CLARK FREEPORT – A federal form of government will strengthen the 17 regions in the country and decentralize Manila which is bursting at the seams.
Thus, said Atty. Felipe “Ping” Remollo, the former president and CEO of the Clark Development Corp. (CDC), during the Balitaan forum organized by the Capampangan in Media, Inc. (CAMI) in cooperation with the CDC and the Social Security System at the Bale Balita here last Friday.
Remollo, who joined the private sector and assists Sen. TG Guingona at the Blue Ribbon Committee as a private lawyer, made the observation in the wake of the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) recently declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (SC) which has gripped the nation in a standstill.
The DAP controversy has put the national government at loggerheads with the SC and affected the whole country when it could have been confined only to Manila, he said.
“By strengthening the regions, the central government will not necessarily be the source of power and funds. Clearly, our present form of government is not appropriate for us and strengthening the regions will be more appropriate,” Remollo said.
With a federal form of government, a master plan per region can easily be independently implemented, he added.
“Let every region grow,” Remollo said. For a start, a P300 billion fund can be channelled to high impact projects like bridges and roads to connect the tourism corridor in the country as we prepare for Charter change, he said. The amount is less than the total DAP fund which news reports indicate has reached as much as P372 billion.
“Tourism can generate funds if properly implemented. Let us connect the major islands in the Philippines,” he said.
“You know why tourists don’t go to Siquijor which has plenty of sights to see, it’s because it is isolated,” Remollo said.
Region 7 or the Central Visayas can be connected through bridges, he said. Dumaguete, Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor can be connected through bridges and on to Western Visayas’ Bacolod, Panay, Aklan, Antique Capiz and Guimaras.
“There’s dolphin watching, whaleshark (Butanding) watching, and the ruined Bohol churches,” he said. Remollo said Dumaguete is about two and a half hours by fast craft to Dapitan in Zamboanga then to Dipolog and the rest of Mindanao which can be connected through roads and train.
“But sadly, what we need is political will which we don’t have in order to implement all these starting with Charter change,” he lamented. Here in Clark “existing na, capitalize mo na lang at punuin kung ano pa ang kulang (…just capitalize on the existing infrastructure and fill in what is still needed),” he said.
Overall, regional development will spur healthy competition which can be beneficial to the country, he said. But first, we must have a “healing president,” he said. “The plunderers could be eventually pardoned but there must be prerequisites for pardon.”
“That is why I don’t agree with the call of the President to wear yellow ribbon to show our support to his administration. That is divisive. We must now wear our true colors – red, white and blue,” he said.
