IN THE long term, a lot of economic benefits for the Philippines. So said Director General Marciano A. Paynor, Jr., head of the APEC 2015 National Organizing Council, of the country’s hosting of this year’s summit, focusing on an eight percent growth in trade with APEC member countries in the past 10 to 15 years.
“(A) very, very solid case why the Philippines must continue to be part of the APEC,” Paynor rationalized, even as he did not qualify that number in terms of export-import ratio which would have made an affirmation, or a lie of his declaration.
In the infrastructure projects undertaken as government prepared for hosting APEC, the people already benefited, Paynor furthered, citing “any construction work is a form of pumppriming the economy.
Indeed, as Clark Development Corp. President-CEO Arthur Tugade declared, the APEC hosting fast-tracked public and private projects in and around the Clark Freeport, even if not necessarily APEC-related.Enthused Tugade: “Ang ganda ong tignan, kasi nagkakapit-bisig, lahat nagkakapitdiwa lahat ng mga stockholders (sic) para matulungan ang gobyerno sa APEC 2015.”
Ticking off the private initiatives, thus: Fontana Leisure Parks is reported to have done a makeover if its convention center, expanding its seating capacity from 500 to 1,800, constructed villas, and also upgraded its golf course and clubhouse.
It also hired 1,000 new workers specially for APEC. Oxford Hotel renovated two whole floors dedicated to APEC delegates, overhauled its façade and grounds, over and above its commitment f P1 billion in the next five for the construction of a new hotel, casino and restaurant complex with ne-stop commercial complex.
Widus Hotel and Casino assigned one of its two towers plus 30 additional rooms exclusively for APEC delegates, even as it has set P2-bilion for the construction of its 300-bedroom Tower 3 and a water theme park.
On the public end of the partnership: Legacy projects slated for implementation this year have already been completed or are in the final phase of completion, notably the Clark Roundabout, the Clark Museum, the Clark 4D Theatre, the Clark Integrated Command Center, and the Clark Parade Ground improvements.
Most fitting then as much a welcoming show of hospitality to the APEC delegates as a celebration of job well done for the CDC are the two dinner parties – complete with giant lantern exhibitions, fireworks and cultural and musical shows – at the Oxford Hotel and the Clark Parade Grounds in the closing days of the APEC ministers’ meetings.
So all’s well that ends well, right? Not quite. Given the Aquino administration’s daang matuwid standard of integrity, transparency, and accountability that Tugade has taken as an unbreakable vow and imposed upon himself and the whole CDC.CDC bares P137.69-M projects as APEC opens at Clark Freeport.
So reported the erudite Ding Cervantes in this paper at the end of January. With the projects itemized thus:Clark Roundabout at the Bayanihan Park along the MacArthur Highway towards the Clark Main Gate at P12.85 million. Clark Integrated Command Center at P1.7 million.
LED street lighting all over the Freeport at P18.77 million. Traffic lights in four locations at P9.26 million. Parade Ground improvements – toilet, jogging path, benches – at P4.62 million. Parade Ground lighting at P6.21 million. Clark Museum renovation at P11.32 million. Clark Museum “curatorial works” at P18.41 million.
Clark 4-D Theater building – 48-seater – at P5.7 million. Clark 4-D Theater equipment that can produce wind, smoke, bubble, water shots, leg and back seat tickler and “three axes motion” at P35 million. Risen from the Ashes – an 18-minute film in 3-D – at P13.85 million.
In substance, the film was blasted to smithereens for damning the Kapampangan with the canard that “Clark was systematically looted by the hungry victims” of the Mount Pinatubo eruptions.Aside from its cultural misrepresentation and patently advertorial, if subtle, bias for interests detrimental to the development of the Clark airport.
In form, the film was deemed “overpriced” with at least one filmmaker, Abel Cruz of the Capampangan in Media Inc., saying he could have produced it for only half-million pesos, with showing in Asian travel channels to boot.
It makes one really wonder how an 18-minute film could cost more than the construction of a major infra like the roundabout, or the very theatre where it would be shown. Wonder all the more how “curatorial works” cost more than the combined renovation of the museum and the construction of the 4-D theatre.
Indeed, what comprised curatorial works to merit such a seemingly steep price? And who did the curatorial works? The Louvre? The Smithsonian? The MOMA? The Center for Kapampangan Studies of Holy Angel University could have done a better job, most certainly.
Given its being the verytemplate for establishments of its kind in other universities in the whole country. Yes, how were the projects awarded? Through the usual bidding? So were there announcements published? Who were the bidders? Some people are already smelling something fishy here.
We don’t. Not yet, at least. Still, Tugade’s much bruited about transparency is at issue here. And CDC is hard-put to effect another APEC – that is Accountability in Projects Executed at Clark.
