A MAYOR was presented with good opportunities to choose the projects in his town, the funding source is foreign funds.
On one hand, he was given a complete agricultural package, from seeds, seedlings, fertilizer and pesticides to farm equipment like tractors, transplanter, combine harvester and the like.
The package totaled almost half a billion pesos and was projected to benefit more than half of the farmers of his town and ultimately bring down the prices of food commodities.
On the other hand, he was offered another package for infra projects worth 450 million pesos consisting of farm roads.
He could only pick one, of course.
Which package did you think the mayor pick?
* * *
He picked the smaller package, for infra projects.
Do you know why?
* * *
In the smaller project for infra, the project would involve construction and therefore, the mayor has to pick the “lowest and most responsive bid” from among the interested bidders.
Naturally, the mayor has already a list of his favorite contractors. And his favorite contractors already know the “mechanics” in all of the mayor’s construction projects.
There is advance, there is for 2nd tranche, for 3rd tranche and for final tranche.
All these tranches involve “komisyon” for the mayor.
So that is the long and short of it.
The mayor opted for the construction of farm roads because he could make money as his “komisyon.”
* * *
One mayor I know would have opted for the bigger package.
Do you know why?
Because he has a pure heart to serve his constituents. And one basic need of his constituents is food.
If he can provide food on the table, affordable and accessible food, then he believes he can already say that he did what he had to do to serve.
Pero nganong wa man mopili ang usa nga mayor sa bigger package?
Wa man siyay mahimo nga “komisyon” kay igo man lang siya modawat sa mga farm inputs.
Between sa daghang ma-benefited nga mga katawhan ug daghang masapi gikan sa komisyon, adto na lang siya sa maka-sapi siya.
Now, given this scenario, is it surprising why the price of food is always neck-high and the target of food sufficiency is like mission impossible?
* * *
On the part of the mayor, he is just being practical.
Do you know why?
He was voted or the people voted for him, and he won, because he has bigger inangayan while his opponent only gave a small amount.
Nagtuo siya nga kon wa pa siya mamalit og boto, di gyod siya modaog, segurado gyod siya nga mapildi.
Buot ipasabot, midaog siya tungod sa kwarta ug dili tungod kay nakagusto ang mga tawo sa iyang pagka-tawo.
Kwarta ray iyang dag-anan.
And this is the very reason he had to look for ways nga maka-kwarta siya. Kon asa ang mas maka-kwarta siya, maoy iyang pilion, and damn the benefits for his constituents.
Total, bayaran ra bitaw niya ang boto panahon sa kampanya.
Now, who can blame him?
* * *
The cycle of money is the root cause of the kind of leaders we have.
Kon magpapalit ang mga botante sa ilang boto, di gyod sila angay mag-expect og mga maayo nga mga leader.
That was the reason a former vice governor, dead now, once said “nganong manghatag man ko og maayohon nila kon moanha sila sa opisina nga pinalit ra man nako ang ilang boto.”
This was her reaction when she was criticized for not meeting her constituents in her office, or providing refreshment (bisan kape na lang ug biskwit) every time she was visited in her office.
I’m sure there’s no debate here and she’s correct of course.
* * *
Meanwhile, the province of Cebu has proven to all and sundry that the courts are in concurrence to the African Swine Fever (ASF) policy of the Cebu provincial government when the Court of Appeals issued a TRO against the BAI on the issue of culling and color-coding of hogs in Cebu.
This is the first time ever that the court has stopped the BAI/DA from implementing its policy on ASF, and only in Cebu at that.
Two points for Governor Gwen Garcia.
The first time was her COVID policy where she stood her ground despite threats of prosecution.
And the second time is of course her stand against BAI/DA policy on ASF.
Unlike other governors, Governor Gwen Garcia really has balls.
