tandag city????

[kampanaryo_spy]

In his February 13, 2007 column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Juan L. Mercado wrote about “bills creating new cities that jack-knifed their way through Congress before it adjourned.” The bills that he referred to created cities like Bogo and Carcar (Cebu); Baybay (Leyte); Catbalogan (Samar); Lamitan (Basilan); Tandag (Surigao del Sur); Batac (Ilocos Norte); Bayugan (Agusan del Sur); Cabadbaran (Agusan del Norte) and Borongan (Eastern Samar).

Mercado wrote that “these 12 got this far because Congress watered down RA 9009’s criteria for minimum economic tools. The entrance fee to ‘the club’ dipped from P100 million to P20 million in, mark this well, locally-generated income.”

His view that these new cities would slice bigger internal revenue allotments (IRAs) was shared by Sen. Alfredo Lim who chortled that “If these municipalities cannot even manage to meet the basic income requirement (set by Republic Act No. 9009) how can they be expected to perform and deliver as cities?”

Mercado said that the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank had noted that this would “strain the national government’s ability to finance such local government units because the small size of LGUs prevents them from generating their own resources.”

Then going for the jugular, Mercado quoted the League of Cities of the Philippines which said that “the vested interests of a few are the only ingredients needed to derail a rational and sensible law.”

I say: Whew!

Couched in Mercado’s 857-word article is this: Tandag would go the way of other cities that didn’t become “engines of growth” as expected, but instead remained dependent on IRAs in financing their own economic and socio-political development.

My dear fellow bloggers, I understand and respect all your comments which generally centered on your individual concept of what a city is. When Binignit mentioned trisikad and a 15-seater plane in thrice-a-week flight to Tandag, he summed it up best. But really now: What is a city? Are McDonalds, Jollibees, malls, taxis, etc prerequisites for citihood?

For answer, I turned to Wikepedia, thus: “When people refer to cities, they generally include the suburbs. In most parts of the world, cities are generally substantial and nearly always have an urban core, but in the United States many incorporated areas which have a very modest population, or a suburban even mostly rural character, are designated as cities.” (Underscoring mine)

This is the Philippines where the pie—the IRA---is divided in terms of area and population. With that as criteria, Surigao del Sur doesn’t have the chance to get more than a pittance, given its relatively small size and the rate its people outmigrate.

For cities, the IRA landscape changes because cities get more than ten times what an ordinary town gets. We don’t have to look far for a model. Take Bislig City. Because it has a bigger pie for disposal, it reported a surplus huge enough to give its employees 50 thou each as bonus in 2005 and 2006! Please focus more on the "surplus" rather than the "bonus."

Citihood for me is all about economics. And so, If by becoming a city we can legally---as opposed to paiyakan---increase our share in the national pie, then I’m all for it! Kon pwede pa gani hurot towns nan Surigao del Sur mahimo nan syudad, go ako!

Please don’t get me wrong: It has always been our lament that MIndanao contributes much to the national wealth and yet it gets little in return as the big chunk of the development pie is gobbled up by Imperial Manila. And so for me, this is the way to go: if we have to beg, then might as well do it right. Beg big!

Bigger IRA means bigger corruption, yes, but corruption, like prostitution, is as old as time itself. Remember Judas Iscariot and his bribe of 30 pieces of silver? Or Rachel stealing Esau’s birthright for Jacob with a soup? Yes, corruption is a sad fact of life, even Vatican is saddled with it! But this is not to say I condone corruption!

I know this is twisted logic but with bigger IRA, albeit an even bigger corruption, the bottomline still improves. Let’s do some math, which is quite a stretch: if a town gets 60M IRA share and loses 75% of it to corruption, it has 15M to build waiting sheds, basketball courts and roads. Now, if that same town becomes a city and receives 160M IRA, it will have---after losing 75% to corruption--- 40M as development fund.

What people are wary of is that higher tax is the family name of citihood. Hmmmmm maybe. But let’s not forget that the Local Government Code stipulates that no LGU can increase taxes within a 5-year period that the present Local Tax Code is in effect. And that no amendment on the Local Tax Code shall be effected without the benefit of a public hearing.

Plantilla positions will be created and salaries will increase, which means Tagon-ons can sell more puddings,shrimps and crabs to more people in Tandag whose liquidity is sure to improve, thus fueling the economy in some small way.

And who knows, future city mayors of Tandag will become economic czars (or if not, hire economic planners) whose development blueprint to propel Tandag City to greater economic heights rests not on IRA but on a viable resource generation plan.

This early, we'll start praying for Tandag City to go this route because Tago being 7 kilometers away will surely benefit from spillover effect.

As to the social ills, well, that’s par for the course of citihood.

As Binignit said: just my two cents.

[mimi]

well said, spy!

[kampanaryo_spy]

well said, spy!

thanks mi.

[kalachuchi]

well said, spy!

thanks mi.

..and "thank you" for drawing it out :)[b][color=blue]

[manday]

THINK BIG AND ACT BIG NOT CORRUPT BIG SO WE WON'T END UP THE WORST CITY IN THE WORLD!

[BONSAL]

My only prayer is that..... I just hope that the augment in IRA to be pumped in to Tandag would translate into a genuine economic reform and deliver it directly to the general welfare of the people.

And, it is a challenge because of Tandag's conversion to cityhood in a mere shortcut and free-ride manner, while other cities exceedingly work hard before they obtained it. With due respect, I can't bear the process of shortcuts and overriding the system.

