Dangerous When Wet

The three year old metal bridge in Barangay Canturing in Maasin City is a good shortcut when going to down town Maasin for travelers
from Barangays Bantig, Bagtican, Soro-soro and the surrounding areas. But the bridge is also considered a hazzard to motorists specially when wet and many motorists have skidded while traversing it and have been injured.

A Judge complained to the Times recently that his vehicle which was not going fast and had new tires had slid on the bridge's metal flooring and slammed hard against the bridge's right side and had damaged it considerably. He said one way to make the bridge safer is to cover its flooring with asphalt or cement.

District Engineer Carlos Veloso should do something about this bridge before it claims another victim.

Sogod Bridge Nears Completion

Here's good news for motorists who frequently travel to Panaon Island and the Pacific Towns. The mega bridge that will span the Subang Daku River which is scheduled for completion this September will cut their travel by milage by 14 kilometers and of course save them money.

According to District Engineer Carlos Veloso the project will cost 88 million pesos.

Vice Governables

Since it's now certain that Congressman Roger Mercado, who is on his third term in office will be campaigning for governor, self-proclaimed political gurus are already predicting who his running mate will be.

Among their short list are Engineer Robert Castañares, Teofisto "baby face" Rojas, Nene Escaño, Pete Fustanes and SLSU President Dr. Gloria Markines Reyes.This is so because Vice Governor Miguel Maamo is also on his third term in office and will be running for either Mayor of Liloan Town or for the Provincial Board. Supporters of Castañares, who is the current president of the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry, claim that if he runs in 2013 it would be for congressman.

They say Nene Escaño would be Mercado's logical choice since he has been one of the solon's most loyal supporters. While Boy Roxas, who is an expert political strategist doesn't have the logistics to help fuel the Mercado political machinery. While Dr. Reyes who is the dark horse still has two years of her tenure left as President of the State University. As for former Mayor Pete Fustance, the congressman's golfing buddy, he will definitely campaign for his old post as town mayor.

Hinunangan's Tourist Facilities

If you like to travel to faraway places with strange sounding names you should visit the Town of Hinunangan. It has the twin islands of San Pedro and San Pablo and very impressive fully furnished beach houses which you can rent for a weekend or longer. It also has a restaurant which specializes in sea food and barbecues. It's perfect for honeymoons or family outings. It's about a three hour drive from Maasin city but well worth the trip.

Star Fish Numbers Rising

We are reminding our honourable Provincial Board members that the "Crown of Thorns" star fish problem is still with us. In fact, according to Eva Abad, of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) the number of the voracious coral polyp eating machines are increasing daily. She said they needed at least P2 million to contain their numbers. Otherwise we can kiss our Aqua-tourism industry goodbye.

Here's a suggestion from a dive resort owner which the Provincial Board may wish to consider. Instead of spending so much money for our two week foundation day celebration. Why not allocate half of that amount for our campaign against the pesky star fish?

Requiem for our Abaca Industry

Here are some alarming statistics from Josephine Regalada the Regional Director of the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) regarding our once flourishing abaca industry. She says we have lost 75 percent of our abaca producing capability because we failed to contain the "Bunchy Top" infestation.

She denied that they were to blame for this situation and blamed instead their lack of funding for pest eradication and control, our obsolete farming methods, and the harvesting of "umbak" the dried bark of the abaca plant. But aren't these the functions the FIDA was created to address?

DOST releases Funds for City Ports

Score one for the so called Fourth Estate (AKA Media). Because of its badgering at the request of Congressman Roger Mercado, the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communication, has released the total of P85 million for the Panan-awan airport expansion project and the Cani-wan seaport. The funds which had been released to DOTC a year ago for these projects, were allegedly withheld by Secretary Mar Roxas for political or policy reasons.

Beggar Children prone to abuse

The Times has been getting complaints about the prolification of child beggars in down town Maasin. Last week one of the complainants saw one of these unfortunate children almost run over by a truck while begging for alms from passengers of parked tricycles.

Recently a complainant called to report that she saw one of the beggars "guardians" hit the back of the child's head, probably because
the poor child did not "collect" enough coins for their food.

Attention DSWD.

Gripes vs Robo Cop rising

We have received several complaints regarding the alleged "draconian" reaction of city police chief Rico Tome to hard headed violators of our city and national ordinances.

One claimed that he and his friend were made to eat the cigarettes they were smoking when they tried to explain to him that they were doing nothing illegal. while another claimed Tome smashed the crash helmet (he was not wearing) on to the road.

