Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco Densing assured the public that the ongoing rehabilitation of Manila Bay is not a reclamation project that would favor businessmen but because scientists know that it can still be revived and its ecosystem restored.“I’m telling you now. The rehabilitation has nothing to do with any project on reclamation,” Densing said. He continued that Manila Bay’s rehabilitation is based on moral and legal grounds.
There is moral ground for the rehabilitation as it will not only benefit Manila Bay but will also help small fisherfolk whose livelihood depends on the bay’s resources, he said.
“We’re rehabilitating also (because) the Supreme Court issued in 2018 a ruling that 13 government agencies and 178 local governments must join forces on cleaning up Manila. It’s a law, and we have to follow,” The secretary said.
I have been traveling to Metro Manila in the last three months for my US immigrant visa, and I have stayed in a a hotel just across the Manila Bay where the American Embassy is located.
While the intention of the ongoing project, according to the DILG, is to restore the ecosystem and give livelihood to poor fisherfolk, I want to believe that security is also another factor why it has been the focus of attention of the government.
The American Embassy along Roxas Boulevard is at Manila Bay and only a concrete fence is protecting its building from intruders and I believe the real danger are the troublemakers because they can just climb the wall.
These people can also enter the building because there are areas that are not fenced, except the entrance which is heavily guarded.
As of now, we didn’t see any security threat because there are no high rise buildings that are adjacent to the embassy and it is 24/7 monitored with hightech TV cameras, not to mention armed security guards.
But if the speculation of some groups that the project is a prelude to a bigger one which will commercialize the area, then we must worry because that will be inviting chaos. Although the Americans can still protect themselves and their properties in the area, how can be criminals stopped in doing their thing?
In the meantime, let us accept the claim of government.
Anyway, although Uncle Sam is now considering me as a permanent resident of his country, I still need not worry that our country will soon be a part of the Chinese territory in the near future.
My outlook can be mistaken for a Chinese national. Hindi ba?
-o0o-
I do not know how the Comelec was able to say that it has yet to receive any complaint at the start of the campaign period for local candidates when even a grade school pupil may have noticed rampant violations of some candidates even before the campaign period began.
“It’s a positive feedback in the sense that we haven’t received complaint of congested streets. No one is complaining about the early morning campaigning activity. We always remind them of those things,” said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez.
I think Mr. Jimenez should personally go out of his air conditioned office to know the truth of the matter.
His people on the field might not be telling him the real picture of rampant violations committed by some candidates especially on sizes of posters to be used and where these should be displayed.
He should know that his people might not be telling him the real situation and reported only the good things to appease him, or they have to show to their boss that they are doing their jobs.
Or Mr. Jimenez might not have watched news on TV programs where candidates with huge campaign funds have been placing advertisements way above the amount permitted by law, in my estimate they have already been overspending.
Para tayong sirang rekord na naman nito!
