Hola Sra. Araneta:
The locale for Paseo Caribe would indeed ruin a beautiful historic area. I once had an office on the 11th floor of the Caribe Bldg. accross the street from the Caribe Hilton hotel. The site is on the East side of a small island called Puerta de Tierra connected to the mainland (much like Singapore is) by a causeway, the Dos Hermanos Bridge. South of the built-up area lies the Condado Lagoon where within sight of the tourism district, locals could still do some fishing.
There certainly are sound historic and environmental reasons to oppose to project. It would spoil not only the natural beauty of the area but also dwarf the historic site of San Geronimo (it's spelled with a "G" locally). If memory serves me right, there were not too many residences in the area, some of which were U.S. navy personnel housing. Expanding the population on-site would almost certainly disturb the marine life and the local gulls and pelicans.
It would appear that the Junta de Planificacion has altered its rules about development on the coastline. However, since the director of the Junta is appointed by the Governor and holds cabinet rank, it is entirely likely the Paseo plans have the backing of the Governor -- promising an uphill fight to opponents for sure.
Sadly, the same thing threatens historic sites in the auld sod. The last time I visited was in the 70's and was disappointed by many amateurish attempts at the beautification / restoration of historic churches, usually initiated by the parish priest -- well intentioned but architecturally un-informed. Things may have changed since then and I certainly hope so.
One only has to visit the Alamo in Tejas to see what poor development controls can do to a historic site. The mission sits dwarfed in a veritable canyon whose walls are made up of tall hotel buildings.
In particular, Intramuros holds special interest for me for family and historical reasons -- but let us leave that for another day.
R.V. in Los Angeles
P.S.
Someone passed on your blog to me and I'm glad of it. I too value the Hispanic heritage of the archipelago and its historical landmarks.
Friday, December 21, 2007
From Senator Mar Roxas
PRESS STATEMENT
> Office of Senator Mar Roxas
>
> ROXAS CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO JUNK COVINGTON CONTRACT
>
> Senator Mar Roxas called on the government to
> publish in full the provisions
> of a $50-million six-month contract signed between
> the Philippine Embassy in
> Washington D.C. and a United States lobby firm known
> as Covington & Burling
> LLP.
>
> “If true, this amount is even bigger than what we
> get from the US in
> military aid. If they can’t defend this in Plaza
> Miranda or any palengke in
> the country, then they should junk it altogether,”
> Roxas said.
>
> Roxas, chairman of the Senate trade and commerce
> committee, noted that the
> contract is another example of wasteful and
> non-transparent spending of the
> people’s hard-earned money.
>
> “What can Covington do that our own Philippine
> Embassy cannot accomplish?
> $50-million for a prominent US lobby firm is P2
> billion worth of assistance
> to disadvantaged sectors like farmers, fishermen,
> distressed OFWs,
> malnourished children and many others,” he said.
>
> “Tama ba na ang mga ganitong kontrata ang
> pinopondohan ng buwis ng bayan?
> Bakit sa ganitong mga transaksyon eh ang bilis
> nilang pumayag, pero sa mga
> panukala katulad ng zero VAT on oil ay ang bilis
> nilang humindi,” he added.
>
> “Glaring examples of such overpriced and needless
> foreign contracts are
> precisely why it’s better to let the people enjoy
> part of their money by
> suspending the EVAT on oil than let government
> decide on how such revenues
> should be allocated,” he explained.
>
> He recalled that the failed Venable contract which
> was priced at P50 million
> drew a huge outcry from the people and members of
> Congress.
>
> “I am familiar with the rates charged for normal
> trade access or information
> access. This amount is for something more, perhaps
> like getting the US
> Defense and Military establishment to soften
> resistance to a new strain of
> Martial Law,” he said.
>
> “Paulit-ulit na lang ang mga ganitong uri ng
> pagkakamali kaya napakababa ng
> kredibilidad ng ating pamahalaan,” Roxas said.
>
> The senator said that foreign contracts such as the
> Covington deal must go
> through public bidding and be imbued with
> transparency and accountability.
>
> “Who is behind this contract and why? Who is ready
> to stand before the
> people and explain what this contract is all about
> and why $50-million of
> the people’s money should be spent on this rather
> than on school-feeding
> programs, better health services, and other
> priorities?” he said.
>
> Based on news reports, Covington & LLP has been
> engaged to “promote the
> interests of the Republic of the Philippines with
> the US Congress and the US
> Government on a range of political, economic, and
> security issues” and other
> tasks.