We don't know if these rumors are true (but what we do know) is that more motorcyclists are now wearing crash helmets, and that less people were smoking in public.

Is the Zip Line open or closed?

There are conflictitng reports regarding the Agas –Agas Zipline in Sogod. A balik bayan who brought his nephew there last May said they were informed by an employee manning the bridge's restroom area that the zipline had been closed temporarily and he didn't know when (and if) it would open again.

But according to a Sogod town offical, the zipline's operations were only temporarily halted, because its operators were constructing a cable car and that this construction might endanger the people using the zipline. Since the Zip Line is the flag ship project of the provincial government's tourism program, may we suggest that a senior provincial tourism officer be assigned there, to explain to extreme sports enthusiasts the status of the facility and also Southern Leyte's other tourism spots.

Cheap Credit Available Soon

Here's great news for small time entrepreneurs who want to start a business but have no capital. Congressman Roger G. Mercado, the founder of Pinoy Credit Cooperative, has informed us that the organization has already registered with the Cooperative Development Authority.

And will soon be established in Barangay Abgao. Its board of directors is comprised of Aida Morsen, Ben Gaviola, Congressman Mercado, Luz Verano Mercado and Henrieta Bascug.

Instead of leaning over backwards to attract external investors here, why doesn't city hall take better care of our local investors by providing them with better public service like a better equipped and mobile police force? And why is it so expensive and cumbersome for small local enterprises to obtain a business permit? When giant externally owned companies are given tax holidays and other fringe benefits?

Is Chivalry Dead in So.Leyte?

Last week our marketing and collection officer, Noeme Montalbo, commuted to Padre Burgos aboard a multi-cab. Being six months pregnant, she arrived at the bus terminal early, and told the conductor to reserve the front seat for her for it had more leg room and was more comfortable.

After shopping at a nearby grocery store, she was surprised to see that a man was occupying her seat. When she informed him she had reserved the seat, he simply said "first come, first served" and refused to move to the back of the vehicle although there were still space there.

Actually this is every commutters nightmare especially on long trips to Tacloban and elsewhere. And one wonders if "chivalry" or common courtesy is dead in our country.

The guilty parties in this daily irritant was the multi-cab conductor, who should have asked the seat-grabber to move, and the other passengers aboard the vehicle who should have badgered the guy to move his butt.

Is big business draining taxes?

A ranking BIR officer here claims the main reason why their tax collection has slumped was the sudden entry of big business investors in Southern Leyte. He said this resulted in the closure of many small businesses because they could not compete with the bigger companies.

He said that the local BIR office has lost the taxes which they used to get from these small local firms and to make things worse the new enterprises don't pay their taxes in Maasin City but in the cities where their headquarters are located.

It's the recognition that counts

My wife's sister Evelyn was surprised when I told her there were rumors that her husband General Bonifacio Ramos would run for city mayor in 2013. She said if he had such plans he hadn't mentioned it to anyone in their family.

Being naturally curious she asked how much it would cost to run and win in Maasin City, and I said around a hundred million pesos, or a little over 2 million dollars. Visibly shocked she asked "why in heavens name would anyone spend that much money for a position that
had no power or influence?"

Remembering what she said SLT did a random sampling of politicians in the province and asked them how much they felt was enough to win as mayor in their town. The following were our findings:

In Bontoc, the fourth most populated town in Southern Leyte, Vice Mayor Pedro " Pete" Fustanes said his party spent only 6 million pesos while their opponent had spent over 18 million.

While in the less populated towns like Liloan we were told by a very reliable source that one needed at least 28 million pesos to have any chance of winning.

What we deduced from our survey was that it was not only the size of the place that dictated the amount needed to win, but the earning
potentials of the locale being contested. For example Liloan had a very profitable seaport while Bontoc had little to offer but sand and gravel quarrying which was exported to Cebu.

The real enigma was Maasin City, which if audited from a financial perspective, was completely bankrupt. Meaning it could never hope to repay its debts from the small income it made from its public enterprises like the reclamation project.

So why do so many people want to become mayor of the city? We believe it's the recognition and importance that goes with the job.
If you think otherwise, do write us, and we will gladly publish it.

Jobs appicants beware

SLT has received complaints about "jobs abroad" leaflets which have been circulating in the city promising jobs in Taiwan, UK, US and other countries. An applicant complained that the recruitment agency wanted 75 percent of her wages for one and a half years. But that her contract was also for 1 1/2 years.