all of us were at the store helping our parents, and there was no joy. My father was very sad because Aloha left the family with no explainations and no blessings.

Then December 2001, my sister and brother-in-law came and said that they had decided to stay here in Iligan until my sister will give birth. My father was elated of their decision. It’s like a single light flickering inside our home.

One beautiful day of December 18, 2001, Yuan was born. It was the happiest day in all of our lives. I was the only one who made contacts with the midwives at the local birthing clinics because my parents, brother and sister, relatives and even Edgar (yuan’s father) were all in panic. My sister was having a difficult labor so we transferred her to a private hospital.

Yuan, a very beautiful Child, was born on December 18, few days before Christmas. I could never forget that moment when it’s like our home was in a full graces of light. He was the center of everything. We forgot our business, our works and our daily life because we were always watching this beautiful child. It was the day that we were again truly happy.

To us, Yuan is truly an inspiring child. Even right now, if i’m down and very sad, he will always make me happy by his songs, dances and all things just to make us all happy.

I’m always praying that he will become a good person and a true Christian. Everyday I have to remind him that he should pray and talk to his Papa Jesus and ask for His protection and blessing which he always does. We always try to imbue to Yuan things that will make him a better person someday.

Sometime our family is meeting problems that seems cannot be solved, the laughter and the smiles of Yuan would fill our day with joy. Personally, Yuan is the greatest thing that came into our life that united us as a family. Maybe he knows when I’m happy and sometimes I’m quite surprised that he knows when I’m sad because he would sing to me songs and will always tell me about his Papa Jesus and that I should not be sad.

Right now, another nephew came, Nikki is her name. I told Yuan to guard and take care of his cousin. We really enjoyed seeing Yuan watching Nikki beside the crib. Very beautiful! They are all beautiful.

TRANSPARENCY: THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL

Just this afternoon, I attended a well-meaning meeting in one of the secluded beach resorts in Iligan City and we’re talking on a very well-meaning and sensible topic on transparency. It was a discussion lightly presented but in a deeper sense is weighed on a very heavy responsibility.

Rightly said, transparency is the evolved word of honesty in governance and public service. Absence of which can make democracy not meaningful to the people. Basically, transparency is the obligation of the leaders demanded as a right by the citizen in a social-contract concept.

Almost all poor, war ravaged and graft ridden countries worstly failed in being transparent to their citizens. The same is true to all abusive, oppresive and authoritarian governments where citizens have no rights to know or be informed of all government transactions. Failed governments started from not being transparent in all government dealings.

This is now the challenge distributed to us in a very small discussion group about the concept of transparency in the Philippine setting. We remain to be the top leading country in graft and corruption despite the fact that we are democratic and the only Catholic country in Asia. That’s where the challenge begins.

This is not only an obligation on the part of the leaders but this is a matter of right to the responsible citizens as taxpayers. Every single centavo we paid to the government should be accounted and we must all have the right to know where it is going and whether or not the taxpayers’ money are well spent to projects that will redound to the benefit of the people and not to the benefit of the ruling few.

It is a challenge given to us participants in that discussion that we may be thinking about what’s going on the world today but the challenge is we must act local.

From that challenges alone I’ve heard the many critical observations of the other participants on what should be done in the local.

Are our taxes being spent wisely? The guiding questions are to determine the appropriations in the local governance whether these will answer to the well-spent questions and whether these appropriations are articulated to the public as something the will redound to their public benefit.

Because it is being practiced by some oppressive governments where budgets are hidden in a vague languages incomprehinsible by the citizens for reasons that it will become the source of graft and corruption of the irresponsible and erring public leaders.

This, according to the presiding leader in our discussion, is very manifest in Philippine political setting particularly in the distribution of pork barrels in every localities. Pork barrels are sometimes shown to the public as practiced in the House of Representative where one can clearly see the share of every congressman. But in some Cities or municipalities, sharing of pork barrels are hidden from the eye of the taxpayers - sometimes the hiding places are in the other regular appropriations in the local budgets such as the intelligence funds or in the creation of fictional or non-functioning committees in the local council.

