Bertie Lim didn't forget his roadmap

It was a relief to hear directly from Tourism Secretary Bertie Lim that, the Pilipinas Kay Ganda fiasco aside, he didn’t forget his original roadmap for the tourism industry. He said he regrets having been sidetracked. He reassured me, in a meeting with other Philippine Star editors and columnists, that he recognizes the need to do his homework first, as I had been advocating from the time of the last Tourism Secretary.

Bertie said he needs to do his homework to make sure he has a marketable product to sell. What good is a marketing campaign, he said, if the product is lousy? And there is so much housecleaning to do, he sighed. “People expect us to solve the problems that festered through the years in just a hundred days,” he complained. But he reassured that he is quietly working on these problems because a positive outcome is necessary for a saleable product.

Bertie is aware that the first items in his agenda have to do with airlines and the airports. We are about to lose the only direct flight connecting Manila to Europe. KLM has just about had it with the common carriers tax, a three percent charge on airline tickets that is applicable only to foreign carriers. Because a flight to Europe is the most expensive, KLM pays the most. Lufthansa gave up their direct flight to Frankfurt because of this imposition.

Even the American airlines hesitate to have direct flights from Manila because of this. What irritates the foreign airlines is that we are the only country in the world that imposes this. They have been complaining about this for years but I guess we have ignored their protests because of a prevailing attitude that those airlines are rich and can afford to be abused anyway. But the airline business is now extremely competitive and every little bit counts.

Bertie is also trying to do something with another festering complaint of the foreign carriers which has to do with the practice of Immigration, Customs and Quarantine of billing the airlines overtime charges for after office hours flight arrivals/departures. It has become a neat racket. If two airlines arrived at about the same time, say 12 midnight, both airlines are charged the entire cost.

This is apparently another uniquely Pinoy practice that irritates the carriers. Bertie agrees with the principle that CIQ is a Philippine government requirement that must be provided on a 24/7 basis and all costs must be borne by the government. It is a matter of having proper work shifts. And if we must hire more immigration officers so that the right number of them is there when needed, so be it.

Apparently, the Immigration people are resisting change and are retaliating by slowing down the lines thus making the airlines lose money by being on the ground longer. That is why, as our Executive Editor experienced a few days ago when she left for Korea, it took her over 30 minutes to clear Immigration for departure compared with a minute or two in other countries. A long immigration line under the horrible conditions of NAIA 1 is a deterrent to return visits by tourists. Hopefully, Bertie is able to do something about the complaints of the airlines with the cooperation of the Immigration bureau and the DOF. We are clearly abusing them.

On the Tourism Authority or what is now known by the pompous name of Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), Bertie acknowledged that the travel tax it collects is being used as another source of pork by congressmen. He doesn’t like it but he has to live with it. Hopefully, our legislators will realize that if they continue acting like this, we are not going to have the resources to put up tourism projects that will truly work we can be proud of.

Nevertheless, Bertie said he instructed TIEZA to devote a good part of its funds in developing Intramuros as a tourist zone. He agrees with the points I raised in a previous column that we need to have a Disneyland-like place in Manila where tourists can roam around feeling secure as they learn about our culture and people.

Bertie also agrees with my suggestion to use the private public partnership concept in developing Intramuros. In fact, he informed us that they have started work on the squatters by teaming up with Tony Meloto’s Gawad Kalinga. Jose A. Capistrano Jr., who is the present administrator of Intramuros, informs me that there are now approximately 2,000 families who live in shanties and similar non-conforming (to P.D. 1616 which created the Intramuros Administration) structures inside Intramuros.

“Even if these families occupy private lots, IA is looking for ways and means to give them new homes in relocation sites inside (if possible) and outside Intramuros in coordination with other government agencies and Gawad Kalinga. We also intend to provide dormitories for the breadwinners of those families who may find it difficult to commute daily from their new residences during the working days.”

Here are their other plans for the old Walled City:

Museo de Intramuros: They will continue the plan of former Administrator Bambi Harper to reconstruct San Ignacio Church and use it to house the IA Museum Collection composed of over 7,000 antique artifacts in wood, gold, silver and ivory among other materials.

Maestranza Park: Along the Pasig River, they are putting the finishing touches on the reconstructed curtain wall stretching from Fort Santiago to the Intendencia Building. Aside from Puerta Almacenes (Warehouse Gate), 45 chambers have been rebuilt based on old photos and original stone foundations. They will bid this area out to a private developer who can get locators for shops, cafes, and restaurants similar to Clarke Quay in Singapore and Xintiandi in Shanghai.

The Intramuros Administration has also proposed to DPWH to construct another bridge across the Pasig River starting from Aduana St. so that Intramuros can be connected to Binondo. In the future, a river cruise can start from Maestranza up to the Malacañang Palace and back.

Ayuntamiento and Intendencia: Although not IA properties, the Intramuros Administration is working closely with the Bureau of National Treasury in the ongoing reconstruction of the Ayuntamiento and with the National Archives in the future restoration of the Intendencia. Both structures when finished will be used as their offices and will look like the original buildings from the colonial period.

TRANVIA SHUTTLE SYSTEM: This will limit the number of vehicles entering Intramuros by providing safe and affordable public conveyance for all visitors, workers and students. The shuttle vehicles will look like the tranvía or street car which plied the streets of Intramuros in the 19th century. This project will enhance the period charm of the Walled City, aside from reducing traffic, noise, air pollution and danger to pedestrians. Secure parking areas and terminals will be opened at strategic locations in Intramuros for vehicles with passengers entering Intramuros. This is being considered for PPP.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER: The original Ateneo de Manila is proposed to be reconstructed and developed as an information technology center and/or a business (or knowledge) process outsourcing center. The façade will follow the design of the old school but will have a modern and cost-effective office lay-out inside. There are four universities inside Intramuros whose students and graduates may be employed here.

As I told Bertie, I am glad they have great plans for Intramuros. We need a nice place to showcase to tourists visiting Manila. Right now, we don’t have one. The only question is: how fast can Bertie and his crew work to make these dream plans a reality?

This is why I think they should consider getting one of our leading property developers to work on the project. If they can recreate Venice and its Grand Canal in a condo development in Fort Bonifacio, I am sure recreating the old Walled City of Manila can be done just as easily. It is also a worthier project that will be educational for future generations.

Bertie refused to give me a time line. But I hope he will do that soon so we can measure how he is doing with his mandate. He said he is afraid to over promise. I can understand that but we must also see a sense of urgency. After all, time flies. We are hoping there will be a new Intramuros within the six year term of P-Noy.

Organic

This is from Robin Tong.

A woman was looking for organic vegetables for her husband in a fresh produce market. Finding none, she asked an old vendor, “These veggies are for my husband. Have they been sprayed with any poisonous chemicals?”

The old vendor replies, “Heavens, no! You’ll have to do that yourself.”

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]