Sunday, November 27, 2016

Was Ninoy a Hero or Villain?


Benigno Simeon “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. was born November 27, 1932, in Tarlac. He was the chief opposition leader during the era of martial law in the Philippines,  from 1972 until 1981 under then President Ferdinand E. Marcos.  Aquino’s assassination in Manila International airport on August 21, 1983 galvanized popular opposition to the Marcos government and brought his widow, Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco Aquino, to the political forefront. After the ouster of Marcos, Corazon was elected the first women president of the republic of the Philippines. His only son, Noynoy Aquino, later became the 15th president of the Philippines. Cory and Noynoy held the presidency for a total of 12 years.


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Ninoy was a grandson of a Philippine general and the son of Benigno Aquino Sr, a well-known politician and landowner in Tarlac, whose families owned the Hacienda Maling, Hacienda Sawang and Hacienda Murcia. After World  War 2, Ninoy’s father was arrested and charged with treason for collaborating with the Japanese during the latter's occupation of the country.

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Aquino began his career as a journalist, covering the Korean War as a war correspondent. His life in politics started very early. At age 22, he was elected mayor of Concepción in 1955, vice-governor of Tarlac province in 1959, governor of Tarlac province in 1961, the youngest Philippine senator at age 34 in 1967, and national leader of the Liberal Party in 1968. Meanwhile, he become wealthier through his marriage to Cory Aquino, the daughter of one of the largest landowners in Luzon, whose vast land estate includes the infamous Hacienda Luisita, A controversial 6,453 hectare sugar plantation where many farmers died fighting for their basic rights as tenants and tillers. Cory protected their estate by engaging in a series of half-hearted gestures at land reform, leading to massacres of farmers in many occasions. Ninoy helped brokered the purchase of Hacienda Luisita, the biggest hacienda in the country, for his wife's family in 1957. He later on became the Hacienda's administrator. In return for the family agreeing to distribute Hacienda Luisita’s land to small farmers by 19 67, the purchase received preferential treatment from the Philippine government, which included a loan package from the Philippine Central Bank and the Government Service Insurance System.


Ninoy was known for his audacity to thwart Marcos, ostensibly planning to run for president in 1973. In his desire to get rid of his nemesis, Ninoy conspired with the left-winged party and the CPP-NPA. In one of Joma Sison’s interviews, Joma said Ninoy proposed that the two of them would make a hunger strike against the Marcos regime and make demands for reforms. Joma Sison admitted that it was Julius Fortuna, and not him, who met Ninoy Aquino in the house of a big businessman, whose daughter was an activist, and who represented the NDF Preparatory Commission, the CPP and NPA. Declassified US government documents dated September 20, 1972, said Aquino, “may be willing at some point in the future to ally himself with the Communists as the leader of a revolution, if he is convinced that this is the best way for him to realize his ultimate political ambition.” Rodolfo Salas, CPP chair at the height of Martial Law, said in an interview with Ateneo De Manila University Professor Lisandro Claudio, that not only did he bring wounded New People's Army soldiers to Aquino’s houses, but he received guns and cash from Aquino himself.

With a growing threat from the rising communist party, then President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law on September 23, 1972 through proclamation 1081. Ninoy was arrested and charged of murder, illegal possession of firearms and subversion together with NPA leaders Victor Corpuz and Bernabe Buscayno. Victor Corpuz is believed to be a government deep penetration agent, who witnessed Ninoy’s alliance with the reds.

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Ninoy Aquino’s popularity was greatly due to his daring criticism of the Marcos regime. His gifts as a public speaker, his brilliant mind, as well as his great ambition fired-up his popularity. In terms of tangible contribution for the development of the country, Ninoy is closer to none. In fact, no large infrastructure project or national livelihood projects can be attributed to Ninoy. It’s all talk for him.  Being the leading candidate for the 1973 election, and with Marcos ending his term, Aquino was close to achieving his ambition, comes with it the threat of the Philippines becoming a communist country. 


Ninoy Aquino was an overly ambitious politician who so coveted the presidency he co-opted the Communist Party of the Philippines to help him implement a way of becoming the republic’s president. If he could have been the president, the usual political agenda is to protect their vested interests or their dynasty, since Ninoy came from an oligarch family. Tarlac, the Aquino and Cojuangco’s bailiwick, lags in terms of economic development compared to other province in the Philippines like Taguig, Cebu, Davao or Iloilo, despite producing 2 presidents and numerous powerful politicians. Filipinos experienced dark days during the Marcos regime. If Ninoy Aquino succeeded, it could have been, darker.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Ten "SUPERBRIDGES" of the New Philippines


(UPDATED)


A chain of 7,107 islands composed the Philippine archipelago. The country continues to enjoy a rapid booming economy. Trade and tourism is expected to rise significantly. The economy surged forward with 7.0% real GDP growth in the 2nd quarter of 2016. Economic analysts expect the country’s excellent performance to continue in the coming years back-up by a solid government policy agenda. Sustained booms in the construction and services sectors contributed greatly to this.




