Where does the
money come from?

Like many other residents of Bacolod City, my eyebrows also rose when I saw the news item saying that the mayor of Bacolod is again asking the Sangguniang Panlungsod for another supplemental budget of P53.3 million. Wasn’t it only a few weeks when he also asked for an almost equal appropriation, and then another similar one earlier in his less than four months in office? Now, where does all that money come from? Did he not cry all over the city, to any group that would listen, that Bacolod was virtually bankrupt when he came in, and that there was no money in its treasury at all?

***

And then we hear of the Sanggunian granting his requests for all those millions. What magic had placed that much money in the supposedly empty treasury? It is all so confusing, because, before, we only heard repetitions of the claims that poor Bacolod was impoverished, and no explanations, and even certifications from the people in charge of the city’s funds were listened to. Basta. The city was bankrupt, kuno, pity naman the new administration whose members really know how to spend money. One can only wonder what the SP members say whenever they get such requests for the release of so much money – from an “empty” treasury!

***

Well, let that subject be. We know our SP members know what is going on – a few of them, that is, so they also know they will be accountable to the people later. In the meantime, let’s concentrate on positive things, like the inauguration of the new access road to the Bacolod-Silay Airport which is surely a great boon to air passengers who will now be able to avoid the heavy traffic along the Lacson Street highway, not only in the Bacolod portion but also in the Talisay and Silay parts.

***

Last night, we saw off a relative who was leaving for Manila (who was scheduled to leave 7:30, but actually departed close to 12 midnight) and, indeed, the drive to the airport through the new road was a whiz. We timed the trip and, truly, even if we were traveling at a modest pace, it took us only 12 minutes from Eroreco to the terminal! To think that we used to allow at least an hour, especially at daytime, whenever we had to take a flight.

***

There was a beautiful full moon, so it did not matter so much that the roadside lights had not yet been installed. The nice thing is that there are traffic lights at the intersections, so that drivers are warned about any vehicles that may dart out from the sideroads. Really it was a beautiful drive, and coming home, also took the same time – 12 minutes later, we were already at the Our Lady of Mercy Hospital area. The most admirable thing about this new road, for which we give due appreciation to Congressman Albee Benitez, is that it only cost about P400 million, P280 million less than the budget given to it by the past administration! So we should be happy that it was never undertaken then, because that P200 million could have gone somewhere else – and never to the highway.

***

And speaking about air travel, frequent travelers should avoid buying suitcases and bags that are heavy in themselves. Now that airlines only allow 10 kilos for luggage, your classy suitcases may take half of that weight, and you will no longer have place for your things. Sorry na lang for our relatives and friends in the places we visit, no more, or just a few bits of pasalubong for them. Some of my friends say they just drop at the supermarkets in Manila and buy Bacolod or Iloilo-made delicacies there for their pasalubongs.

***

It has been announced that, so far, 27 babies have already been born in the evacuation area in Leyte. What about Samar and the other places whipped by Yolanda? So the estimate of 12,000 little ones to be born in the next few months is realizable. If the new figure of 3,637 casualties is accurate, then we may be seeing three or four times more new citizens to replace the ones who died in the storm. I noted that foreign medical teams who are helping in the affected areas are amazed at the sturdiness and adaptability of the women, the new mothers, who can still manage to look happy as they cuddle their evacuation babies.

***

When reports came out about the pace of the response to the calamity, and the seeming lack of leaders to take charge of the situation, I immediately thought of Red Cross head and former Senator Dick Gordon. Why was he not immediately installed as chief coordinator of relief activities? I can still remember typhoons in the past where Gordon was among the first to come and efficiently take charge. Had he been tapped this time?*

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