A WHITE Elephant stands right in the center of the capital town of Davao del Norte. A flyover that straddles right in the heart of the business district of Tagum City and bannered by the Department of Public Works and Highways among its mega-projects in the Davao region.
Why this was prioritized by DPWH over the Samal-Davao bridge, Davao City’s Matina crossing and Ulas long gestating flyover projects defy sanity. The 1.6-kilometer flyover is four-lane infrastructures which when finished will kiss the edge of every existing buildings among these are banks, malls, fast-food joints and the traditional restaurants which the locals patronize.
No one has come up with the exact figures as to how much this project cost but sources said it is anywhere from P3.5 to P4-billion pesos. But I don’t blame businessmen and city official for not knowing how much is the budget for the structure. There was no consultation done and the Regional Development Council was not even informed by DPWH that the gargantuan project is going to be erected in Tagum City.
The incumbent governor of Davao del Norte, Anthony del Rosario, who is the concurrent Chairman of RDC, was kept outside the loop by Sec. Mark Villar in the planning of such an expensive project. If that is queer enough, businessmen affected by the long and wide span only learned about it when they woke up one morning construction equipment were pounding the street which was virtually rendered closed to traffic.
Everybody thought that the project was initiated by DPWH until ousted Speaker Bebot Alvarez and his sidekick Edwin Hubahib came out in the open to convince the residents of Tagum that the flyover is a mark of a progressive city and that it will benefit especially the city residents “labi na ang mga kabus” (especially the poor). When I asked Governor del Rosario why he seemed to be ignorant of the project, his answer almost floored me.
Del Rosario who is running for Congressman in the 1st District of Davao del Norte against Alvarez confessed that indeed he, as governor and as Chair of RDC, was never informed by DPWH. He said that he later accosted Secretary Villar why a project of such magnitude in terms of cost and impact was never referred to the RDC. He said he was told by Villar that he (Villar) saw that item in the General Appropriation Act and they just proceeded to implement it. Del Rosario later confronted Tagum Mayor Alan Rellon whether he was aware of it and whether the mandatory public consultation was made. Rellon told him that he did. Del Rosario later discovered that indeed there was consultation done but was only between the Mayor and the project contractors.
Will the flyover really benefit the city residents and business community? For now the residents are still day-dreaming the flyover is a mark of a modern city. They are not aware that the structure will be a veritable nightmare which will haunt them no end. Affected business establishments can only do two things: relocate if they can afford or close shop. Either way hundred of employees will lose their job. What of the residents? Of what use is the white elephant to them? Nothing but suffering.
Why would a project like a flyover be a White Elephant? In the days of yore, it is said that the Kings of Siam (Thailand today) would give away white elephants to people they dislike for it cost a fortune to maintain the animal which is of practically no use to the recipient.
In modern times a White Elephant is a possession which is so expensive and difficult to maintain and yet cannot be disposed of despite the fact that is of little use at all. In today’s usage, a White Elephant is like a business venture, facility or infrastructure “considered so expensive but without use or value”.
Money is scarce and it behooves on city and national planners and politicians to see to it that projects should benefit people. Imagine if those billions, which must have been inserted in the budget, was spent to build a dam in Saug river. Easily more than 12,000 hectares of arable land could have been irrigated, four towns including Tagum could have been supplied with potable and less expensive water and if coupled with a hydro-power plant could deliver maybe 250 megawatt of electricity to Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative.
Tagum is a city with enormous possibilities. A city planner, who asked not to be identified, suggested that easily DPWH could have designed a beautiful circumferential highway around the city to divert the flow of traffic away from the center of the town. He said he was impressed with the city planning and beautification initiated by former Tagum City Mayor Rey “Chong” Uy. Sadly he said it is now ruined by what could be a potential and the biggest White Elephant in the country.