As for tourism, the country welcomed 502,739 tourists for the month of August alone. This is 4.59% higher than the arrivals of 480,689 in August of 2015. It surpassed the 500,000 visitor monthly volumes. For the country to extend growth, more infrastructures are needed.

The Philippines are regularly regularly hampered by catastrophic typhoons and storms. Travel by sea and air are most affected. Thousands of passengers and cargoes are often stranded. This gives us all the more reason to connect the archipelago through land travel. By building long span bridges all over the country, travelling by land will allow the continuous flow of trade and tourism even in harsh weather conditions. Eventually, it will translate into continuous economic activities for Filipinos, boosting tourism to a new level.


Listed on the next page are some of the proposed “Superbridges” that will crossed seas and connect islands in the new Philippines.





Ten "SUPERBRIDGES" of the New Philippines (updated)


Here are some of the proposed “Superbridges” that will crossed seas and connect islands.

1. Trans Manila Bay Crossing 
     A super bridge and a mega tunnel will compose theTrans Manila Bay Crossing patterned after the Tokyo Aqualine (image below). The proposed multi-billion project will connect the town of Naic, Cavite and traversing the waters of Manila bay up to the town of Mariveles in Bataan. A portion of the project will pass by the island of Corregidor, running a total length of around 15Km. 


2. Batangas-Mindoro Superbridge
     San Miguel Corp. (SMC) expressed interest in building the Batangas-Mindoro Superbridge which would surpass the length of San Juanico Bridge that connects Samar and Leyte. SMC President Ramon Ang planned to build the 14-kilometer-long bridge at an estimated cost of P18 billion, which he presented to the Office of the Governor of Batangas and Oriental Mindoro.


3.  Catanduanes-Bicol Friendship Bridge
               The Tourism Infrastructure & Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) has allocated P50 million for the feasibility study of 10.7 km. two lane Tourism Friendship Bridge with Tourism Complex Midway, connecting San Andres, Catanduanes to Caramoan Peninsula, Camarines Sur.

4.  Samar-Sorsogon Bridge
San Juanico Bridge Photo by R. Madronero
          The Department of Public Works and Highways projected the gargantuan project to cost at least Php 92.23 Billion to link Sorsogon and Samar. Sen.Francis "Chiz" Escudero said he will push for the construction of a bridge connecting Luzon to Visayas to improve trade and commerce between the two islands and hasten the delivery of government aid during calamities.   Trucks carrying cargoes to Northern Samar are usually stranded at the port of Matnog during peak season of RoRo service, delaying the delivery of goods to the province.   The "super bridge" will not only ease the travel from the main island of Luzon to Eastern Visayas during times of calamities, but will also bring in more tourists and development opportunities to both regions. 

  5. 3rd Cebu Superbridge (Cebu-Cordova)

Similar design of the 3rd Mactan(Cordova)-Cebu Bridge 

     The Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. (MPTDC) of Manny Pangilinan won the bidding to build the 3rd Mactan-Cebu Bridge at a cost of Php28 Billion. The bridge will span eight kilometers from the mouth of the Guadalupe River, passing Shell Island and then to Cordova. The project includes the construction of a toll plaza and causeway. This will ease the traffic on the existing two bridges connecting the highly progressive urban centers and tourist destinations of Metro Cebu. Construction for this project have already started. 

6.   Cebu-Bohol Friendship Bridge
     The phrase best describes why the proposed Bohol -Cebu Multi Access Bridge appears viable wherein Bohol needs Cebu’s excess power and Cebu needing Bohol’s abundant water from the expansive Inabanga River. The initial plan is to connect the Friendship bridge with the 3rd Mactan (Cordova)- Cebu Bridge.
Projected design for Cebu-Bohol Frienship Bridge


 There are reportedly two Australian firms bullish not just in funding the feasibility study, but  to go through the project as a major partner of government under the BOT (Build Operate and Transfer) scheme.The bridge will be the physical conduit to “transfer ” both power and water to and from both provinces -unlike the more expensive and dangerous  underwater cables linking Bohol to Leyte’s geothermal electricity source. 

7.Planned Panay-Negros Bridge
It is the dream of all Ilonggos to have a connecting bridge linking two major islands in WesternVisayas. Negros Occidental's Alfredo Marañon, chairman of the Regional Development Council which is the highest planning body of Western Visayas, is eyeing an ambitious but attainable project for a bridge connecting Iloilo in Panay Island to Negros Island.

8. Surigao-San Ricardo Leyte Mega Bridge
    Completing the backbone of the Philippine Road and Rail system is the the Surigao-Leyte Double Deck Bridge. The national government planned a cable-stayed long span bridge similar to the 2nd Cebu-Mactan Bridge but longer. The proposed bridge will span 23 km. connecting the two provinces at a tune of a whooping Php101.35B.