Lastly, I always believe that cityhood is not a requirement to attain economic development. Why wait to be converted into city to achieve growth and advancement?

[Alibangbang]

K-Spy, A penny for your thought. Much better than what I bargained for. Your two cents certainly places the issues in proper perspective. Thank you.

Like you guys, I too have my reservations but I’ll give it benefit of the doubt.

I’m hopeful that less negative and more positive will come out of it. Perhaps, homecoming won't be as troublesome when Asian Spirit or any other airlines will restore flights back to soon to beTandag City.

[Binignit]

I’m hopeful that less negative and more positive will come out of it. Perhaps, homecoming won't be as troublesome when Asian Spirit or any other airlines will restore flights back to soon to beTandag City.

Whoa! What you mean restore back? In cancel na baya? Ay, ay mag baruto na isab kita ini. So, uno say option pasingud sa Tandag kuman? There is no Cebu Butuan flight, an Surigao City 6 hours isab na biyahe. An Davao isa ka adlaw na biyahe. An ato bakasyon isa da ka semana kuhaan pa nan duha kaadlaw na biyahe, patay na.

[Alibangbang]

I’m hopeful that less negative and more positive will come out of it. Perhaps, homecoming won't be as troublesome when Asian Spirit or any other airlines will restore flights back to soon to beTandag City.

Whoa! What you mean restore back? In cancel na baya? Ay, ay mag baruto na isab kita ini. So, uno say option pasingud sa Tandag kuman? There is no Cebu Butuan flight, an Surigao City 6 hours isab na biyahe. An Davao isa ka adlaw na biyahe. An ato bakasyon isa da ka semana kuhaan pa nan duha kaadlaw na biyahe, patay na.

OO wara kaw baya masayod? Sugod December 1, 2006 wara nay biyahi nan ayroplano sa Tandag kono.

Hibawo ako kay lisodi sila na Nanay pag biyahi pasingod sa Cebu nan pag sugod niya pagka sakit later part nan Nov. Tagad-tagad nan flight kay yaon tapos cancel. Yaon tapos cancel na sab hangtod na pagka December 1 wara na gayod kono. Amo na yaahat dakan ga via Davao kay amosay first available na yakoha na flight Davao-Cebu. Pag-abot intawon sa Cebu diretso dakan sa Chonghua kay lisodi nasan ginhawa nan pag inuntad-untad sa karetera pasingod sa Davao.

Binig, isa ka semana gikan nganhi? Wa na hurot nan adlaw ta sa biyahi da daan. Nah kita from the east coast going against time, so there goes 2 days gone na gayod agaw.

Balitaw sa domestic airport sa Manila nan pag uli ko koman iton ton mga ayroplano nan Asian Spirit ga laray pero an biyahi Caticlan/Boracay nasa. Bagan ad-on an ginansya wara sa ato.

[Insomada]

Kanaman balitaw mag via Butuan dakan kami kay wara say lagi Cebu to Tandag na plane. Aaaaayyyyyy!!!

[cordapya]

Kanaman balitaw mag via Butuan dakan kami kay wara say lagi Cebu to Tandag na plane. Aaaaayyyyyy!!!

INSOM, kon sa Friday kamo gikan sa Manila for Butuan, magsakay kamo si Papa. Papa is taking the 10:am flight out of Manila. Sige raba yadto nan pangotana kan Edward kon yaka-abot na kamo.

[Binignit]

An Butuan gikan sa Manila da waray Cebu. Kinahanglan moagi ako nan Cebu para mag pakita sa mga in-laws. I guess Davao dakan. Kay an Surigao City Asian Spirit, gamay isab na eroplano. Amo ini an pag lang-onon na pag larga, Asian pa, pag abot Spirit dakan. Usahay gani an spirit ag mahilabak.

[Insomada]

Kanaman balitaw mag via Butuan dakan kami kay wara say lagi Cebu to Tandag na plane. Aaaaayyyyyy!!!

INSOM, kon sa Friday kamo gikan sa Manila for Butuan, magsakay kamo si Papa. Papa is taking the 10:am flight out of Manila. Sige raba yadto nan pangotana kan Edward kon yaka-abot na kamo.

Mana C, bale sa Lunes (5th of March) na kami makalahos sa ato. Daan sa gayod si Papa mo mokadto kay kumpare sa sila. Galaong pa gani kuno si Papa mo kan papa na yaoy kuno adto imo padala na tambal ba or haplas na madayao. Koman dili na siya kakita nan padala mo.

[Insomada]

An Butuan gikan sa Manila da waray Cebu. Kinahanglan moagi ako nan Cebu para mag pakita sa mga in-laws. I guess Davao dakan. Kay an Surigao City Asian Spirit, gamay isab na eroplano. Amo ini an pag lang-onon na pag larga, Asian pa, pag abot Spirit dakan. Usahay gani an spirit ag mahilabak.

Yahikatawahay kay ako nan imo post Binigs. Somehow ya lighten an ako grief kadali. Amo lagi, usahay gayod waray na spirit pag-abot sa ato.

[kampanaryo_spy]

guys,

just an addendum to the IRA thing. i gather from Bislig City Hall these data, viz:

IRA in 2000 when Bislig was still not a city: PhP59,022,205.00

IRA in 2006: PhP 258,906,286.98.

yes, it's a quantum leap. IRA should be treated as crutch not as umbilical cord that's eternally attached to the national government. but that's not what's happening with most of the newly created cities.

& on that note, i rest my case.