Sadly too, Tagumenyos are not aware this White Elephant is for them an unkind and severe punishment. (Jun Ledesma)
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Why this was prioritized by DPWH over the Samal-Davao bridge, Davao City’s Matina crossing and Ulas long gestating flyover projects defy sanity. The 1.6-kilometer flyover is four-lane infrastructures which when finished will kiss the edge of every existing buildings among these are banks, malls, fast-food joints and the traditional restaurants which the locals patronize.
No one has come up with the exact figures as to how much this project cost but sources said it is anywhere from P3.5 to P4-billion pesos. But I don’t blame businessmen and city official for not knowing how much is the budget for the structure. There was no consultation done and the Regional Development Council was not even informed by DPWH that the gargantuan project is going to be erected in Tagum City.
The incumbent governor of Davao del Norte, Anthony del Rosario, who is the concurrent Chairman of RDC, was kept outside the loop by Sec. Mark Villar in the planning of such an expensive project. If that is queer enough, businessmen affected by the long and wide span only learned about it when they woke up one morning construction equipment were pounding the street which was virtually rendered closed to traffic.
Everybody thought that the project was initiated by DPWH until ousted Speaker Bebot Alvarez and his sidekick Edwin Hubahib came out in the open to convince the residents of Tagum that the flyover is a mark of a progressive city and that it will benefit especially the city residents “labi na ang mga kabus” (especially the poor). When I asked Governor del Rosario why he seemed to be ignorant of the project, his answer almost floored me.
Del Rosario who is running for Congressman in the 1st District of Davao del Norte against Alvarez confessed that indeed he, as governor and as Chair of RDC, was never informed by DPWH. He said that he later accosted Secretary Villar why a project of such magnitude in terms of cost and impact was never referred to the RDC. He said he was told by Villar that he (Villar) saw that item in the General Appropriation Act and they just proceeded to implement it. Del Rosario later confronted Tagum Mayor Alan Rellon whether he was aware of it and whether the mandatory public consultation was made. Rellon told him that he did. Del Rosario later discovered that indeed there was consultation done but was only between the Mayor and the project contractors.
Will the flyover really benefit the city residents and business community? For now the residents are still day-dreaming the flyover is a mark of a modern city. They are not aware that the structure will be a veritable nightmare which will haunt them no end. Affected business establishments can only do two things: relocate if they can afford or close shop. Either way hundred of employees will lose their job. What of the residents? Of what use is the white elephant to them? Nothing but suffering.
Why would a project like a flyover be a White Elephant? In the days of yore, it is said that the Kings of Siam (Thailand today) would give away white elephants to people they dislike for it cost a fortune to maintain the animal which is of practically no use to the recipient.
In modern times a White Elephant is a possession which is so expensive and difficult to maintain and yet cannot be disposed of despite the fact that is of little use at all. In today’s usage, a White Elephant is like a business venture, facility or infrastructure “considered so expensive but without use or value”.
Money is scarce and it behooves on city and national planners and politicians to see to it that projects should benefit people. Imagine if those billions, which must have been inserted in the budget, was spent to build a dam in Saug river. Easily more than 12,000 hectares of arable land could have been irrigated, four towns including Tagum could have been supplied with potable and less expensive water and if coupled with a hydro-power plant could deliver maybe 250 megawatt of electricity to Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative.
Tagum is a city with enormous possibilities. A city planner, who asked not to be identified, suggested that easily DPWH could have designed a beautiful circumferential highway around the city to divert the flow of traffic away from the center of the town. He said he was impressed with the city planning and beautification initiated by former Tagum City Mayor Rey “Chong” Uy. Sadly he said it is now ruined by what could be a potential and the biggest White Elephant in the country.
Sadly too, Tagumenyos are not aware this White Elephant is for them an unkind and severe punishment. (Jun Ledesma)
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Read And Share Our News: https://www.mindanaoexaminer.com
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Media Rates: https://mindanaoexaminer.com/ad-rates
Thank you so much for visiting our website. Your small donation will ensure the continued operation of the Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper. Thank you again for supporting us. BPI: 952 5815649 Landbank: 195 113 9935
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