Design will be similar to the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge

9. P6-Billion Samal Island-Davao Bridge
             The pre-feasibility study of the Samal-Davao Bridge was already completed. It was conducted by Katahira and Engineers International (KEI), a Japan-based civil engineering consultancy firm. The detailed engineering design is underway. Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo of the Department of Tourism revealed to the media that the Mindanao Team of Pres. Duterte will push for the Davao City to Samal Island connecting bridge project. This kind of project will surely benefit not only the people of Davao but also the growing number of local and foreign tourists.
PROPOSAL BY FILIPINO DESIGN TEAM BUDJI + ROYAL ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN

10. Panguil Bay Bridge
      The national budget will fund P586 million of the total P4.9 billion costs for the construction of the pioneering Panguil Bay Bridge project in Northern Mindanao, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said during the ceremonial signing today of the loan agreement between the Philippine Government and the Export-Import Bank of Korea-Economic Development Cooperation Fund (KEXIM-EDCF). Considered a major infrastructure development in Northern Mindanao, the Panguil Bay Bridge will connect Tangub City, Misamis Occidental and Tubod City, Lanao del Norte, and reduce travel time between Tangub and Tubod from the usual 2.5 hours to 7 minutes. It will also significantly improve the travel time from Cagayan de Oro and Iligan to the cities of Tangub, Ozamiz, Oroquieta, Dipolog, and Dapitan in Zamboanga de Norte. – from the Department of Budget and Management 



The Philippine economy slowly revitalized during the Arroyo administration. The previous administration (PNoy Aquino administration) performed well with the macroeconomics of the country, though many argued that progress were limited to the higher and middle class. Now with the new Duterte government, many Filipinos are confident that economic growth and prosperity will reach every Juan from Aparri to Jolo. And these bridges will be a conduit of prosperity and unity to a geographically divided country; a symbol of solidarity. Abante Pinas!








Friday, October 21, 2016

The Best Islands in the World by Condé Nast Traveler

Condé Nast Traveler, a luxury and a lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast, recently published the best islands in the world outside the U.S. in the 2016 Readers' Choice Awards survey, from nearby Caribbean beaches to far-flung islands in Southeast Asia. The Philippines, bagging 3 spots, has the most islands in the list. All three island landed in the top 5 of the World’s best island.

Click the image to view the list



Sunday, October 16, 2016

Good News Muna Tayo:DAR's A to Z Projects in Duterte's First 100 Days

by: Jec Ortiz

The Philippines is marred by issues on extra-judicial killings (EJK) in its campaign on war against drugs. Since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed the presidency, mainstream media have been focused on this issue. Equally controversial is the involvement of former secretary of justice now senator Laila De Lima in the drug trade issue. What was less reported were positive issues and news in the country's different regions that could make an impact on the lives of the masses.


Such issues are the accomplishments of the different government departments and agencies in Duterte's first 100 days in Malacañang. One of the most active department of the current Philippine government is the Department of Agriculture headed by Secretary Rafael "Ka Paeng" Mariano. The said department have several multi-million peso on-going and completed projects all over the country.

Here is the A to Z of DAR achievements on the 1st 100 days of Duterte's administration.




Good News Muna Tayo:DAR's A to Z Projects in Duterte's First 100 Days (con't)



DAR projects in the First 100 Days of Duterte Administration



d.        Php 3.1 million worth abaca production facilities turned-over to South Cotabato farmers

e.        DAR turnsover P17.8-million marketing center to Bohol farmers

f.         DAR turns over 3.5km of farm-to-market road in Leyte

g.        DAR poursP91-M worth of infra projects in Zamboanga Sibugay

h.        DAR to distribute 358hectares Tadeco-Hacienda Luisita Inc. lands

i.          DAR rehabilitates 10-km Tarangnan road

j.          DAR builds P126-M infra projects in Western Visayas

k.        DAR,NIA turn-over P13.64-M worth of irrigation projects in Palawan

l.          P47-Minfra projects benefit Antique farmers

m.      P50.24-Mroad, bridge bring farmers’ products to markets in Aklan

n.        P40.7-M rubber facility established in North Cotabato to boost farmers’ income

o.        DAR gears up for the construction of P3.5-M road project in Nueva Vizcaya

p.        P35.6M farm-to-market road and  bridge bring new hope to farmers, school children in Agdangan, Quezon

q.        DAR turns over P17.2M road in Masbate

r.         Catanduanes is now LAD-Free as it distributes 50 more land titles covering 102 hectares

t.          DAR distributes 73-hectares of land titles in Agusan del Norte

u.        86 farmers earn P2.2-M selling coffee beans in Sultan Kudarat

v.        DAR turns-over P8.5-M bridges in Masbate

w.       DAR delivers Php 9.58-M worth of non-farm enterprises to farmers in Region 2

x.        DAR turns over Php 38.5M farm to market road in Quirino, Ilocos Sur

y.        DAR Agusan Del Norte trains women farmers on coco sugar production

z.        DAR installs 160 farmers in Compostela Valley


In 2004, the department was not spared from controversy as it was implicated in the P728 fertilizer scam of pork barrel queen Janet Napoles and then Secretary Jocelyn "Joc-joc" Bolante. On the watch of former President Noynoy Aquino, around P500 million of government funds went to fake NGOs through the state-owned Philippine Forest Corp., the office of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor), as reported in the Inquirer.

This time, Ka Paeng and his department vowed to fight corruption. We have been deprived for news like this, especially in social media like facebook. Please SHARE the good news.



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