CEBU environmentalists need to reassess their combative approach towards Naga. This I sensed behind the festive atmosphere during the inauguration of the modern City Hall of Naga last Saturday.

For Naganhons, the City Hall symbolizes their dream of becoming a full-pledged modern city. The modern building with automatic sliding doors, a lobby with a pyramid-shaped roof made of glass, and computerized offices, is a source of pride.

For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter

Along with the long drawn-out legal struggle for cityhood, they have long pursued a development strategy characterized by nearly a century-old cement plant and the old Napocor power complex. They now look forward to the construction of two additional power plants in Colon, the SME Park in Cantao-an and the planned international port in Tinaan.

I find it ironic that on the second year of celebrating Charter Day as a city, the prospect of reverting to being a town has become imminent. While Mayor Val Chiong has joined mayors of other new cities similarly situated in their uphill legal battle to overturn a Supreme Court (SC) decision that nullified the law that made them cities in the first place, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) already allocated them allotments as mere towns.

Last Saturday, the festive inauguration of the new City Hall showed quiet defiance even as Mayor Chiong prayed for a miracle. We will know if there will indeed be a miracle during an SC hearing on Sept. 8.

In the same breath, Mayor Chiong called on environmentalists to respect the views and sentiments of Naganhons in their pursuit of a modern city.

The mayor publicly articulated sentiments that I have been hearing privately from some Naganhons recently on what they perceive as interference from environmentalists that is derailing this quest. They should help Naga instead of threatening to file a criminal case because of the dumping of coal ash, he said.

Just behind the modern edifice lay tons of gray mass that I believe was coal ash mixed with clay that was used as filling materials for ongoing construction of city projects. Apparently, the environmentalist message of adverse impact on the environment and health has instead riled Naganhons. “Dugay na kaayo nang mga planta sa Napocor diha, wa man mi masakit,” said a resident.
Come to think of it, Naga has become a local front in the global war against climate change. However, it seems Naganhons prefer livelihood opportunities and becoming a modern city than the possibility of ill-effects on health some 50 to 75 years from now.

***
“Nalutsan si Gwen.” This was what I think happened, based on Gov. Gwen Garcia’s account, when Capitol bought the multi-million Balili property in Naga. Despite all the procedures in place that the governor followed, somebody she trusted did not inform her in time about the true underwater state of one of the Balili lots.

Still, had she known when the lot sale was still under negotiation, Gwen said she would have proceeded with the purchase but insisted on a much lower price.

***
While Philippine journalists remain vigilant against the right to reply bills in both houses of Congress, it seems many are not aware that the Fair Elections Act has a right to reply provision. According to Section 10 of the said law, “Right to Reply. — All registered parties and bona fide candidates shall have the right to reply to charges published against them. The reply shall be given publicity by the newspaper, television and/or radio station which first printed or aired the charges with the same prominence or in the same page or section or in the same time slot as the first statement.” (www.inbetweencolumns. wordpress.com)