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Monday, September 05, 2005
Gulle: Get while the getting is good
By Inocentes A. Gulle
You Business is Our Business
WE ARE again celebrating our city charter anniversary. As has been already established, the celebrations will most certainly have King Tuna at center stage. (I take it, Kalilangan ("market day"?) is the main thing in the other annual celebration, the "Foundation Anniversary", as we are probably the only city that commemorates two anniversaries - two kinds beginning.)
Undoubtedly, as of the moment the biggest prime mover of the city's economy is the tuna industry. It is but fitting therefore, that we give it the distinction it deserves. However, it seems we are putting all our attention on the tuna fishing and directly related industries, as if it is our only life support system. There seems to be no great effort or interest on the part of our entrepreneurs to exploit other economic undertakings.
For sure, our tuna businessmen have earned untold millions of dollars from that source and are still. But I don't seem to notice them investing their surplus incomes in other economic-generating industries, apart from those directly related to tuna. Certainly, there are other agricultural or manufacturing ventures that could be established here, given their kind of capital capabilities and expertise of the people. Instead, as far as I can see, they are investing only in such money-siphoning ventures such as hotels, entertainment, resorts, pawn shops, retail merchandising and the like. If they are not into other business ventures of the kind, some of them squander their surplus money in casinos, or so I heard. Some are allegedly loosing three, four or even five million pesos a single outing. I hear some even go as far as Las Vegas to try their luck in other climes.
If they had a mind to, they could share their blessings with their paizanos by investing in some socially oriented businesses that perhaps would not be too profitable, but would not be loosing either, yet could provide many of the local residents with some source of livelihood.
Maybe they could pool their resources and in collaboration with the local government establish export-processing zones like they did in Cebu and Pampanga. Or else, they could establish technology-oriented schools would not charge exorbitant fees that should be within the reach of the average families.
Of course, some are supporting some kind of benevolent foundations and that's something to praise them for. But, as we already know, some of them take to such as these in order to go around the tax laws.
Speaking of our mode of celebrations, we more often than not follow the traditional programs like street dancing, parades, floats and such. While these things still continue to hold the interest of our folks, they should put up something that could make people from other parts want to come and be part of. Hong Kong, for instance, has institutionalized dragon boat racing. Boston has her Marathon. Maybe our bright boys can think of something along these lines, make it big and permanent.
Let's stop thinking along the lines of get-while-the-getting-is-good kind of thinking. Let's start thinking along the lines of "give" for a change. You can be sure to earn more blessings that way.
(September 5, 2005 issue)
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