‘Down in the dump’ again

THE BACOLOD CITY government is “down in the dump” again. For the fifth time, on Jan. 25, President Bongbong Marcos Jr. failed to show up in Bacolod despite repeated invites and announcements f r om t he c i t y g overnmen t under Mayor Albee Benitez. The President, per report, was supposed to lead the blessing and turnover of condo units at the Asenso Yuhum Village Project (AYVP) located in Barangay Vista Alegre. ( Actually, the turnover should h a v e b e e n d o n e l a s t y e a r ye t . O n l y t h e Pre s i d e n t ’ s presence was being awaited.) AYVP is part of the housing program of the President through Pabahay Para sa Pamilyang Pilipino (4PH) under the Department of Housing Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD). 4PH is designed to address around six million housing backlog in the country.

President Bongbong and Mayor Albee are known to be childhood friends. Previously, every time t h e P re s i d e n t we n t a b ro a d , Mayor Albee was ( always) part of the presidential delegation. Now, everyone seems to have noticed something different.

In March last year, Mayor Albee announced that President Bongbong would be the officiating official i n the historic mass wedding ceremony f or 2,023 couples in Bacolod. Lo and behold, only First Lady Liza Marcos came. In October 2023, it was confidently proclaimed in front of the media that the President was coming as guest of honor in the highlight of MassKara Festival on the 22nd. But again, nothing happened despite the massive display of “welcome tarps” from the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City to Bacolod City’s proper area. Then, in December, it was disclosed in a press conference that President Marcos Jr. would be arriving on the 20th in time for the mayor’s 56th birthday and to lead the blessing and turnover of condo units at AYVP still. But that was another no-show. Then during the Asenso Nite held at Paglaum Sports Complex on Dec. 16, 2013 it was announced in front of thousands of supporters that, maybe, the President was arriving in Bacolod second week of January this year. J a n . 1 5 c a m e , b u t s t i l l n o P r e s i d e n t a p p e a r e d . Recently, Councilor Vladimir Gonzales and DHSUD Region 6 Director Eva Marfil both announced that President Marcos Jr. was arriving in Bacolod for, again, an AYVP blessing and turning over of condo units on Jan.25. As usual, people waited, but to no avail again.

J ust l ast week, t he mayor alongside Gonzales and Marfil, went to Manila to sign another memorandum of agreement (MOA) with DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar for another set of AYVP to be constructed, this time, in Barangay Banago. Per reliable source, President Bongbong should have graced the momentous event in Manila. Alas, he wasn’t at the signing ceremony.

Now, everyone’s asking about the “no show” of the President. Why? Puzzling, right?/