Hiding of pork barrel in the regular appropriations is practiced in the local government where the chief executive is weak and controlled by the many, conspiring other local officials who will be benefited personally by the said pork barrel. The politics of the many is arm twisting with a weak single leadership. This manner will help in the draining out of the major resources of the government.

Another practice is the availment of loan from financial institutions where it’s us the people who are going to pay the loan. Without transparency, loans can make a local government bankrupt because of the multiple loans and all government funds are now being guarranteed in its payments. Sometimes the conniving and conspiring activities of all those involved and without transparency will make almost fifty percent of the loan going to the very deep pockets of the local leaders.

The topic is very inspiring it is because many of the proactive NGOs working for good governance are too much focused in the global area, and being a new bred leader, the challenge is for us to monitor what is going on in the local. By their own observations, worst is happening in the local level. It is no more oppressive national government but oppressive local governments because they failed to institute transparency.

This is the time to act soon.

ILIGAN CITY, LIKE A MOTHER

I’m writing this article because I’ve read some reactions posted in the internet about the recent bombing in one of the bridges in Iligan City particularly the Agus Bridge at Barangay Maria Cristina. To those who are sympathetic, I’m so happy of their comforting words especially those who are outside of the country because they show their love and concern to this beautiful City.

At this trying moment of our beloved City of Iligan, right reason must prevail over wounded prejudices, justice against apathy, unity against segregation and faith instead of fundamentalism. All of these with a dignified feeling that the Iliganons can withstand and overcome this cowardice acts that disturb our City once again. Let us think always that like a wind, this will just pass by.

I am reiterating this because when crisis like this will come to our City, there are those who will take advantage of the issuing event and want to distort the truth. We shall always pray that our people especially our local leaders will be lorded with right reasons in solving this problem. Because right reasons will invite the full participation of the very important stakeholders involve in the security of Iligan. Prejudices that destroyed the unity of our people a long, long time ago should not in any way enter or poison our reasons and actions.

Iligan City is like a mother to us. This City is the City of our birth, or the city where we are now living or the city where we came from. Like a mother, Iligan City gives us name and nurtured us and help us in our dreams for a better future. Why we are born here or why we are here today in Iligan City living or working is not by chance. It is part of a divine plan dictated by God why we are here or connected with Iligan City. It is not our own choosing. Otherwise, we have chosen the first world Cities in Europe or in America.

All of us are responsible to this beautiful City because this city is connected to our lives in varied manner. Like my wife Lorelyn, she was born and raised in Cagayan de Oro City but her life is so connected with Iligan City. She studied here for over ten years from her undergraduate to law school and return here to live for good after working in Manila for five years. She is lovingly attached to Cagayan de Oro and at the same time has great affections to this beautiful Iligan City. Like this morning after I arrived from my coastal clean up, she was so angry to some people despising or who wants to desert Iligan City as if disowning this City, the City who makes them as a person, just because they are affected by the cowardice act of the few. I think this people has a limited view in life because surrendering and disowning is their easy escape when little problems like this will come.

It is very true that at this difficult time of our city, today is the time to pray for peace and to act for what is good for the City. Despising or deserting our mother city is an act of equal magnitude to that of the bombers.

ILIGAN: HOME OF THE HEROIC GAWAD KALINGA VOLUNTEERS

Everytime I attend any Gawad Kalinga meetings, conferences or expositions outside of Iligan City, our GK Iliganon volunteers are always praised for their pioneering spirits here in Mindanao and in their countless heroic deeds in helping our poorest of the poor. I think that until today Iligan City remains to be the only city in the country with more than 20 GK sites while other major cities have still to open one.

What I admire most of our own, true blooded Iliganon GK volunteers is there humility, the ability to bring clear joy to our needy brothers through true Christian service. Whether they have done great or small, little things to the various homepartners of the GK sites, it remains to be out of the generosity of their hearts. They remain unknown to the eye of the general public but what they have building is a God fearing and a peace community. Not a project but a community of families that will last generations and generations to come whether through the buildings, generosity or values. This in any way is of total opposite to some petty politicians where sometimes a dole out eating contests of lugaw is being publicized in all local radio stations in the City. Here, I could sense the big difference between the two: crystal clear between of a true service and a showy egoistic service.

