GK homes from Negrenses in Manila

Like many Negrenses, I found myself glued to the TV set closely following the recent political crisis. Of course, the situation had ebbed, but there was no denying that politicos from both sides are still engaged in a word war. Thus, one tends to keep tab of the situation.

Then came the announcement of former Miss International Aurora Pijuan that Manila-based Negrenses will help build Gawad Kalinga houses in Barangay Vista Alegre-Granada relocation site.

Kalinga Ilonggo was launched at the Social Hall of the provincial capitol. The launching was attended by Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon and GK national director Tony Meloto of Couples for Christ.

That, I thought, was a more important news than the periodic alarms about coups and plots to oust the President from power. In short, it was an indication that well-intentioned people continue to focus on helping the less privileged.

Meloto told Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia that Class ’67 of St. Scholastica and the University of St. La Salle had decided to tap alumni to put up Class ’67 GK Village in Barangay Vista Alegre. The same invitation was given to 22 Negrense town mayors to donate lots for GK projects in their respective communities.

Pijuan, whom I had known in Manila, reported that her classmates at St. Scholastica had decided to fund a project for their Ruby Jubilee in February next year.

She reportedly suggested that they advocate GK as a cause in Negros to all Class ’67 members.

This time, Pijuan decided to focus on Negros after helping raise funds for GK projects in other parts of the country.

Au-au plans to meet with past and current beauty queens to also mobilize them to get involved in the GK project in their own way.

Pijuan’s group intends to attend the MassKara festival in October and raise funds for the GK project. She has also gone to the United States to invite people there to the "Wow GK" which is held in several cities to raise awareness for its projects.

Pijuan also suggested to Meloto to build GK projects in an hacienda to encourage hacienderos to take care of the people who work for them.

For Meloto, GK aims to focus on helping address the squatting problem in Negros Occidental.

Like Pijuan, who pointed out that GK is not only building homes and communities, Meloto said "we have discovered that if you give the poorest of the poor a middle class environment, they will have middle class aspirations and they will work for it."

"Our vision is to have GK in all the 22 towns of Negros. Another goal is to have a subdivision in every hacienda so that no one is poor," Meloto said.

In short, Meloto presented Kalinga Ilonggo as a total development project that starts with restoring the dignity of the poorest of the poor to transform them into good citizens. In short, the caring Ilonggo.

Mayor Leonardia said that it is ironic that there are many Ilonggos in GK but the project is being implemented only now in Bacolod.

Politics reportedly discouraged many donors for the Bacolod project. But "properly coordinated, this projects holds a very big promise because the government cannot handle the squatters problem alone," Leonardia added.

Meloto disclosed that other Negrenses involved in GK have been campaigning among Ilonggos worldwide to help the towns where they come from, especially now that town mayors are supporting their group. Pijuan and Elaine Dichupa are spearheading the campaign in Manila.

Meloto disclosed that GK is already registered as a tax-free institution. Thus, he expects Filipinos there to donate to the Philippines. The same is true in the case of Canada.

Meloto bared that GK hopes to build 20,000 houses in the province by 2010.

The Barangay Vista Alegre-Granada in the area provided by Leonardia will be a model community. This was built by Class ’67.

Bob Magalona, GK provincial coordinator, said the city government of Bacolod provided 10 lots for GK projects. GK constructed 20 houses. And it also promised to match whatever is given by the city and hopes build more. The target is 40 houses before the end of the year with the help of Ilonggos abroad.

Magalona said the Class ’67 partners have committed to put up 50 houses in Bacolod as well as in other towns.

So, while we are engaged in bashing one another, there are many in our midst who are still focused on healing the many problems of the country. There is hope that somehow the country will improve a bit with so many Filipinos focused on helping one another, especially the less privileged.

That’s a more positive mindset than political-bashing and coups.

Palanca hits back

Finally, Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (BREDCO ) president Simplicio Palanca broke his silence of several years and came out with this statement: "Pay me P1.7 billion plus and I’ll leave Bacolod."

That was the startling reaction of BREDCO to the threat of the city government to take over the management of the BREDCO port if the firm fails to pay the city P17.4 million for reclaiming a sprawling area from the offshore of Bacolod, which has now become a bustling trade center.

For several months now, Bacolod officials had been investigating the comprehensive contract between BREDCO and the city government.

Dr. Roger Balo, chief executive assistant of Mayor Leonardia, had been vocal in pointing out that BREDCO not only failed to live up to its commitment but has violated other provisions of the contract with the city government.

The issue boils down to the P17.5 million the city government negotiating panel reportedly wants Bredco to pay yearly in rental to the city government. BREDCO, on the other hand, stressed that it will raise P1.4 million per year in line with the inflationary trend from the previous P800,000.

Of course, Palanca pointed out during a recent interview that the city may have overlooked the fact that it is not Bredco that owns the port but the Philippine Ports Authority.

The city owns only 10 percent of the 250-hectare reclaimed area, which was donated to the city by BREDCO.

BREDCO also operates the sugar bulk handling facilities, warehouses, port equipment, water supply, molasses handling facilities, scale houses, forklifts, cranes, backhoes, roads and electrical connections.

For Palanca, the threat of the city government to take over the port management is an "out of this world proposal."

The "Old Man By The Sea", as Palanca is called by many in Bacolod, seems to have lost his temper after years of continued sniping by city officials, aggravated by the latest incident on the threatened port takeover by the city government.

Even James Chua, a Chinese-Filipino businessman, said in a television interview yesterday that a 200 percent increase in rental is too much.

But the more overriding consideration is that with the SM mall being constructed in the reclamation area now, plus the plan of Palanca to put up an eight-story first-ever condominium unit, the move of the city government can undercut Bacolod’s investment climate, especially now that the reclamation area is bustling and promises to become the city’s economic zone.

Well, as Palanca himself pointed out, the city has not invested a single centavo in the reclamation area. Only BREDCO had spent for all the improvements in the area and now "they want to take over" the area. In short, what do they expect businessmen to do with such mindset of local officials.

Yes, this is something that can set back Bacolod’s dream of becoming a rapidly developing business and commercial center.