> -more-
> The reported contract provides that "the term of the
> individual consultant
> shall be, at most, six months, renewable at the
> option of the appointing
> Head of the Procuring Entity," referring to Gaa. The
> consultant will "work
> closely with the Embassy of the Philippines in
> connection with the following
> tasks:"
> * Promote the interests of the Philippines
> with the US Congress and
> the US government on a range of political, economic,
> and security issues.
> * Support efforts that can result in
> increased US trade opportunities
> for the Philippines.
> * Support efforts that can result in
> increased foreign direct
> investment from US companies.
> * Support efforts to develop new initiatives
> or expand current
> programs that support the ability of the Philippine
> Armed Forces to
> strengthen capabilities in the areas of security and
> anti-terrorism.
> * Work with Philippine government officials
> to promote increased
> levels of US Development Assistance to the
> Philippines.
> * Ensure that members of the US Congress and
> government officials are
> regularly and accurately updated on developments in
> the Philippines to
> promote understanding of the importance and positive
> developments taking
> place in the country.
>
>
>
>
>
> Office of Senator Mar Roxas
>
> ROXAS CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO JUNK COVINGTON CONTRACT
>
> Senator Mar Roxas called on the government to
> publish in full the provisions
> of a $50-million six-month contract signed between
> the Philippine Embassy in
> Washington D.C. and a United States lobby firm known
> as Covington & Burling
> LLP.
>
> “If true, this amount is even bigger than what we
> get from the US in
> military aid. If they can’t defend this in Plaza
> Miranda or any palengke in
> the country, then they should junk it altogether,”
> Roxas said.
>
> Roxas, chairman of the Senate trade and commerce
> committee, noted that the
> contract is another example of wasteful and
> non-transparent spending of the
> people’s hard-earned money.
>
> “What can Covington do that our own Philippine
> Embassy cannot accomplish?
> $50-million for a prominent US lobby firm is P2
> billion worth of assistance
> to disadvantaged sectors like farmers, fishermen,
> distressed OFWs,
> malnourished children and many others,” he said.
>
> “Tama ba na ang mga ganitong kontrata ang
> pinopondohan ng buwis ng bayan?
> Bakit sa ganitong mga transaksyon eh ang bilis
> nilang pumayag, pero sa mga
> panukala katulad ng zero VAT on oil ay ang bilis
> nilang humindi,” he added.
>
> “Glaring examples of such overpriced and needless
> foreign contracts are
> precisely why it’s better to let the people enjoy
> part of their money by
> suspending the EVAT on oil than let government
> decide on how such revenues
> should be allocated,” he explained.
>
> He recalled that the failed Venable contract which
> was priced at P50 million
> drew a huge outcry from the people and members of
> Congress.
>
> “I am familiar with the rates charged for normal
> trade access or information
> access. This amount is for something more, perhaps
> like getting the US
> Defense and Military establishment to soften
> resistance to a new strain of
> Martial Law,” he said.
>
> “Paulit-ulit na lang ang mga ganitong uri ng
> pagkakamali kaya napakababa ng
> kredibilidad ng ating pamahalaan,” Roxas said.
>
> The senator said that foreign contracts such as the
> Covington deal must go
> through public bidding and be imbued with
> transparency and accountability.
>
> “Who is behind this contract and why? Who is ready
> to stand before the
> people and explain what this contract is all about
> and why $50-million of
> the people’s money should be spent on this rather
> than on school-feeding
> programs, better health services, and other
> priorities?” he said.
>
> Based on news reports, Covington & LLP has been
> engaged to “promote the
> interests of the Republic of the Philippines with
> the US Congress and the US
> Government on a range of political, economic, and
> security issues” and other
> tasks.
> -more-
> The reported contract provides that "the term of the
> individual consultant
> shall be, at most, six months, renewable at the
> option of the appointing
> Head of the Procuring Entity," referring to Gaa. The
> consultant will "work
> closely with the Embassy of the Philippines in
> connection with the following
> tasks:"
> * Promote the interests of the Philippines
> with the US Congress and
> the US government on a range of political, economic,
> and security issues.
> * Support efforts that can result in
> increased US trade opportunities
> for the Philippines.
> * Support efforts that can result in
> increased foreign direct
> investment from US companies.
> * Support efforts to develop new initiatives
> or expand current
> programs that support the ability of the Philippine
> Armed Forces to
> strengthen capabilities in the areas of security and
> anti-terrorism.
> * Work with Philippine government officials
> to promote increased
> levels of US Development Assistance to the
> Philippines.
> * Ensure that members of the US Congress and
> government officials are
> regularly and accurately updated on developments in
> the Philippines to
> promote understanding of the importance and positive
> developments taking
> place in the country.
