Tuesday, November 14, 2006 Ong: Dressing up Cebu the Imeldific way By Ted Aldwin Ong Misreadings
THE city of Cebu and its environs is undergoing a facelift in time for the 12th Leaders' Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Local officials dubbed the preparations as window-dressing a la Imelda, referring to the grandiose former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
For Labogon barangay captain Damaso Tumulak, the preparation is "Imeldific" reminiscent of the former first lady's strategy to cover up everything that is ugly in the eyes of visiting dignitaries during international gatherings.
It was reported by Jhunnex Napallacan of the Visayas Philippine Daily Inquirer that in order for Asean leaders to see everything that is "good and the beautiful," the host city has cleared squatter shanties. Painting jobs are being done on the roofs of houses along the "ceremonial route" and on iron grills in the city's main streets.
When I went to Cebu City few months back, the controversial Cebu International Convention Center was skeletal but is now 98 percent complete and most likely be finished before the December summit. I could not understand the rush because the main activity of the summit will be held at the Shangri-la Mactan Island Resort and Spa and will not be contained in the convention center.
But the "SM City mall at the North Reclamation Area where the CICC is located is now being cemented out of its advance tax payment to the City Government amounting to P50-million.
The cost of preparations is definitely in millions under the guise of selling Cebu as the premier tourist and investor destination. The Cebu government is said to have "earmarked" P20-million for the preparations. Out of the amount, P3-million went to beautification of the streets and P2-million went to painting of iron grills in the city's main thoroughfares.
It has also prepared P20-million as budget in order to wine and dine foreign media people plus gifts and promotional materials. Estimated to arrive in Cebu to cover the event are about 2,500 foreign media.
On the other hand, the Mandaue City government has beautified the city worth P30-million including landscaping, construction of boxes, improvement of roads and painting of structures along the route.
What makes this window-dressing quite more interesting is the resolution of the Lapu-Lapu City Council, which authorized the release of P10-million from the P27-million calamity fund despite the absence of a real calamity.
The Asean summit is indeed squeezing the creativity of Cebu's politicians by utilizing funds that are not intended for the summit. This desperate move of utilizing Lapu-Lapu City's calamity fund is a crime against the people because it is their taxes being used not for its intended purpose. In fact, this is a crime done in advance against future victims of natural calamity.
As what I said before, the fierce fighter Lapu-Lapu who defeated Spanish conqueror Magellan was muted by the City Council's move of robbing taxpayer's money. But this is not enough; Cebu's famed hero is expecting more insults as visiting leaders will stand below his landmark of victory against Spain for photo opportunity to document its bravery.
Cebu's local officials were right, the preparations are done to window-dress Cebu by hiding everything that is stinking and an eyesore, but more than that, Asian leaders must realize that the Filipino way of warm hospitality includes driving away people from their houses to give way for parking lots and robbing them its taxes supposed to be collected to service its social needs.
This tradition is not only established by Imelda Marcos but by a set of system that has long degenerated. So Asian leaders beware. It is the robber's hands that will welcome you in the Philippines come December and not the well-meaning politicians in their fine barong tagalog.
