Saturday, November 25, 2006 Roperos: The Asean whipping post By Godofredo M. Roperos Politics Also
NOW that the “CICC” bedlam has at last been put to bed, and the issue put to rest with greatly diminished trepidation, another issue has risen to dog the wobbly progress of the summit’s walk toward its scheduled opening on Dec. 10. This time around, it is the matter of prices of the food and other amenities that are to be served the delegates and visitors to the four-day affair in the city and environs. The figures published in the dailies regarding the cost of the food, P2.5T per head for instance, is rather high.
Such being the case, hackles of certain concerned people were raised. But in this case, it was Mayor Tomas Osmeña who complained that the prices of food for a reception the wives of our city executives will give in Lapu-Lapu City are a bit too high. I am not sure how Mrs. Margot Osmeña reacted to her husband’s lament, for she is one of those who planned the reception, although Mrs. Paz Radaza acted as the point lady in the preparation of the buffet dinner that is said to cost a total of P1.9 million.
But that is really of no moment to the whole affair, since the summit is an international event that has fallen into the lap of Cebuanos not of our choice, but because of a fortuitous event that we may call a force majeur, like a storm, for lack of a more appropriate term to use. But it is really something that our local leaders should take proudly as a “must do” task, since they happened to be in the place where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will be held.
The summit is both an opportunity and a giant-sized headache, as it has already proven to be since it was first brought about early this year. The construction of the site alone, the Cebu International Convention Center, stirred the Cebuanos like the metaphorical hornet’s nest. Before it was considered substantially complete, two workers met an accident.
And even if finishing touches, like the installation of amenities, are still being done, the CICC is becoming a symbol of Cebuano social bravado. Other areas of the country unabashedly hoped Cebuanos will bungle the job so the summit will held in their areas, including, I like to believe the rumors, Metro Manila. But our local leaders, fortunately, lived through the intrigues and struggled on despite the “hecklers” and “sidewalk critics” that lined the roadway of their march to fulfillment.
Still, let it not be said yet that the task is done, and the workers for the event may now rest. Actually, the worst of the headache is still to come. The final phase of the event has hardly emerged. But it is obvious that our people are slowly seeing the spin-off benefits.
In the end, Cebu and its neighbors will share the benefits the summit will generate. For even as the visitors will complain about the high prices of goods, the country’s central islands remain enticing to them.
It should not matter really if the kibitzers, sidewalk critics, and political sour “grapers” continue to do their pastime. This phenomenon we have seen before in the development of the Ayala Business Center from being a golf course, where only a hundred golfer-members of the golf club enjoyed, to being a business center. Look at the site where former governor Lito Osmeña had been crucified by the multi-media for “tampering” with what they considered the heritage of the Cebuanos! But look at the millions enjoying Ayala now.
Truth to tell, it’s not only the people who do business in the place that are enjoying it, but also the government that is periodically collecting millions in taxes. Indeed, every new thing that is introduced to disturb the equanimity of the society is always met with resistance from those who conservatively fight for the status quo. But that is essentially human nature.
Unless the worth of a thing has been shown, tasted, or proven, there will always be resistance. And so, right now, it is the Asean summit that has become a favorite whipping post.
