Wednesday, January 17, 2007 Nalzaro: Full accounting By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
ALMOST everybody was overwhelmed and impressed by the success of the country’s hosting of the 12th Asean and 2nd East Asia Summits that ended last Monday.
In her closing remarks, President Arroyo thanked the National and Cebu Organizing Committees for a job well done despite the short preparation for the international gathering. She also thanked her counterparts in Asean and its dialogue partners for the honor they bestowed upon the Philippines and for working for a caring and sharing regional community.
For me, we should not only give credit to the personalities directly involved in and were visible and prominent during the preparation stage but also to common and ordinary people and the “unsung heroes” who worked hard to make the event successful.
Aside from government entities, both local and national, several organizations from the private sector also gave their all-out support. We also credit the Cebuanos, whose daily routine was disrupted because of the summit, for their understanding and patience.
While our political leaders claimed that our hosting of the summit gave Cebu the opportunity to be known to the international community as an ideal place for investments and tourism, we cannot also deny the fact that there were many people who were displaced. Squatters near the venues of the summit and sidewalk vendors who were considered eyesores to foreign guests were uprooted and driven out. My heart bleeds for them.
The summit is over and the big question now is how the host cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu can preserve the improvements done during the hosting, like the setting up of those multi-million-peso worth of decorative lampposts, the paving of our roads, the beautification projects, the purchase of surveillance cameras and vehicles and logistics given to various law enforcement units.
It will be a waste of government funds if these improvements will not be properly maintained. Consider that the National Government spent millions of pesos for the entire undertaking.
The controversial Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) cost the Provincial Government half a billion pesos. Though it served its main purpose as one of the venues of the meetings of the heads of state, what will the future of this world-class yet expensive infrastructure be? Will it become a white elephant?
One of the issues presented by the summit critics, especially progressive and militant groups, was the huge expenses incurred by the government for the summit. Can the taxpayers demand a full accounting of the expenses, including those spent by the three local government units, which appropriated big amounts for the same purpose?
Hatagi intawon ninyo og kuwentas claras ang katawhan sa inyong nagasto. Kun puwede i-apil ang inyong nadawat nga commission. Kay sa akong pagduda daghan ang nakasapi sa maong kalihukan.