>
>
>
>
>
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Military heritage
Have you ever been to Fort Stotsenburg? Perhaps you have, several times, without even realizing you were there. Fort Stotsenburg is the core around which Clark Air Base was built at the turn of the XXth century, during the USA invasion of our republic. When I first went there, a Filipino (General Camua) had just been assigned to head the command office (excuse my inaccurate military terms) and he was kind enough to show me around. There was a cluster of white cement houses with green roofs and as we drove past a two-story one, I told General Camua he should convert it into a museum, to which he replied with an amused smile—“ But, that is where I live.”
I went to Fort Stotsenburg again, a month ago, and was relieved to see the cement houses intact, albeit disguised as seaside dwellings with roofs painted in blazing Mediterranean blue. However, the heritage setting of what was Fort Stotsenburg is now somewhat disfigured by a hotel of indiscernible architecture, painted in various tones of peach, but named after the American general. Worse things could have happened.
Speaking of our neglected military heritage, this letter came from Mr. Conrado Rigor of Seattle, Washington who read my article about Mayor Alfredo Lim´s concern for the built heritage resources of Manila . Mr. Rigor wrote: “As a homesick expat living in America, the old landmarks you so affectionately write about like the Jai-Alai, the Manila Jockey Club, the Manila Opera House, and others light up visions of our glorious past… I happen to be what you would call an Army brat. My father was in the military, the old professional variety during the era of the great Ramon Magsaysay. “
While Mr. Rigor was growing up, he lived in Camp Henry T. Allen in Baguio, Camp Murphy ( now Crame) in Quezon City, and in Ft. William McKinley (renamed Bonifacio).. He now wants to know the “startling fate” or what has become of Ft. McKinley, (Ft. Bonifacio), “…after it was unceremoniously turned into a commercial area.” Reminiscing, he said :” As a high school student in the late 1950s , I saw American tourists come by the busloads to visit the old, historic American quarters inside Ft. McKinley because they were the same ones built by the first U.S. Army long before Douglas MacArthur even arrived in the country.”
Truly nostalgic, Mr. Rigor continued to say that he and his gang of adventurous Army brats, ”… used to explore some of the tunnels (similar to Corregidor's Malinta Tunnel,with space large enough for trucks and tanks to move about). I now wonder whatever happened to those mysterious caves and tunnels that my Dad used to say were emergency spaces built by the early Americans. Those tunnels would have been historical gems and sure-fire tourist attractions if they had been preserved.” Indeed!
Mr. Rigor ended with a sad note: “We who had grown up and had become so attached to the memory of Ft. McKinley feel that some people simply got blinded by greed to have chosen to destroy and sell such a historic place...Please write more about this little-known episode regarding Ft. Bonifacio. I realize you may be waking up sleeping wolves but I guess there is no other way to bring home a point unless one points to such gross indifference to our heritage..”
Fort Bonifacio was sold purportedly to finance the modernization of the Philippine Armed Forces, but unlike Fort Stotsenburg, there is not a trace of what it used to be. However, the army has little to show, it was probably better equipped when you were an army brat, Mr. Rigor.. Suffice it to say that the wolves in question are in uniform, always foraging and never sleeping.
I went to Fort Stotsenburg again, a month ago, and was relieved to see the cement houses intact, albeit disguised as seaside dwellings with roofs painted in blazing Mediterranean blue. However, the heritage setting of what was Fort Stotsenburg is now somewhat disfigured by a hotel of indiscernible architecture, painted in various tones of peach, but named after the American general. Worse things could have happened.
Speaking of our neglected military heritage, this letter came from Mr. Conrado Rigor of Seattle, Washington who read my article about Mayor Alfredo Lim´s concern for the built heritage resources of Manila . Mr. Rigor wrote: “As a homesick expat living in America, the old landmarks you so affectionately write about like the Jai-Alai, the Manila Jockey Club, the Manila Opera House, and others light up visions of our glorious past… I happen to be what you would call an Army brat. My father was in the military, the old professional variety during the era of the great Ramon Magsaysay. “
While Mr. Rigor was growing up, he lived in Camp Henry T. Allen in Baguio, Camp Murphy ( now Crame) in Quezon City, and in Ft. William McKinley (renamed Bonifacio).. He now wants to know the “startling fate” or what has become of Ft. McKinley, (Ft. Bonifacio), “…after it was unceremoniously turned into a commercial area.” Reminiscing, he said :” As a high school student in the late 1950s , I saw American tourists come by the busloads to visit the old, historic American quarters inside Ft. McKinley because they were the same ones built by the first U.S. Army long before Douglas MacArthur even arrived in the country.”
