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Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Roperos: Political altruism
By Godofredo M. Roperos
Politics Also
Such a resounding outcry from concerned leaders of Negros Oriental over what they considered a demoralizing snub of their province and their capital city of Dumaguete needs a credible response--an enlightening explanation behind the apparent deliberate bypassing of the province in the domestic tourism promotion of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
To be sure, such a snub, if indeed there was no malice aforethought beneath it, must have a credible rationale.
For one, the reaction of Negros Oriental leaders does look justifiable. They sounded like a puppy that did not expect to be so treated by the DOT secretary acting as overseer of what could be considered a natural preserve, their province geographically belonging also to the same region Secretary Ace Durano belongs.
The leaders certainly must feel betrayed. Since they are also from Central visayas, they expect similar preferential treatment Cebu and Bohol might get.
Altruism is the principle of living or acting for the good of others. Under this consideration, it would be inappropriate to condemn Negros Oriental officials for crying out loud against Durano’s failure to prevent the bypassing of the province.
Of course, his explanation about Negros Oriental not quite “infrastructurally” prepared to take care or accommodate a possible influx of tourists as a consequence of the promotion sounded rather lame and shallow.
Thus, Negros Oriental leaders did not buy it and instead sounded as if there were some hidden reasons behind the DOT decision. After all, the reality of being close neighbors with historical and cultural ties does carry deeper implications that would be hard to brush aside.
On the other hand, what may have been left out in the consideration of the DOT move are the imperatives of management decision-making.
Certainly, Durano, as head now of a national office, can no more be sentimentally biased to Central Visayas in the enjoyment and distribution of scarce resources than he can in the selling of the tourist attractions of each province.
No matter how deeply altruistic the leaders of Negros Oriental are, if they have really none to sell, what can the DOT do?
The non-inclusion of Negros Oriental and Dumaguete City in the initial marketing program of the DOT is really not being unkind if the province does not really have something potential domestic travelers would want to visit or see.
It is important that tourists going to particular areas should be extended services worthy of their money, with things to see and enjoy that would justify the cost of travel. They would feel cheated if they were enticed to visit a place not worth the cost and the trouble.
Indeed, while I feel strongly with Negros Oriental leaders and agree to their umbrage over the decision excluding them from the initial wave of DOT”s efforts to promote domestic tourism, I cannot fully empathize with their altruism.
My point here is that in the overall consideration of the DOT, the national overview usually should take precedence over local imperatives. And it is just possible that at this stage of the tourism promotion game plan, Negros Oriental and Dumaguete City just do not yet qualify.
(March 2, 2005 issue)
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