It quizzes me why, with all our talented politicians in the local government units from the executive level down to the councilors, many of their constituents still lack sufficient understanding on how the status or classification of a local government unit is attained.
The latest disinformation video on soc-med starring the businessman-politician from the south was about his claim that Benguet became a First Class province because of him. That was one of the latest and fakest pieces of news last week.
Study the financial status of the provincial government of Benguet since 2012 and find that its grand total receipts showed considerable income with a small increment of P100 million plus every year.
The small increases were due to the province’s mountainous terrain, land size, small population and status, majority of which is agricultural; compared to lowland provinces that have wider flat lands, bigger populations, and other sources of income.
In 2012, the grand total receipt recorded at least P888 million income, followed by an income of P980 million in 2013, then P1.038 billion in 2014, P1.202 billion in 2015, P1.268 billion in 2016, P1.301 billion in 2017, P1.363 billion in 2018, and P1.5 billion in 2019 when Cong. Nestor B. Fongwan passed on.
In 2020, Benguet’s grand total receipt reached P1.67 billion, P1.994 billion in 2021, P2.4 billion in 2022, down to P2.1 billion in 2023 after the southerner’s election as congressman, and P2.3 billion in 2024.
These provincial income growths are not the work of any congressman and elected LGU politician but depend on the capacity of public officials to collect taxes from their constituents. In short, Benguet became a First Class province because its people pay their taxes.
The congressman, therefore, should not claim credit for something that is not of his own doing. They call that behavior “epal.”
The congressman, therefore, should not claim credit for something that is not of his own doing. They call that behavior “epal.” The leaders of Benguet before him never ever claimed credit for the development projects implemented by officials before them. In fact, they admire other officials for their projects.
The supporters of the businessman-politician from the south should take it upon themselves to explain to him how our previous officials intermingled with each other, instead of poisoning his mind with bad ideas.
It would be better for his image to be counseled by the person the truth about how Benguet got its First Class status, instead of misinforming him that he was responsible for the province’s classification so that they could get more favors from him.
If his supporters, spin doctors and advisers who I believe are politicians themselves, whether previous mayors, barangay chairpersons, and former board members, stayed silent and did not raise a finger to correct his state of mind, we would see a situation of the blind leading the blind.
He thinks we do not know what is happening. It is good for him that he found a province that is willing to host the business that he brings in. He benefits from the plans such as the rock-netting jobs or “kurtina” installed on mountain slopes, the expensive cat’s eyes and solar-powered street lights.
What is common in these works is that labor force is minimal but the material or items used are suspiciously brought in legitimately or otherwise. The prices per unit are doubtful. But these are not the things that benefit the people.
What people need are roads and bridges, foot trails that make the transport of products from the farm to the market much easier. Rock-nettings, cat’s eyes and solar lights worth hundreds of millions are not projects. These are money-making ventures for a select few.
We have seen the rock nets pinned on 100-square-meter roadside slopes worth P85 million as written on the billboards. In simple mathematics, it means that your money paid the cost of the rock net at P850,000 per square meter. Unbelievable, but true.
There could have been little consolation if the rock nets stayed in place on the mountain slopes that they intended to protect, but no. Most of the rock nets along Kennon Road, Ruben Palispis (aka Marcos) Highway, Beckel-Kabayan Road, Asin-Nangalisan-San Pascual Road, Halsema Highway, roads in Itogon and other towns slid down with the rocks loosened by the pins.
During a clan reunion, gubernatorial bet Ruben Paoad related a story that the Lamut-Beckel Road was constructed during Congressman Ronald Cosalan’s time as it was badly needed to decongest traffic on the roads leading to La Trinidad and the northern towns of Benguet from Baguio.
Recently, solar-powered street lights worth some P120 million were installed close to each other on that roadline. If the money was used to open a new roadline, instead of spending it for the street lights, then that should have been beneficial to motorists, most especially to Benguet farmers who badly need roads to bring their products faster to the markets.
But our present LGU officials, especially those who support the businessman-politician who I heard is one who can buy his way around, have chosen to remain mum and blinded to what has come out of their wishes.
And with these blind loyalists, we now see a picture of the blind leading the blind.
