From many angles, 2024 was a revelation for Eastern Visayas from the economic and political sides. The region continues to witness the construction of many big-ticket projects particularly in the first District of Leyte, the region's center of economic growth. Its political leaders are prominent in Congress's ongoing quadcom and related committee hearings.
In both aspects, the region has attained prominence. The big-ticket projects may be suffering from delays but they are funded. There is no shortage of funds. It is the implementing capability that is below expectations. The sudden deluge of funding for projects created problems in rolling out and speedily implementing the projects.
The economic impact of billions of pesos in funding is being felt but not enough to make this region move up the ranking of regions based on economic performance. We seem to be content in maintaining our position as being ranked fourth from the bottom in the ranking of 16 regions across the country.
However, this slow progression is bound to happen because the big-ticket projects are not yet functioning. We will only see and experience the benefits many years down the road, the Tacloban International Airport in late 2026, the Causeway from the airport area to the vicinity of Tacloban City Hall in 2027, and the Babatngon port or Transshipment Hub in 2028. And as mentioned here many times over, these projects are suffering delays. The funding is there, but the efficient performance of project implementation is often lacking. It is short of targets. And the usual suspect is the rainy weather or Mother Nature, mentioned earlier. Poor Mother Nature.
With the rainy season now in full force, the contractors have an ally or is it an alibi in asking for time extensions for completing projects: inclement weather. The liquidated damages these contractors “save” from paying is a huge amount for these multi-billion peso projects. A day of extension can be worth several thousand pesos the contractor does not have to pay. This fact certainly raises suspicions of wrongdoing.
On the political side, the Tingog Party-list is prominent in the Congressional investigations on the confidential funds released to Vice-President Sara Duterte and on the magnitude and use of Philhealth funds (with 600 billion pesos in reserve funds) that have suddenly become controversial.
There seems to be a connection between the two because one is an attack on the previous administration and future presidential contender, and the other is a critique of the present administration. There is no denying that both issues are politically driven. This deserves our close watch in 2025 because both issues are about the use of public funds. Therefore, these controversies concern all of us.
These are funds that must be used for specific purposes and within the bounds of the law. Under the rule of law principle, all those who violate the law must be punished. There should be no excuses also known as “palusot”. That’s the wrap for this year.
Soon it will be a more exciting election year 2025.
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