Truly nostalgic, Mr. Rigor continued to say that he and his gang of adventurous Army brats, ”… used to explore some of the tunnels (similar to Corregidor's Malinta Tunnel,with space large enough for trucks and tanks to move about). I now wonder whatever happened to those mysterious caves and tunnels that my Dad used to say were emergency spaces built by the early Americans. Those tunnels would have been historical gems and sure-fire tourist attractions if they had been preserved.” Indeed!
Mr. Rigor ended with a sad note: “We who had grown up and had become so attached to the memory of Ft. McKinley feel that some people simply got blinded by greed to have chosen to destroy and sell such a historic place...Please write more about this little-known episode regarding Ft. Bonifacio. I realize you may be waking up sleeping wolves but I guess there is no other way to bring home a point unless one points to such gross indifference to our heritage..”
Fort Bonifacio was sold purportedly to finance the modernization of the Philippine Armed Forces, but unlike Fort Stotsenburg, there is not a trace of what it used to be. However, the army has little to show, it was probably better equipped when you were an army brat, Mr. Rigor.. Suffice it to say that the wolves in question are in uniform, always foraging and never sleeping.
Monday, December 17, 2007
In the same boat
Mexico D.F.-- Not many people remember that Filipinas, Cuba and Puerto Rico are virtual sisters bound together by historical and cultural ties for they were colonies of Spain and were lost at almost the same time and for practically the same reasons. Through force of circumstances, Cuba has taken a distinct path but Puerto Rico and Filipinas are more or less in the same boat, specially when protecting built heritage resources.
A few days ago, a friend from Puerto Rico told me that he was so incensed about a “Paseo Caribe” project that he joined mass protests in San Juan to denounce its adverse effect on their most significant heritage site, the Fortin San Jeronimo. It brought to mind our own endangered Intramuros.
Apparently, the ¨Paseo Caribe” is a cluster of five high rise condo-hotels with entertainment and shopping centers and two parking buildings for 1,400 vehicles. My friend said the complex eclipses the view of Fortin San Jeronimo and its site and settings which include Paseo La Princesa and the historic La Princesa prison where many patriots were incarcerated.
At the onset in 2001, the Instituto Cultural Puertoriqueño voiced its opposition to the “Paseo Caribe” project as it encroaches on archeological sites around the Fortin area, as well as impedes access. However, with total impunity, the San Jeronimo developers fast tracked construction so in desperation the Instituto Cultural ran to the Senate which immediately called a committee hearing. We don’t know if that was done in aid of legislation but it seems the Senate discovered that the coastal land occupied by the “Paseo Caribe” was/is public domain.
How did the developer get all the required permits and clearances? Was government property privatized without public knowledge? If it had been sold, for how much ? On the other hand, humble homes belonging to poor workers were summarily appropriated because these were too near the walls of Fortin San Jeronimo. Why the double-standard?-- the Partido Independista senators wanted to know.
According to Senate findings, deeply embroiled in the ¨Paseo Caribe” controversy were the former secretaries of Natural Resources and Environment, the Interior, plus the spouse of an ex- governor. As it turned out, the erstwhile Secretary of Economic Planning was the principal promoter. Throughout his watch, during interagency meetings on government flagship projects, he would order his subalterns to expedite the permits of San Jeronimo Development Co. Not surprising was the Department of Justice´s request that all Senate materials be submitted to them; a criminal case was initiated promptly.
But despite restraining orders, mass demos by outraged environmentalists and the academe, and firm resolutions from the Association of American Jurors, the “Paseo Caribe” seems to have acquired a life of its own and is now approaching a second phase, the “Paseo La Princesa”. In Puerto Rico and Filipinas, culture, historical landmarks and heritage are protected by the Constitution, but in both places, my friend and I agreed, there are stationary bandits too greedy to put heritage resources to good use.
A few days ago, a friend from Puerto Rico told me that he was so incensed about a “Paseo Caribe” project that he joined mass protests in San Juan to denounce its adverse effect on their most significant heritage site, the Fortin San Jeronimo. It brought to mind our own endangered Intramuros.
Apparently, the ¨Paseo Caribe” is a cluster of five high rise condo-hotels with entertainment and shopping centers and two parking buildings for 1,400 vehicles. My friend said the complex eclipses the view of Fortin San Jeronimo and its site and settings which include Paseo La Princesa and the historic La Princesa prison where many patriots were incarcerated.
