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Tuesday, October 07, 2003
Balancing culture and progress
By Lorenzo P. Niñal
CARCAR is one town that believes progress should come alongside culture preservation. While municipal officials focus on attracting investments, the private sector is making sure development doesn’t compromise the town’s cultural past.
The proposal of the Carcar Heritage Conservation Society (CHCS) to declare the municipality as a “heritage town” is now being discussed in the town council.
Mayor Patrick Barcenas said the council is deliberating on an ordinance to cover only Poblacion I and Poblacion II in the declaration because it is here where the town’s historical landmarks are located. These landmarks include stone houses that date back to the Spanish era.
With the proposal is the construction of a diversion road intended to spare the main roads in the town proper from trucks and buses that might endanger historical landmarks nearby. CHCS fears vibration caused by vehicles and heavy equipment could weaken the foundation of the landmarks along the road.
While all this is being discussed, the local government unit and the private sector busy themselves with other related activities, like the promotion of the Kabkaban festival.
Wow Philippines
A delegation of Kabkaban dancers and municipal officials are scheduled to leave for Manila on Oct. 16 to join the Wow Philippines festival. Carcar will represent southern Cebu in the event that will feature other major festivals all over the country.
The delegation will bring with it samples of the products from Carcar, including the giant shoe that the town’s shoemakers made for last November’s first Kabkaban festival. Carcar is aiming for national exposure here, Barcenas said.
The mayor knows the town can use the exposure if the municipal government is serious in becoming a city someday. The mayor admits it to be his dream, and is optimistic about it. The town has an annual income of about P70 million, just P30 million short of the economic requirement for cityhood. He expressed confidence the town will have no difficulty in complying with the 150,000-population requirement in a few years.
But whether the Carcaranons will approve of the town becoming a city is another matter.
Municipal planning and development coordinator Valentin Gamutan Jr. said there is no other direction for the town but up. Already ten years in his post, Gamutan knows the pace of Carcar’s progress.
Major development projects are awaiting implementation. One of them is the P80-million proposal to build the “Carcar Public Market and Integrated Transport Terminal” in a three-hectare property where the present market is located. The project is funded by a loan with the Land Bank of the Philippines.
Gamutan said implementation of the project might start before yearend. The plan is to beat the start of the construction ban for the 2004 elections.
Investments
Investment in town has been quite impressive, Barcenas said. Aside from the existence of a good number of major tax-producing establishments like department stores, housing projects with private investors are now lined up. In Barangay Perrelos alone, two subdivisions will be developed by Sta. Lucia and Camella Homes.
But the town is not without problems. Its comprehensive development plan for 1995 to 2005 lists down poor delivery of basic services like education, health, and maintenance of peace and order as needing urgent attention.
Barcenas admits having particular difficulty in solving the drug problem affecting Carcar’s youth.
Gamutan boasts of health and day care centers for each barangay, but had to admit the quality of service being offered needs improvement.
Like many other towns, lack of fire fighting equipment and a police force suffering from negative public image also bug Carcar.
These minus points, however, didn’t stop the Civil Service Commission from awarding Carcar as the this year’s “most outstanding local government” in Region 7.
Gamutan and other officials credit the town’s success to its strategic location and to local leadership. Coming from local leaders themselves, the comment may appear as self-serving. But with the rate Carcar is progressing, it’s not impossible for the rest of the town to agree.
(October 7, 2003 issue)
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