Tourism: We’re headed for troubled skies

First of all allow me to congratulate the Men’s Regular Golfing Team of the Cebu Country Club (CCC) for winning the 65th PAL Interclub Golf Tournament Championship Division for the first time. Kudos to CCC Pres. Ramontito Garcia, the team captain, and his boys led by Bayani Garcia, Jovi Neri, Carl Almario, LJ Go, Mark Dy, Marko Sarmiento, Eric Deen, Gen Nagai, Gio Gandionco and manager Charlie Go for besting Del Monte and all the golf clubs in the entire country with an 8-stroke lead. Finally CCC golfers get the recognition that they have long deserved! Congrats to you guys!

*** Today we will see on TV that “show of force” grand rally sponsored by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) at the Quirino Grandstand under the guise of its being a Grand Evangelical Mission and Bible Exposition, but in truth, it is to inform the Filipino people that the INC has already cut its ties with the Aquino Regime and perhaps they would give a litany of the problems that the Aquino Regime has caused this nation. I’m not sure if the INC would also hold a rally here but I know of people who are not INC members who want to join them in this rally.

*** To date, Sec. Mon Jimenez, the Secretary of Tourism (DOT) hasn’t lifted a finger to stop Qatar Airways from getting out of the Cebu to Doha and the rest of Europe run because of the heavy airline taxes being imposed by the national government. Here we are campaigning vigorously to bring in tourists to our shores, but the national government doesn’t seem to care.

The last we heard from the DOT Secretary was when he launched the new slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines,” which, whether he likes it or not has gotten flak from various tourism stakeholders. Incidentally Sec. Jimenez inherited the “open skies” policy embraced by Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III, which was a major objective of former Dot Sec. Alberto “Bertie” Lim. But the Malacañang Executive Order put in place to implement this open skies policy has not resulted in new airlines coming to our shores. Instead, for Cebu, we would be losing a major international airline.

I read a report from Indilyn S. Quiachon of Dot-region 7, who listed the construction of more convention and exhibition venues, the creation of amusement parks and development of adventure and eco-tourism sites and the opening of tourism estates, but all that will never become a financial success if we don’t have any foreign airlines coming our way and worse, the ones already operating here would be flying out of Cebu. So where do we go from here? When will our local government officials sound the alarm? When it is already too late in the hour? Cebu tourism is headed for troubled skies!

Meanwhile, we already wrote a few months back what the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) reported to us that there were three applicants for a new tourism enterprises using the sequestered tourism properties, notably in Moalboal, the Argao Beach Club and yes, my old favorite pet peeve, the Kan-irag Golf Course up in Busay. That was months ago and until now; we are still kept in the dark as to what kind of tourism enterprises will be put up there and who are the people behind them. I mean, at this point, why hasn’t TIEZA revealed the names of these interested parties? Surely this is not a state secret?

*** The political kettle is starting to boil when two political bigwigs in Cebu City announced their alliance for the 2013 elections. Yes, by now everyone knows that Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and former Rep. Antonio V. Cuenco have formed an alliance to support each other for the up and coming midterm local elections. This alliance is yet another proof that the ruling Bando-osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) of Rep. Tomas Osmeña has already splintered and if things go their way, these two will run under the banner of the Liberal Party (LP). A battle royale looms in the distance.

The big question is has Rep. Tomas Osmeña completely severed his ties with the LP? There is no question that during the 2011 elections, then Mayor Osmeña lost in the South District of Cebu City despite being allied with then Councilor Michael Rama and Rep. Tony Cuenco. But with these two political stalwarts who have their political bailiwicks in the South District, let me say that their team up is quite formidable. Whether he believes it or not, Tony Cuenco is pound for pound a better congressman than Rep. Tomas Osmeña.

Meanwhile, If Rep. Osmeña will use his BO-PK for the 2013 elections, does this also mean that Rep. Osmeña would no longer be supporting the gubernatorial bid of his loyal boy, former Councilor Hilario “Jun Jun” Davide, III who is supposedly the LP Bet in Cebu Province? Abangan!

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