At the onset in 2001, the Instituto Cultural Puertoriqueño voiced its opposition to the “Paseo Caribe” project as it encroaches on archeological sites around the Fortin area, as well as impedes access. However, with total impunity, the San Jeronimo developers fast tracked construction so in desperation the Instituto Cultural ran to the Senate which immediately called a committee hearing. We don’t know if that was done in aid of legislation but it seems the Senate discovered that the coastal land occupied by the “Paseo Caribe” was/is public domain.
How did the developer get all the required permits and clearances? Was government property privatized without public knowledge? If it had been sold, for how much ? On the other hand, humble homes belonging to poor workers were summarily appropriated because these were too near the walls of Fortin San Jeronimo. Why the double-standard?-- the Partido Independista senators wanted to know.
According to Senate findings, deeply embroiled in the ¨Paseo Caribe” controversy were the former secretaries of Natural Resources and Environment, the Interior, plus the spouse of an ex- governor. As it turned out, the erstwhile Secretary of Economic Planning was the principal promoter. Throughout his watch, during interagency meetings on government flagship projects, he would order his subalterns to expedite the permits of San Jeronimo Development Co. Not surprising was the Department of Justice´s request that all Senate materials be submitted to them; a criminal case was initiated promptly.
But despite restraining orders, mass demos by outraged environmentalists and the academe, and firm resolutions from the Association of American Jurors, the “Paseo Caribe” seems to have acquired a life of its own and is now approaching a second phase, the “Paseo La Princesa”. In Puerto Rico and Filipinas, culture, historical landmarks and heritage are protected by the Constitution, but in both places, my friend and I agreed, there are stationary bandits too greedy to put heritage resources to good use.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
No lip service for Manila Mayor Lim
Mexico D.F.-- From across the Pacific Ocean,I have
been able to follow closely the denouement of the
Luneta Hotel case, thanks to the internet. What a
relief that the venerable edifice, probably the only
one in the country reminiscent of Italian Renaissance,
has escaped the wrath of the wreckers ball, unlike the
lamented Jai-alai and the oldest police station in
Asia, the Meisic.
A couple of years ago, rumors were rife that the
Luneta Hotel was doomed because it sits on premium
real estate which was up for grabs. The modus
operandi then was to let heritage structures decay and
rot so the city administration in power could justify
demolition and award these to the highest bidder who
would then construct yet another lackluster shopping
center or a nondescript high-rise building. That was
what happened to the Manila Jockey Club, designed by
National Artist Juan Nakpil and declared a landmark by
the National Historical Institute. In the same
mindless manner, we lost Manila’s historic downtown
theaters, notably the Grand Opera House. So, until
recently, heritage advocates, history buffs, art
lovers, tourism promoters, even the general public
lived in dread of losing yet another irreplaceable
landmark—the Luneta Hotel.
A couple of months ago, there was a signboard on top
of the hotel´s main entrance which read “ Ïnternet
Casino”, but when asked, the PAGCOR (Philippine
Amusement and Gaming Corporation) denied knowledge of
any such plan. Then in October, a menacing building
permit, in blood red letters, was nailed on the
façade as construction materials started piling up on
the sidewalks around the Luneta Hotel. However, the
City Engineer insisted that there were no plans of
demolishing the Luneta Hotel, no matter how damaged
the structure; in fact, the new owners were starting
to repair it, that is why the building permit. It was
alarming, nevertheless, because no one knew the
property had changed hands.
The good news is that the Luneta Hotel will not
be demolished. Evidently, Manila´s built heritage
resources now have a better chance for survival
because Mayor Alfredo S. Lim ´s interest in
restoration is not merely lip service. When he was a
senator, he saved a vintage public school named after
Jose abad Santos from the wreckers ball. He believes
that traditional Filipino values can be revived
through history, culture and heritage, that is why
these are promoted in his 11-point agenda.
Last July, Mayor Lim signed Executive Order no.
10 which reconstituted a historical commission
established in his first tenure, it is now the Manila
Historical and Heritage Commission (MHHC) which works
closely with the City Engineer and City Planning
Office. The Museo ng Maynila at the former Army & Navy
Club is open once again. There is a “patrimonial
properties “ committee led by the Mayor´s Chief of
Staff and City Administrator, which meets weekly to
evaluate all city properties and their appropriate
use.
Under Mayor Lim, the City Engineer´s Office has
become open and straightforward in its dealings with
NGOs like the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS)
which it has asked to liaise with the new owners of
the Luneta Hotel. This time, their pleas for
restoration and protection of built heritage resources
have not fallen on deaf bureaucratic ears, according
to HCS trustees Archs. Dominic Galicia and Bettina
Bonoan and past presidents Ms. Bambi L. Harper and
Arch. Augusto Villalon. Since Mayor Lim was easily
accessible, so sincerely concerned about the
preservation of the Luneta Hotel, the city engineers
and the new proprietors have to pay more than just lip
service.
been able to follow closely the denouement of the
Luneta Hotel case, thanks to the internet. What a
relief that the venerable edifice, probably the only
one in the country reminiscent of Italian Renaissance,
has escaped the wrath of the wreckers ball, unlike the
lamented Jai-alai and the oldest police station in
Asia, the Meisic.
