Destroying an iconic building
WHILE there was a lot of brouhaha about cutting the old trees at Clifford and Freedom Parks (@ Roxas BLVD), our Davao City mayor and city admin officer quietly had the historical court-of-first instance bldg demolished – which NANAY SOLING (yes, the grandma) designated as the home of MUSEO DABAWENYO. True, that this museum will be housed in a P100M+ building (near People’s Park) but do we need to destroy a historical building for what – and engineering office?!! And what did they do to the “GRAND STAIRCASE”?!! NOV. 1 – A DAY OF TRASH The other night I had a dream: a vision of long-gone friends and relatives and although their faces were a little hazy, the message was crystal-clear: “Please tell your friends – and our relatives – to continue remembering us – but please tell them to not DESECRATE our final resting ground on earth by leaving their TRASH and GARBAGE here.” And with a sad smile, the visages left me shaken and stirred to sudden wakefulness. So I went to the DAVAO MEMORIAL PARK 2 days after Undas – and sure enough there were mounds of plastic bags, boxes of trash and wilted flowers – garbage that the visitors should have taken home with them. If cleanliness is NEXT to GODliness, these visitors must have been a bunch of infidels and agnostics! “KAHIYA-HIYA!” shame on them, shame on us! Why do we Filipinos have this culture if shameless habit of throwing our waste – not only on our cemeteries but also on streets, parking lots, canals, esteros, rivers, beaches, mountains, atbp? Where did our values go? So, listen to the voices of your long-lost friends and relatives now because someday you will join them – on the lower side of the grass.
De LIMA: DAY IN COURT
After 2 years in jail, it’s high time she goes to trial. If guilty, jail her. If innocent, free her – to finish her Senate term, even for just a day. Then, charge her for sexually harassing Ronnie & Jonel.
ICAD CO-CHAIRS
I nominate Sen. Ping LACSON (to replace Aaron Aquino) as co-chair of the ICAD along w/ VP LENI. The PDEA chief (Aquino) and other agencies should be SUBORDINATES to the ICAD co-chairs. ARTICA DOME: earthquake proof? The Artica Dome, which was built during Ben de Guzman’s term at a cost of P300 million, was immediately shut down as an “earthquake risk” by Mayor Digong. I wonder now if the GOATS who now live in the abandoned sports dome are still safe. NOV 15 PUB CRAWL – FOR A CAUSE Listen to Tony Peralta and his jazz band “ALTERED REALITY” at the Frog Kaffee (Torres St.). His band and many other bands will showcase their musical talents at seven clubs and pubs in our city on Friday, NOV 15. The proceeds from these concerts will go to the earthquake victims in Davao del Sur and the Cotabato area. Let’s support this worthy venture – and have fun listening to jazz, R&B, and rock tunes. See ya!
The clubs are Frog Kaffe, Gio’s Crib, Pete’s Point, Suazo Bar, State of Mind, Tipsylogan, Top Budz, and Zero82 Lokal. Chester “CHIP” Canonigo of the band “ACID RADIUS” is one of the 70+ bands who organized this even called “USA SA BUNDAKAN PARA SA NAIG-AN”. Well done, Chip!
LESSONS FROM METRO MLA’s WATER CRISIS Metro MLA is undergoing a sever water crisis today which we DC residents can learn from, lessons that we can
can use to AVOID the same fate. Lack of strategic planning and vision coupled by a lack of political will in implementation of the long-awaited KALIWA DAM project will create the looming water crisis in Metro Manila. 4 million-mostly POOR-residents are the victims — unlike the residents of rich enclaves like Ayala’s (1 of the water concessionaires) posh subdivisions or the restos and malls in Greenbelt and Glorietta, Makati. The other concessionaire’s (Metro Pacific/Pangilinan/Salim Group) businesses will not suffer the water shortage.
So, what are the lessons? Water resources in Metro MLA are planned and regulated by the NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD, MWSS (FORMERLY NAWASA). The two concessionaires enfranchised by MWSS MANILA WATER and MAYNILAD are responsible for the distribution of water.
These two private corporations are also in-charge of the SEWAGE and DIRTY WATER CLEAN-UP PLANTS in MM. Water is mainly sourced from Angat Dam — with ADDITIONAL source from UNbuilt and contentious KALIWA DAM. The basic problem is the water shortage today — TODAY! And there is no quick solution TOMORROW. So, we’re praying for rain to fill-up angat.
In Davao, DCWD is both the “MWSS”, the water resources board, and the sole concessionaire. DCWD has recently partnered with Aboitiz to source cleaned-up water from the TAMUGAN RIVER.
But is this enough for DC’s booming population — and the “BUILD-BUILD-BUILD” construction needs?
And, who will be responsible for DC’s SEWAGE and WATER-TREATMENT PLANTS?
In the meantime, our canals and esteros pollute the DVO river and the DVO Gulf?
Who is responsible for cleaning up these two CESSPOOLS? And it will just get worse if we don’t address these problems