For ASEAN Summit: Amount for city's 'Balik-Bukid' program still to be determined

No amount has been fixed yet as to how much the city government would be giving to the mountain barangays for the "Balik-Bukid" program, side by side the "Balik-Probinsya" program, that would encourage decongestion of city streets during the Association of Southeast Nations Summit in December.

But Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he is willing to shell out money as long as the barangays can provide a feasible and reasonable proposal.

The proposal, Osmeña said, should contain the list of the activities that the mountain barangay would undertake intentionally to keep its residents uphill during the summit or bring back home those working in the city.

The balik-bukid program has the same concept Osmeña is proposing with the balik-probinsiya program wherein he is offering P100,000 to the different towns and cities to undertake activities that would encourage people in the city to return to their hometowns during the four-day summit.

Osmeña's primary intention with the programs is to decongest and maximize security in the city with the arrival of at least P5,000 foreign delegates for the summit from December 11 to 14.

But Osmeña clarified yesterday no money would be given to the mountain barangays unless the proposal would convince him that the programs would fulfill his objective, which is to make the people stay in the mountain barangays overnight. He added that a proper evaluation of the proposal would also be done.

The mayor also stated that the proposal is not a requirement, but added that the mountain barangays should submit the proper documents to satisfy the legal requirements.

Osmeña said no barangay has expressed interest just yet while only the town of Balamban is making an effort to participate in the balik-probinsiya program.

In a related development, Osmeña said he would ask President Arroyo to amend her earlier declaration of a official holidays during the summit. He said that because activities for the summit would be concentrated in the city proper, the mountain barangays can be spared from the holidays.

Osmeña believes that the balik-probinsiya and balik-bukid programs could stir interest among those who come from the provinces, but currently living in the city and entice them to plan a holiday from December 11 to 14. Arroyo recently formally declared the dates as official holidays.

Likewise, Osmeña said this would also give out-of-town businessmen a chance to attract consumers who would attend the activities. The end result, he said, would be an infusion of money into the municipalities and cities.

Just three days before the summit, at least 250 business leaders from around the world would also converge in the city for the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting. - Chris Martina B. Gestopa and Noreen B. Napoles