A couple of years ago, rumors were rife that the
Luneta Hotel was doomed because it sits on premium
real estate which was up for grabs. The modus
operandi then was to let heritage structures decay and
rot so the city administration in power could justify
demolition and award these to the highest bidder who
would then construct yet another lackluster shopping
center or a nondescript high-rise building. That was
what happened to the Manila Jockey Club, designed by
National Artist Juan Nakpil and declared a landmark by
the National Historical Institute. In the same
mindless manner, we lost Manila’s historic downtown
theaters, notably the Grand Opera House. So, until
recently, heritage advocates, history buffs, art
lovers, tourism promoters, even the general public
lived in dread of losing yet another irreplaceable
landmark—the Luneta Hotel.
A couple of months ago, there was a signboard on top
of the hotel´s main entrance which read “ Ïnternet
Casino”, but when asked, the PAGCOR (Philippine
Amusement and Gaming Corporation) denied knowledge of
any such plan. Then in October, a menacing building
permit, in blood red letters, was nailed on the
façade as construction materials started piling up on
the sidewalks around the Luneta Hotel. However, the
City Engineer insisted that there were no plans of
demolishing the Luneta Hotel, no matter how damaged
the structure; in fact, the new owners were starting
to repair it, that is why the building permit. It was
alarming, nevertheless, because no one knew the
property had changed hands.
The good news is that the Luneta Hotel will not
be demolished. Evidently, Manila´s built heritage
resources now have a better chance for survival
because Mayor Alfredo S. Lim ´s interest in
restoration is not merely lip service. When he was a
senator, he saved a vintage public school named after
Jose abad Santos from the wreckers ball. He believes
that traditional Filipino values can be revived
through history, culture and heritage, that is why
these are promoted in his 11-point agenda.
Last July, Mayor Lim signed Executive Order no.
10 which reconstituted a historical commission
established in his first tenure, it is now the Manila
Historical and Heritage Commission (MHHC) which works
closely with the City Engineer and City Planning
Office. The Museo ng Maynila at the former Army & Navy
Club is open once again. There is a “patrimonial
properties “ committee led by the Mayor´s Chief of
Staff and City Administrator, which meets weekly to
evaluate all city properties and their appropriate
use.
Under Mayor Lim, the City Engineer´s Office has
become open and straightforward in its dealings with
NGOs like the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS)
which it has asked to liaise with the new owners of
the Luneta Hotel. This time, their pleas for
restoration and protection of built heritage resources
have not fallen on deaf bureaucratic ears, according
to HCS trustees Archs. Dominic Galicia and Bettina
Bonoan and past presidents Ms. Bambi L. Harper and
Arch. Augusto Villalon. Since Mayor Lim was easily
accessible, so sincerely concerned about the
preservation of the Luneta Hotel, the city engineers
and the new proprietors have to pay more than just lip
service.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Those nasty State Visits
>
>
> Contrary to its glamorous exterior, a State Visit
is a very nasty affair. Not everyone in the official
entourage can share the limelight with the President
so some of the personalities whose job descriptions
relegate them to behind the scenes can get to be
pretty vicious, perhaps out of sheer envy.But don't
get me wrong, there are many loyal bureaucrats who
dread the kleigs and are happy enough to stay in the
background.
People who will never make it to any official
list, in any administration are often the most
ubiquitous; they either pay their way in or spend a
lot on intelligence work because before the
Presidential aircraft even touches down, they are
already assembled at the hotel lobby acting as if they
were they some sort of advance party.
> If they are from the private sector,
> spending their own private funds, then it can be
> argued that they are simply practicing and enjoying
> their right to travel. But, if they are government
> officials, whether appointed or elected, their
> presence at a State Visit will always be questioned,
> if not criticized by the public.
> One evening during a State Visit, I remember
sneaking into the ballroom of the hotel where the
State banquet hosted by our government was to take
place. Previous experience had taught me always to
check if my name card had not been purloined by a
vicious staff member who coveted my cabinet position.
Curiously, all the elegant name
> cards, mine included, were firmly taped on the
damask table cloth and as I bent forward to take a
closer look I heard a masculine voice telling me that
he had taped everything so ” you know
> who will find it difficult to shuffle or remove
place cards."
