Monday, February 05, 2007 Pangan: Cool changes By Benjie R. Pangan At Close Range
WITH the mercury dipping to unusually low levels here in the Central plains, most of us should take advantage of the cool weather to do things that are done normally in summer.
Hotheads, like this writer, must prioritize things and finish up on matters better than during this nice period. After all, this fleeting coolness may evaporate soon and the sweltering months will come in.
Always an innovator and in touch with current trends on malls, Engineer Bien Mateo, who heads outlets from SM North Edsa up to Baguio, has done very impressive innovations at his turf by installing high-end shops and making configurations on the southern portion of SM North to make it competitive with even Greenbelt and Edsa Shangri-la shopping complexes.
These, I saw last two weeks ago when Bien and his managers welcomed me and sat for lunch. Always on the go, I am amazed at the energy being exerted by Bien and his hardworking staff to make the SM malls very competitive and customer-friendly.
Thanks, Bien and to your staff. Also, I would like to thank Michelle Catap, PR person par excellence for her kind accommodation.
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DFA Regional Office at Clark. From my short talks with Ms. Imelda de los Santos and her staff, Elaine Lacson, I learned that their office no longer observes the so-called quota of passport applicants and instead, they welcome any and all people coming from not only in Region 3 but also those from some parts of Northern Luzon. This way, Elaine said, more people can be accommodated even though at times they are undermanned. Good work, Director Belardo, Ms. delos Santos and staff.
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Clark Freeport Zone. So the Congress bicameral committee had approved on January 29 two bills purportedly converting the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) into what should be now known as Clark Freeport Zone. The reconciled House and Senate bills reportedly granted a one-time amnesty to investors at CSEZ. Would this recent development now move Clark? And what about the DMIA? Can it now function fully through more regular and international flights to keep it afloat? What about the alleged smugglers at Clark? Can they now be tamed and neutralized?
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An attempt at transparency. The honorable Senator Franklin M. Drilon said recently that any Filipino can now ask the government where the taxes he paid were spent. Ow? He said there is a special provision in the recently-approved P1.26 trillion (repeat, trillion!) budget for 2007 would allow any citizen to ask any government agency for any information on the use of public funds.
Let's see if this would be possible once tested by any decent Filipino taxpayer. The pronouncement by Drilon wanted to ensure transparency in the implementation of projects using public funds, information on government projects, and the use of pork barrel allocations. Sounds good, but is this implementable, considering the crooked Filipino psyche and the culture of corruption deeply ingrained in our blood?
And what about the local government units? Can their budgets be scrutinized and their implementation monitored? Can the malefactors be held liable in court?
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Profiles of performers: Councilor Divine David Tulio is sincere in giving out seminars to her town mates contrary to her possible opponent's claims that the activities are politically-motivated. Why blame her for her zealousness to render genuine public service, which the incumbent cannot deliver? Why would we sour-grape whenever the good councilor does something productive and beneficial to the people of Guagua?
