Monday, July 16, 2007 Mongaya: Naga to surge ahead By Anol Mongaya Panahom
SOME 10 years ago, Cebuanos expected the opening of the biggest ICT factory of Seagate in the Naga Township that should have pushed development in the southern tip of Metropolitan Cebu. The giant Seagate factory would have been the catalyst in bringing investors to the 250-hectare economic zone in Barangay Cantao-an managed by a firm of former governor Lito Osmeña.
Unfortunately, the Asian crisis came and the Seagate project did not push through. Today, the township only has Kyocera, a Japanese-owned factory.
Last July 11, however, Planters Development Bank inaugurated the country’s first SME Industrial Park comprising 40 hectares inside the Naga Township. And Plantersbank officials confided that several foreign ICT firms have offered to buy the Seagate property. I gathered that among the frontrunners is the printer maker Lexmark.
Sale of the Seagate factory and its eventual operation by another ICT giant will place the soon-to-be Naga City in the ICT world map.
Already, Peza’s Leila de Lima noted that the SME Industrial Park is unique in the country. Aside from granting big business benefits and incentives to small and medium entrepreneurs, the park is the first to already have eight sold lots on the day of the inauguration.
Among other plans, Mayor Val Chiong cited the construction of a seaport as one of his priorities—a project that immediately received the full support of Gov. Gwen Garcia and Secretary Cerge Remonde who represented President Arroyo.
With these positive developments, I think Naga City will surge ahead of Cebu’s three new cities. With powerful enemies at the Capitol and at the Lower House, I don’t think Bogo City can go far with its development plans. Carcar? Has Mayor Barcenas been talking about development plans?
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Trouble is reportedly brewing inside the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The present officer-in-charge at the regional office reportedly lost the support of his subordinates. Disgruntled employees are reportedly sending text messages to their bosses in Manila.
What are they quarrelling about? Is there unequal sharing of the loot? That’s the chief’s prerogative, guys.
Unfortunately for the chief, he was not yet around when the Asean asphalt project was carried out. The three percent SOP did not go to him. But why order “coring operations” now when the asphalt caper was already taken care of. Why rock the boat, sir?
Nonetheless, talks of the “coring operations” have encouraged some DPWH guys to reveal how the 60 percent SOP for the P800 million asphalting operation was shared. The SOP reportedly included auditors. Tinuod?
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I found the palusot of Fr. Ben Ejares in the alleged lascivious acts on high school students during confessions quite amusing. Ayaw gyud og angkon, padre. Imo lang bitaw silang gipakalma, mao nga nangreklamo.
What’s wrong with accidentally touching the bra? In my worldly environment, Fr. Ejares, we call that “tsansing.” And “tsansing” should not be mixed with the sacrament of confession. If that’s your way of making young girls feel at ease with you, use it inside the VIP room of a karaoke house, the GROs won’t complain.
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