> Actually my penchant for checking place cards
began at another ball room of another
> hotel during an earlier State Visit when President
J.Estrada was scheduled to meet the Filipino
community. As we cabinet members arrived to take our
places on the dais, behind the presidential chair, we
noticed that all the seats had been occupied by some
unofficial members of the entourage, mostly friends of
the wife of a senior cabinet member. She was probably
claiming her share of the limelight . Of course there
> was a fight between husband and wife later in the
> evening; cabinet wife hit Mr. Secretary on the head
> with her fan.
> There were two elected officials whom we secretly
called limpets when we were being polite. They were
the bane of the protocol officiers of the host
countries because they always tried their utmost (but
never succeeded) to squeeze into the official convoy
in a Jaguar or Mercedes hired for the occasion.
Sometimes, we got veiled threats about losing the
budgets for our respective departments; I guess they
were taking it out on us.(gemma601@yahoo.c,
>
> Contrary to its glamorous exterior, a State Visit
is a very nasty affair. Not everyone in the official
entourage can share the limelight with the President
so some of the personalities whose job descriptions
relegate them to behind the scenes can get to be
pretty vicious, perhaps out of sheer envy.But don't
get me wrong, there are many loyal bureaucrats who
dread the kleigs and are happy enough to stay in the
background.
People who will never make it to any official
list, in any administration are often the most
ubiquitous; they either pay their way in or spend a
lot on intelligence work because before the
Presidential aircraft even touches down, they are
already assembled at the hotel lobby acting as if they
were they some sort of advance party.
> If they are from the private sector,
> spending their own private funds, then it can be
> argued that they are simply practicing and enjoying
> their right to travel. But, if they are government
> officials, whether appointed or elected, their
> presence at a State Visit will always be questioned,
> if not criticized by the public.
> One evening during a State Visit, I remember
sneaking into the ballroom of the hotel where the
State banquet hosted by our government was to take
place. Previous experience had taught me always to
check if my name card had not been purloined by a
vicious staff member who coveted my cabinet position.
Curiously, all the elegant name
> cards, mine included, were firmly taped on the
damask table cloth and as I bent forward to take a
closer look I heard a masculine voice telling me that
he had taped everything so ” you know
> who will find it difficult to shuffle or remove
place cards."
> Actually my penchant for checking place cards
began at another ball room of another
> hotel during an earlier State Visit when President
J.Estrada was scheduled to meet the Filipino
community. As we cabinet members arrived to take our
places on the dais, behind the presidential chair, we
noticed that all the seats had been occupied by some
unofficial members of the entourage, mostly friends of
the wife of a senior cabinet member. She was probably
claiming her share of the limelight . Of course there
> was a fight between husband and wife later in the
> evening; cabinet wife hit Mr. Secretary on the head
> with her fan.
> There were two elected officials whom we secretly
called limpets when we were being polite. They were
the bane of the protocol officiers of the host
countries because they always tried their utmost (but
never succeeded) to squeeze into the official convoy
in a Jaguar or Mercedes hired for the occasion.
Sometimes, we got veiled threats about losing the
budgets for our respective departments; I guess they
were taking it out on us.(gemma601@yahoo.c,
History never ends
There are people who believe that Senator A.
Trillanes should have died during the takeover of the
Manila Peninsula Hotel last 29 November. In our
culture, self-immolation transforms one into a hero.
Salvador Allende, intellectual, former president of
Chile, died defending his position during a bloody
coup d’etat in the 1970’s. To this day, visitors want
to see the exact spot where he was killed, to whisper
a silent prayer. Unlike General Gregorio del Pilar
who died in a blaze of glory, poor Pres. Emilio
Aguinaldo lived too long. Need I mention Senator Ninoy
Aquino whose untimely death overthrew a dictatorship.
Perhaps, I am one of the few who believe that Sen.
Trillanes and Gen. Lim should try their best to stay
alive; it may be noble to die for the Filipino but
nobler it is to live for them. We have too many dead
heroes who could have done so much more had they
stayed alive. Needless to say, I will not be
surprised if people chastise me for associating
Trillanes and Lim with heroism.
There is really nothing else Sen.
Trillanes and Gen. Lim can do to change their fate.
Both will be in prison for as long as they live as
they have been meted many life sentences for alleged
crimes from rebellion to treason to economic sabotage.
They will be made to suffer all kinds of physical and
psychological indignities to break their will and
spirit.
Lt. Trillanes was allowed to run for the
senate on the mistaken assumption that he had no
chance but to everyone’s surprise, he garnered 10
million votes. Were he allowed to take his seat, I am
quite sure that the exhausting process of lawmaking
would have neutralized his “rebellious “ nature. The
present dispensation, like previous administrations,
refuse to learn from history; they forgot about Luis
Taruc et al.
