* This is my column in BusinessWorld last January 2, 2019.
Last month, I traveled to several provinces. Below are my
observations and my wishes for them.
1. Palawan. I went there with former dormmates from Narra
dorm in the University of the Philippines Diliman in the 1980s upon the
invitation of fellow Narrehan Peter “Pidro” Sing, founder of Palaweno Savers
Club. Puerto Princesa has a new and bigger airport but no passengers tube to
the planes. Big malls and hotels are sprouting. Roads are improving and
widening but some are still bumpy. The main attraction is still the
Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park, which attracts an average of
1,000 people a day. When school is out, the park attracts up to 1,600 visitors
a day. Local oil prices are about P7/liter more expensive than Manila prices,
bad for the locals.
2. Oriental Mindoro. I drove again from Makati to Iloilo
during the holidays via roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) vessels. Calapan Port has
somehow expanded but the road from the port to the city proper — and bypass
road — remains narrow with so many vehicles passing. The road from Calapan to
Roxas is good, as is the road to Bulalacao. Road widening continues but one
cannot sustain fast driving as there are too many tricycles and motorcycles.
The Port of Roxas is wide and good but it becomes very congested and “small”
during the holidays with so many vehicles and people going to Caticlan Port and
Panay island.
3. Aklan. Caticlan Port is good and wide but like the
Calapan and Roxas Ports, it becomes congested during the season. It is the
gateway to Boracay, that’s why. The provincial road network is generally good
and smooth. I did not notice even a single road cut.
4. Capiz. The first time I took the RoRo bus from Cubao
to Iloilo was about two decades ago. The roads in Capiz were notable because
they were ugly and bumpy. Now the roads have improved and widened but several
parts remain ugly and bumpy. I wonder what is wrong with the provincial
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and provincial government — this
seems to be a forever problem.
5. Iloilo. Roads improve upon reaching this province
except for a few short road repairs. Iloilo City is booming especially the old
airport area that has been developed into a modern central business district
(CBD) by Megaworld and other big Manila-based developers. Buildings and hotels
there are new and modern. My wife’s parents live in the city — that’s why my
family visits Iloilo yearly.
6. Guimaras. Famous for many white beach resorts and
sweet mangoes, Guimaras is enjoying a very visible economic and business
expansion. A boat leaves from Jordan port every five minutes carrying, I think,
40-50 passengers. The fare is only P15 per head for a 15-minute trip. The
provincial road network is generally good. Many portions are now four lanes,
preparing for the onslaught of more cars and motorcycles.
7. Negros Occidental. My province: I was born in Cadiz
City, attended public elementary and high school there. The new, bigger
provincial airport is now in Silay City while the old airport in Bacolod City
remains undeveloped. There is a new, bigger seaport terminal for fast crafts
coming from Iloilo and Manila. Many big malls, BPO centers are now in Bacolod.
The provincial road network is regularly maintained and road widening
continues.
COMMON ISSUES IN SEVEN (AND MANY OTHER) PROVINCES AND MY
NEW YEAR WISHES (NYW) FOR THEM:
1. Insufficient power supply while electricity demand
keeps rising, resulting in occasional brownouts.
My NYW: That new power plants from cheaper and stable
sources (coal, gas, big hydro) be constructed soon in these islands.
2. Many tricycles and motorcycles in highways leading to
slower travel.
My NYW: That new tollways be constructed, especially from
Calapan to Roxas where vehicle traffic is rapidly rising due to the large
numbers of people driving from Manila to Panay (sometimes even up to Negros
Occidental and Oriental).
3. RoRo ports that become very congested during holidays
and long weekends.
My NYW: That more road reclamation and port expansion be
done, and newer and bigger boats be dispatched.
4. Although many of these provinces are big, they are not
developing fast enough as our decentralization scheme is not effectively
working. Meanwhile, the proposed shift to federalism will, in my opinion, only
expand bureaucracies.
My NYW: That someday, the big islands and provinces can
become new, separate countries.
(Also, an aside regarding stories of “worsening plastic
pollution” in seas — whether worldwide or nationwide — I saw the seaports of
Batangas, Calapan, Roxas, Bulalacao, Caticlan, Iloilo, Guimaras, and Bacolod: I
saw some of the beaches in Palawan, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental. To
me, these stories are alarmist and fake news as I did not see a big volume of
plastics in the sea even in big cities like Iloilo and Bacolod.)
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See also:
BWorld 277, Contestable market and the ride-hailing sector, January 14, 2019
BWorld 278, Top 10 economic news of 2018, January 15, 2019
BWorld 279, Top 10 energy news of 2018, January 16, 2019
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