IN RECENT week, I frequented south of Negros for some development consultancy concerns. As I traveled back and forth, I just can’t hide my stinging observations on the places I passed by.

Obviously, I came to conclude that no substantive changes have taken place vis a vis the socio economic condition of these southern cities and municipalities.

Except for some new commercial stores whose activities are retailing goods, food outlets on local franchise, low cost town houses, service utilities like telecommunication and money transfer institutions, mass of tricycle units, most if not all of these urban centers are still the same decades back.

Urban centers in the sugar milling district still look like the cane town of the sugar central. Houses along and around sugar mills look like the sacada bunkers and improved ones like the farm houses of hacienderos. Tricycles and low cost motorcycles congest the poblacion and roads around sugar mills.

Economic activities still revolve on roadside cafeterias, talipapa, ukay ukay centers, and small videoke stalls, some artisanal fishing jobs along estuaries and municipal shores. All main roads still lead to sugar mill compound.

Economic growth centers with clear growth drivers are practically absent, ones that generate jobs, triggers trade and increase money distribution and circulation, attract investments. Small retail shops, repair shops, convenience stores dominate the main streets.

These urban centers are like extension of sugar farm haciendas, or cane towns of sugar milling districts - where most important things revolve around the life of the old landed elites and their caretakers in local government units.

Most of these urban areas are private-led and oligarchs-driven.

The vast agriculture, agro-industrial and coastal resources of these urban centers remain undeveloped or un-utilized. A lot of huge-earning physical assets are idle or undeveloped. Their citizens are still mired in poverty and powerlessness. Landed oligarchs still dominate local politics.

In most of these, where are the local government units, the people entrusted with powers and authority to govern and lead the people from perdition? Do they really know by heart their functional roles, responsibilities and accountability? If so, how can they allow economic backwardness and people’s powerlessness to persist and cause miseries and conflicts?

Are they blind and deaf to these cries of humanity? Or are they the bred that feel happy seeing the humanity being devoured by their greediness and cruelty?

Well, let the burden of guilt disturb the hearts of the heartless, and let the grace of love engulf the compassionate.

And let us help unleash the energies in every one’s heart to propel sincere “el progreso” among humanity.