According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), poverty incidence in the province has been reduced by 19.3% from 40.8% in 2000 to only 21.6% in 2003. According to a press release posted in the province's website (www.capiz.gov.ph), “the positive results can largely be attributed to an increase in employment in the province particularly during the opening of malls that provided job opportunities. It is also because of the vigorous efforts of the local government units in pushing innovative approaches in delivering basic services.”
The Iloilo city government is allocating P3 million for the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Inc. (IDFI) to set the stage for one of the grandest Dinagyang celebrations ever. The P3-million budget for the 2007 Dinagyang Festival is 300% higher than the P1 million budget allocated last year. Kalibo, in Aklan province, is also busy preparing for its Ati atihan Festival. Both festivals are held during the month of January.
Meanwhile, Greenpeace activists yesterday delivered a drum of "Gumaras Oil" at the doorstep of the Petron coporate headquarters in Makati City to dramatize their protest. Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigner Beau Baconguis made the following statement:
“From the start, Petron’s response to the spill has been extremely disappointing—initially even shunning responsibility for the spill. Up to now, they have failed to take urgent action on the pressing need to retrieve the rest of the sunken oil. Were Petron genuinely concerned about the well-being of Guimaras, its unfortunate residents, and the environment, they would have guaranteed the costs to immediately initiate the retrieval operation,”
“But it seems that in an effort to now distance itself from financial responsibilities associated with the retrieval effort, Petron has been more preoccupied in downplaying the extreme urgency of the situation."
Amen to that!
The Iloilo city government is allocating P3 million for the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Inc. (IDFI) to set the stage for one of the grandest Dinagyang celebrations ever. The P3-million budget for the 2007 Dinagyang Festival is 300% higher than the P1 million budget allocated last year. Kalibo, in Aklan province, is also busy preparing for its Ati atihan Festival. Both festivals are held during the month of January.
Meanwhile, Greenpeace activists yesterday delivered a drum of "Gumaras Oil" at the doorstep of the Petron coporate headquarters in Makati City to dramatize their protest. Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigner Beau Baconguis made the following statement:
“From the start, Petron’s response to the spill has been extremely disappointing—initially even shunning responsibility for the spill. Up to now, they have failed to take urgent action on the pressing need to retrieve the rest of the sunken oil. Were Petron genuinely concerned about the well-being of Guimaras, its unfortunate residents, and the environment, they would have guaranteed the costs to immediately initiate the retrieval operation,”
“But it seems that in an effort to now distance itself from financial responsibilities associated with the retrieval effort, Petron has been more preoccupied in downplaying the extreme urgency of the situation."
Amen to that!
5 comments:
Spectacular numbers seem unbelievable, I don't know what are the parameters being measured in order to define poverty incidence, if people working in the malls earning probably the minimum or below minimum wage could be considered out of poverty then I cannot imagine who are the people considered poor.This is also an irony, since just lately the Dept of Education singled out Capiz as the only Province in Region 6 to qualify for the rice for school program since the children of Capiz are the most vulnerable to hunger.Malls are just smoke screen, look further and you will know what I mean, it doesn't take much of an IQ to figure this out.Give an industry that is doing well in Capiz, give me a project that directly addresses the problems of the common people in Capiz. The so called " seafood capital of the Philippines" is failing and nothing is being done, no research, no financing support, the industry is dying and no saving grace so far in the last 15 years.Writing something that would give a rosy picture of the province is not only sucking up to the powers in Capiz but also a great diservice to its great citizens.Sometimes it saddens me because people who are as intelligent as you are fell victim to the system.However, it's not only intelligence that a person needs in order to stand up, the person also needs BALLS.
Well, that's your 'subjective' opinion and I don't think any more empirical data I can show can convince you otherwise. And I didn't say poverty in Capiz was totally wiped out, it was only reduced: so of course there are still many poor remaining in that province. And I don't agree with you that highlighting the positive is "sucking up" for I believe that good news should also be reported with as much the same "fervor" in the media as the bad.
True, reporting the positive side is a good thing, but not a single article from you illuminating the misery in Capiz, all you did was to feature the lives of Roxases.People in power now are the same people back then and in 2000 you cited in your article that almost half of the people are in poverty.They have done nothing except as what you've said invite the Malls.The real barometer to measure the health of a province or any place is the growth of its industries.Capiz Politicos did nothing to protect and to help its industries, thereby delivering misery to its people.The pattern in Capiz is probably the same in the majority of the provinces in the Philippines.The local economy is driven very little by industry, instead it is driven by Dollars coming from OFWS', these Dollars have a ripple effect to the economy.However this a not a success created by good governance.Highlighting good figures is good but giving it a tone or a spin that would make a certain politico look good is again a disservice to the good citizens of Capiz.This is understandable if you're a paid PR guy by these people, are you?
No I am not PRing for Capiz politicos - I just cited a local news report that's all. To say that the Roxases and politicos have totally done nothing for Capiz is inaccurate on your part. In case you don't know, the Philippines is a free-market economy: business go where the economy goes. We are not a centralized economy wherein business is heavily regulated by government. Thus, a public official can only do so much to prod business and development in the "right" direction. Mar Roxas cannot possibly force industry (like BPO and call centers for example of which he is a major proponent) because the province lacks the qualified manpower and facilities. While it is true that Capiz has no industry except for its seafood manufacturing sector, I admire its leaders for utilizing what God has given them and convert it to a coherent program like the "Seafood Capital of the Philippines." I mean every mayor wishes that they have a Boracay or a Central Business District in their area - but not every locality is as blessed as Aklan or Makati. For me, the mark of a good leader is how he manages to imaginatively make use of his resources for the development of his locality. And I have to abide by the results of the NSCB study which says the Capiz poverty incidence has improved. If we limit our discussion to just subjective opinions, stereotypes and prejudices, we will not get anywhere with this discussion.
I am not saying that Roxases have done nothing in Capiz, nor what I'm saying is subjective. I'm just saying that since I started viewing your blog all your postings about Capiz are all rosy pictures and with all praises to the Roxases.I don't dismiss what they have contributed to the Province. I also do understand that Capiz have no Boracay nor other spectacular places to see.However let me point it out to you that Capiz never relied upon tourism as a source of revenue.Aquaculture and agriculture are its main engines.You're absolutely right when you point out that the officials can only guide business to the right direction,but they can do more.They could influence policies, they could enact laws to improve the industry, there's so much that they could have done,They could provide money for training etc...... I totally disagree that the leaders of Capiz used their imagination in directing progress in Capiz.There's no stereotyping here nor prejudice. What you see is what you got. Go around Capiz and you will see that people are living in the quagmire of poverty and ignorance. The leadership failed to rescue the seafood industry,failed to lift the Agri sector.All we got are the Malls.My take on this is not that the Roxases are corrupt, they are not, however Mar was too busy strengthening his position by appointing people to various important positions in the province.He also busied himself making sure that all elective positions in Capiz are filled up by his men.He was busy positioning or gearing up for the Presidency even when he's just starting in Politics.The masses are simply oblivious to what's going on and they are simply resigned to their fate,however if you talk to the intellectuals you will get a very different pulse or opinions.The Roxases right now is simply just too powerful for any individual or politico for that matter.Capiz is typical of a province ruled or controlled by one family, they may not care if there's real progress or not, anyway nobody dares to challenge them.Capiz is great place and lots of potential but leadership failure or inaction results in people still stuck in poverty.You're a great writer I hope you'll use your skills for the greater good.
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