THE English phrase “a chain is no stronger than its weakest link” means that a group is only as strong or successful as its weakest or least successful member.
There is little information about the first recorded use of this idiom. It may have originated from an ancient Basque proverb with a similar meaning that translates to, “a thread usually breaks from where it is thinnest.”
For a city who brags about being the Top Philippine Model City, the Business-Friendly High Returns in 2019, I wonder if the judges know what is happening here?
Unexpected brownouts? Water losses? Are we supposed to applaud?
For obvious reason, I cannot bring myself to clap. I live here, and I know how it feels to be vexed by these inconveniences.
I should know. How could I to sing praises, despite my hometown bias toward the City of Smiles when I feel frowning?
Take this column. I was writing on a different topic. Then WHAM! I get a brownout and my internet is cut-off. Then my server was off-kilter for the rest of the day.
I source my data from different news outlet before I reflect on my two-cents on the current news. I guess I have to wait before I can connect to the world. (Come to think of it, no apologies nor explanation on social media).
The brownout the other day was the second time this week. How many power outages to go for the week?
The Central Negros Cooperative (Ceneco) doesn’t even bother to explain when and how long or even deign to explain the reason for the outage. What an outrage!
Sometimes I feel like singing a Bob Dylan song, “Where have all the Ceneco engineers gone, a long time passing...”
And then there’s Baciwa. The water utility is—as expected—unable to generate steady water flow. I want to take a bath. Sorry, kiddo, wait for nightfall. I have to grin and bear the humidity.
Talk about accountability. These public utilities have a long way to go before their performance can match their mandates and salaries.
Does Bacolod deserve the bragging rights to bag the Top Philippine Model City? I beg to disagree. We are talking of a modern city where access to electricity and water are givens. Not in here, though.
What Business-Friendly High Returns is Bacolod talking about? When businesses for high returns have to rely on fuel-dependent power generators or generate water?
If these companies operate on profit-and-loss, they would spend so much on fuel costs and generate more greenhouse gases. If Bacolod is a three-star hotel, customers would boycott it.
Unless the local government action can get different public companies to get their acts together, no can do. Bacolod has to prove its mettle to be the rightful awardee of Top Philippine Model City.