Privatization binge in Iloilo I nearly fell off the chair while having breakfast this morning though the anchors of one broadcast station were drooling over the piece like Gods rare revelation of salvation. Broadcast news screams that government is seriously studying the privatization of the Iloilo International Airport. I expected of the anchors to be sharp in their analysis but they are a let down for acting more like sycophants of one national official who -- they imply -- should be forgiven for his grand thievery for his magnanimity of pouring hundreds of millions pesos worth of infra projects in Iloilo (not even recognizing that those projects are not the fat mans gifts but are actually taxpayers money or loans to be paid later by taxpayers). Government spent P6 billion for the structure and access road alone. It did not include yet the costs of transferring airport equipment (like X-Ray Machines, ambulances, fire trucks) and personnel (airport security, immigration people, for example). This is not the first time. In 1987, after dictator Marcos toppled, Ason Aquino opened the flood gates of privatization with the media serving as cheering squad hailing it and heralding greater prosperity ahead. The rationale of pro-privatization policy is that more investors will come in. The private sector is more efficient while government inefficient and prone to corruption. None of that came true as the Filipinos lost their jewels for a song -- Meralco, PLDT, Nawasa, PAL, GMA, ABS-CBN, PNB, NDC, NIDC, PETRON, PNOC, Napocor, etc, etc. Only a handful profited from the broad daylight robbery. More privatization in fact are unfolding in Iloilo, namely: 1. The Fort San Pedro ferry wharf; and 2. The DOTC land at Fort San Pedro. Its already a done deal: the City of Iloilo acquired by donation some 1.8 ha. of prime land from the DOTC. The land was formerly occupied by the Coast Guard. By some magic, the city government signed a contract with Double Dragon for a partnership, allowing Double Dragon to erect a building. The building includes a passengers terminal for travelers plying Guimaras - Iloilo by boats. Double Dragon pays Iloilo City a monthly share from the passengers terminal equivalent to only P16,000 while Double Dragon keeps the rest of its income from rentals of spaces of the mall it will be erecting on the prime 1.8 ha. property. The DOTC spent P135 million to construct a jetty port for Iloilo-Guimaras vessels. After completing the work, it executed a waiver in favor of Double Dragon which now has the power to collect docking and berthing fees, and cargo handling charges. The next item of privatization. As announced by SP Frankling Drilon, government is spending P1 billion (from the original bidding price of P400 million) to erect the Iloilo Convention Center. The structure is not even halfway yet but Drilon already announced that once completed, it will handed over to a private entity to manage and collect revenues from. Government, specifically, taxpayers are spending heftily to establish facilities only to be handed over for a song to lucky private persons. Ka-cute, noh? Government, rather taxpayers, spent over P6 B to erect the Iloilo International Airport only to hand it over to the private sector who did not spend a centavo for it. BWISIT NGA FRANKLIN DRILON
Posted on: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 06:35:53 +0000
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