Himamaylan RORO port first

Both Negros Occidental Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. and Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. seem to have overlooked the more imperative need for the Philippine Ports Authority to complete the work on the Himamaylan roll on-roll off port.

While they have been agitating for the construction of ports in Banago, Bacolod City, and other areas, they seem to have remained silent on the imperative need to complete the Himamaylan RORO Port, which the Regional Development Council termed as something like a “white elephant.”

BREDCO chair Simplicio Palanca has a point, Bacolod City has already a port that is professionally managed by BREDCO and the establishment of another government port in Banago will kill off BREDCO which has been doing great guns for the moment.

But, as I had earlier pointed out, both Project I and 2 of the Aguisan Roro port in Himamaylan had already been completed based on the assessment by the Regional Development Council.

The Himamaylan government and the PPA envision the facility to become commercial port that will serve as an export hub for sugar and molasses produced by the BISCOM in Binalbagan town and SONEDCO of the Universal Robina Corp. in Kabankalan City.

But the inspection team of the RPMC found that the multi-million peso port is being used as a solar drying facility for agricultural produce and the fish port landing used by motorized fishing bancas.

Besides, it found out that the port has only two to three meters deep water. Thus, a BISCOM barge once ran aground when it tried to use the port.

In short, there is now something which, with just an infusion of a bit more funds could be harnessed into an alternative port between Iloilo, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental.

The Himamaylan RORO Port may also serve as a connecting link between Iloilo, Negros and Mindanao.

The port can also help Antique residents escape the need to travel to Iloilo to be able to reach Negros and other parts of Oriental Negros, as well as Mindanao.

And it can also facilitate the exploitation of new marketing outlets for produce from southern Negros to Antique, Aklan and Iloilo.

In short, this is a more reasonable alternative to putting up other ports in Bacolod. Just finish the Himamaylan port, gentlemen.

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Everybody has a reason for engaging in theft and robbery. The need for funds to sustain the hospitalization of a kin or to rescue one from the clutches of poverty.

But the fact that one has a son, being treated for hydrocephalus at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, is not an excuse for the group of Ian Dionson, 32, of Purok Sigay, Brgy. 2 to engage in the breaking in of cars and vehicles as they had done in the city for the past few months.

Dionson, who was arrested Sunday at an alleged drug den, admitted that his group was behind the series of bukas kotese burglaries in Bacolod because he needs the money for the operation of his son.

The imperative need for funds for the surgery still does not justify the several car burglaries pulled by Dionson's group in the city.

By last count, Chief Ricardo de la Paz said 10 vehicles had already been victimized by car burglaries in Bacolod, several of these, reportedly, by Dionson's group.

Bukas Kotse gangs had been operating with impunity in Bacolod since last year.

De la Paz had warned the Bacolod police to be on the lookout for precisely such gangs.

The latest incident reported involved a car burglarized right in front of the La Rocas Hotel along Gatuslao Street.

Another was also reported to have its window broken just at the corner of San Juan and Burgos, just in front of Station 1.

That only proves that the bukas kotse gangs, including that of Dionson, are aware that there are no roving police patrols around ready to pound on them despite the fact that most of the city's policemen are now equipped with motorcycles.

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Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda must study carefully his language before releasing a statement to mass media.

Yesterday, he released a statement that glaringly showed a refusal to accept the reality saying the “country had not used military force and had pursued a peaceful solution to its dispute with China.”

That certainly is not going to give chills to China's leaders. They know very well that the Philippines does not have the military might to cope with China's armed forces.

Better for Lacierda to leave to the Department of Foreign Affairs statements involving the West Philippine Sea.*

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