To continue from the previous weeks’ topics, it is time to tie them up and give it a wrap. 


For All The Marbles

For a moment I had trouble selecting a title for this column. Should it be “a plethora of projects”, “projects galore”, or simply “more projects”. I settled for the third one because it clearly describes what is happening. That Eastern Visayas is getting more government infrastructure projects these days is well known. Everybody certainly knows the reason for this.


 More Projects

In last week’s issue, this column tackled the many billion-peso projects now underway in the First District of Leyte. By my last count, the total value of these infrastructure projects is in the vicinity of 40 billion pesos and counting. (By a strange coincidence, this is about the same amount as Cong. Baste Duterte was criticized for having reportedly made when he got that huge allocation during the presidency of his father.)  
I mentioned in this column last week that this blitz of infra projects is, at this time, like putting the proverbial cart before the horse. The follow-up question is: where are the projects in the other sectors that these infra projects are supposed to support?

Is There Light At The End Of The Tunnel? 

This is not a fishing expedition, but I smell something fishy. 

This is Not a Fishing Expedition

I know; the title is grammatically wrong. But that is done on purpose because I just came from a briefing and field observation of a government project I never thought would get off the ground. 

It Ain’t Gonna Flood No More

Have you ever heard of a tax that will make you pay a rate that is one thousand eight hundred percent higher than the amount you paid last year?

1,800 percent!

Imagine living in a region where almost a third of the population lives below the poverty line. However, if one travels down the highways, this does not appear to be the case. If you venture into the interior areas outside of the main roads and you will see the poverty all around by just observing the materials the inhabitants use to construct their houses, bamboo and nipa shingles. It is all they can afford. More than this, they have trouble putting food on the table. That is the bigger problem. The problems of this type are plentiful, unfortunately. 
Simply put, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, 330 thousand families in the Eastern Visayas region are poor. The poverty incidence is at 26.9 percent.
How does that compare with the 2024 national poverty incidence which is a low (?) 16.4 percent? We are a long way off, way, way off.


When Will It Ever End?

In a recent issue this column took note of the 1,800 percent in BIR Zonal values, starting last January, representing an unprecedented increase. While it will increase the tax take, it is harmful to the economy as a whole because of its substantial inflationary and other negative effects.

A Case of Conflicting Policies

A few minutes ago, I watched several YouTube videos showing what I can call an iconic photo. It is a photograph that will have a huge impact on the lives of those in the picture. This is the picture of the Secretary of DILG Benhur Abalos and PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil posing with ex-Mayor Alice Guo, in Indonesia. They were all smiling. 


A Picture Says A Thousand Words

 This column has taken note of and commented on large-scale billion-peso projects in the First District of Leyte. This started with several issues focused on what I consider to be the most economically significant project at this time, the Tacloban Airport Development project with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines as implementing agency. This project suffered bumps, like a delay of two years and cost increases due to the delays but is thankfully on track now.

Let Us Relish It, It Has Never Been This Good

I AM BACK COLUMN: Atty. Buenaventura Go-Soco Jr.

I AM BACK

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