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.
No comments:
Post a Comment