What I fear most is the death of idealism. If memory
serves, during the Oakwood “mutiny”, military officers
themselves were wondering about the training and
education imparted at the Philippine Military academy.
Were the graduates becoming too idealistic? Idealism
was made to sound subversive, like some kind of
contagious disease that is best extirpated. I was
truly alarmed.
All right, so an APC (armed personnel carrier) rammed
its way through the lobby of the Manila Peninsula
which everyone agreed was over kill. Don’t they watch
the C&S series on TV? –a friend asked rather
flippantly. Even Margie Moran knows how to rappel
buildings, I once saw her do it at a Davao Tourism
fair. I doubt if Trillanes and Lim shook with fear
and awe at the sight of those APCs, battle- weary
soldiers are quite used to that; but, we ordinary
mortals got the message loud and clear.
Senator A. Trillanes and Gen. D. Lim have no other
alternative but to continue doing what they have been
doing these past years, reminding us of corruption in
government and the urgent need for drastic reforms in
the military. According to my favorite historian, we
ordinary citizens should join and/or form movements
and campaigns to promote various advocacies, be it the
environment, anti-corruption, human rights, heritage,
cultural revival and other noble causes. All these
are like ripples, waves and currents that will
eventually form confluences, conjunctures and turning
points that will bring about the moment, a period,
even an era during which we can make the structural
changes required and desired. Do not lose heart,
history never ends. (gemma601@yahoo.com)
_________________________________________
Trillanes should have died during the takeover of the
Manila Peninsula Hotel last 29 November. In our
culture, self-immolation transforms one into a hero.
Salvador Allende, intellectual, former president of
Chile, died defending his position during a bloody
coup d’etat in the 1970’s. To this day, visitors want
to see the exact spot where he was killed, to whisper
a silent prayer. Unlike General Gregorio del Pilar
who died in a blaze of glory, poor Pres. Emilio
Aguinaldo lived too long. Need I mention Senator Ninoy
Aquino whose untimely death overthrew a dictatorship.
Perhaps, I am one of the few who believe that Sen.
Trillanes and Gen. Lim should try their best to stay
alive; it may be noble to die for the Filipino but
nobler it is to live for them. We have too many dead
heroes who could have done so much more had they
stayed alive. Needless to say, I will not be
surprised if people chastise me for associating
Trillanes and Lim with heroism.
There is really nothing else Sen.
Trillanes and Gen. Lim can do to change their fate.
Both will be in prison for as long as they live as
they have been meted many life sentences for alleged
crimes from rebellion to treason to economic sabotage.
They will be made to suffer all kinds of physical and
psychological indignities to break their will and
spirit.
Lt. Trillanes was allowed to run for the
senate on the mistaken assumption that he had no
chance but to everyone’s surprise, he garnered 10
million votes. Were he allowed to take his seat, I am
quite sure that the exhausting process of lawmaking
would have neutralized his “rebellious “ nature. The
present dispensation, like previous administrations,
refuse to learn from history; they forgot about Luis
Taruc et al.
What I fear most is the death of idealism. If memory
serves, during the Oakwood “mutiny”, military officers
themselves were wondering about the training and
education imparted at the Philippine Military academy.
Were the graduates becoming too idealistic? Idealism
was made to sound subversive, like some kind of
contagious disease that is best extirpated. I was
truly alarmed.
All right, so an APC (armed personnel carrier) rammed
its way through the lobby of the Manila Peninsula
which everyone agreed was over kill. Don’t they watch
the C&S series on TV? –a friend asked rather
flippantly. Even Margie Moran knows how to rappel
buildings, I once saw her do it at a Davao Tourism
fair. I doubt if Trillanes and Lim shook with fear
and awe at the sight of those APCs, battle- weary
soldiers are quite used to that; but, we ordinary
mortals got the message loud and clear.
Senator A. Trillanes and Gen. D. Lim have no other
alternative but to continue doing what they have been
doing these past years, reminding us of corruption in
government and the urgent need for drastic reforms in
the military. According to my favorite historian, we
ordinary citizens should join and/or form movements
and campaigns to promote various advocacies, be it the
environment, anti-corruption, human rights, heritage,
cultural revival and other noble causes. All these
are like ripples, waves and currents that will
eventually form confluences, conjunctures and turning
points that will bring about the moment, a period,
even an era during which we can make the structural
changes required and desired. Do not lose heart,
history never ends. (gemma601@yahoo.com)
_________________________________________
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