With Gawad Kalinga you will become a living witness to a true Christian service of helping raising the dignity of our fellow Filipino brothers. We may be in need too but with Gawad Kalinga we walk the essence of loving our neighbors as ourselves.

And I’m very proud to say that Iligan is truly blessed because we are full of Gawad Kalinga volunteers who have built communities here and outside of the City. In fact we have known friends in the Gawad Kalinga who pioneered in opening the Gawad Kalinga in some of the most dangerous places in Mindanao. The Iliganons with their brave and pioneering hearts believe that they are sent by God and protected by their patron, St. Michael, have no fear in venturing the Christian services to the most difficult places in Mindanao.

I believe that despite the many crisis besieging the City today, our City remains in the loving and protecting hands of God because of so many reasons, and one those is His brave Iliganon Gawad Kalinga volunteers. God will continue to protect this City because the family, homes and friends of these volunteers are here in the City while they are out there building a God fearing communities.

If you want to know who are these heroic volunteers from Iligan City, may I invite you to volunteer in any Gawad Kalinga sites in Iligan City. You will see them there, all smiling.

ILIGAN: WHAT WENT WRONG

I’ve been thinking of this for quite a long time now. On the thesis why Iligan is lagging far behind Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City and now fast overtaking us are Ozamis, Tangub and Pagadian. Worst fear is if Tubod, Lanao del Norte will succeed in their plan to become a component City of Lanao del Norte, with its close connection to the Malacanang and national bureaucracy, what will happen to our beloved City.

History tells us that Iligan from the beginning of its industrialization is lording over major cities or provinces in the country. But that crown is fast fading after the globalization efforts of then President Fidel Ramos which resulted to the bankruptcy, closure, merger and dissolution of the major industries in Iligan City and one of those was the defunct National Steel Corporation. The effects of the global economic crisis in 1997, the globalization and the closure of the major industries trickled down to the local economy from the major grocery stores to the sari-sari stores, appliance centers to the peddlers, from taxis and PU to the jeepneys. Even the coffers of the City Government of Iligan is totally affected by all of this. We thought that like a wind, it will just pass away but it seems it is like a raging storm raging everyday. As of this moment the 1997 economic crisis is now connected to the present world crisis. When others had breathed a better air after the 1997 economic crisis, but in Iligan its been overtaken again by another world economic crisis. Whew! I should say.

However it is not only Iligan City who was affected by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Other major cities of the country survived and thriving after the crisis. While we in Iligan City, we are very much focus on whether or not National Steel Corporation will still pay its taxes or whether or not those that closed will be opened. Other highly urbanized cities never focused on the past but rather have made plans for their future and open their Cities to other opportunities. Sadly until today we are still debating about NSC, the old and the past. We never open our minds on the new and the future.

Other political analysts says that Iligan is suffering from this crisis because the beginnings of our development were distorted. We immediately jumped to industrialization and we never strengthen our agricultural and commercial sectors. Development is a process and it is never a short cut; in order for the industrialization to prosper, the commercial activities must be stable and for commercialization to prosper, the agricultural sector must be stable. So that a crisis of one will be protected by the other stable sector. This may be true to Iligan because after the fall of our industries, and when we looked back for support, we discovered that our commercial sectors were not stable because of the control of the few, and when we look farther we discovered that our agricultural lands remain barren or for domestic purpose only. As a result, our City was almost a ghost town. Our bright and best people went outside of the country or returned to their home provinces leaving our City lacking again with skilled workers and making our subdivisions a ghost town.

What went wrong? Partly maybe because of the 1997 asian economic crisis. But should a blame be put on that abstractions when other Cities survived? I may say probably because the City never venture on a serious planning. Our city is very lucky because of what unites us is greater than what divides us. But this opportunity is being taken advantage by blaming all to the crisis but never on the issue and the true fact that we never prepared for our future. We never plan. OUr local governance is hoping that NSC will pay their billions of debts and until then to their strategy development will follow. We just waited, we just procastinated. NSC never paid and there’s more than a billion of times and opportunities that were lost.

Although billions of times and opportunities were wasted, I opined that lies ahead a trillion or probably a zillionth of hope for our beloved City. If only the voices of the majority could just be heard and the good Iliganons be given a chance to share, our sufferings and maladies will be solved and Iligan, I believe, will become great again.