Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Valdehuesa: What's the status of Corda? By Manuel Valdehuesa Street Talk
BACK in his City Council days, Tinnex Jaraula, gained acclaim for, among other things, his initiatives as chair of the Cagayan de Oro River Development Authority or Corda. It contributed greatly to public perception that he was destined for higher office. In due time, it earned him the highest gift a community can bestow upon a citizen - the office of Congressman and, now, Mayor.
But when he embarked on loftier pursuits in Congress, Corda drifted into a moribund state, its original thrust blunted, its role obscured at a time when the worsening state of Cagayan River and environs required serious focus. Perhaps it is in a coma needing transfusion or budget. Or could it simply be KSP (kulang sa pansin)?
At the time Tinnex headed it, Corda gained publicity with the acquisition of a dredging machine -- supposedly to be deployed year-round to remedy the mounting level of silt accumulating in our rivers. (Does anyone know that we have no less than seven rivers?) But today that dredger lies in permanent anchor, rusting away by the Bonbon riverbank, just across Barangay Macabalan.
Passing boatmen and observers from ashore can readily see it, their attention drawn by what looks like laundry, not flags or banners, flapping on its deck. Has it has been converted into a floating house by an enterprising, perhaps homeless, family?
Folks nearby say that the abandoned dredger operated for only a few months, then abandoned due to lack of spare parts, poor maintenance, or both. If so, what a waste!
If this floating machine is an asset of the city government, why has it been left idle and inoperative? The riverbeds and delta areas desperately need mitigation and maintenance. They need to be serviced by a dredger.
Just meters downstream from the City Hall, there's a floating restaurant, also in permanent anchor. It's still floating but standing still, because cruising up and down the river has become very risky -- too many shallow parts, especially during low tide. If or when the boulevard project gets underway, it will become an obstruction unless it can cruise as it was built to do.
With appropriate mitigation measures and sustained maintenance, the food fish and other delicacies in our rivers can also be revived, restoring what used to be a staple in our daily diet. From Bugo to Iponan, each of these rivers provided their share of delicacies to Cagayanons. Not only that, they were great staging areas for hobbies and recreation like fishing, canoeing and picnics. Collectively, they are nature's endowment for everyone's benefit. But we have depleted it, thanks to official neglect and failure. Succeeding generations also have a right to taste and enjoy the benefits of this endowment; but they won't unless we do something now.
But beyond simply dredging or activating the Corda, there are larger environmental concerns that need attention, issues with over-arching implications to life in a growing metropolis. A coherent conservation program needs to be formulated. The need for erosion and flood control is urgent. There is still no waste or sewage treatment system, while septic tanks may already reach bursting levels.
Moreover, there is no attempt to educate ignorant dwellers about sanitation and proper urban habits. The barbarous conditions in slums and squatter area are a constant threat to public health, revolting to the eyes and disgusting to the nose. Pigsty conditions should not be tolerated in human habitats, let alone in a First Class City.
While there are initiatives by citizen groups -- such as the Safer River-Life Saver program of Liceo University and the riverbank clean-up/tree-planting project of the Gising Barangay Movement - these cannot substitute sustained government efforts.
The Kagay-an Watershed Alliance (Kawal) headed by Attorney Antoinette Royo-Faye - which counts the universities and practically all NGOs as members - has apprised the Mayor and the City Council about some of these concerns. They're offering their cooperation and doing what they can without prodding, encouragement or incentives from the authorities.
The question is, will City Hall take its cue from them and reinforce their initiative to improve everyone's quality of life? Let's hear it from Dr. Jack Frias and the city planning and health offices!
A former UN executive and director at the development academy of the Philippines, Manny writes Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: valdeman_esq@yahoo.com
