Jewel in Palanca's crown

We need more fast crafts to ply the Bacolod-Iloilo route to avoid inconveniences. Passenger traffic is increasing fast between the two cities.

One fast craft company has left and the other is too slow for comfort. Weesam has also problems with its craft that usually has one of its boats out of commission, like yesterday.

Weesam should increase its trips. And have more boats.

This is peak season for travel. Shipping companies must prepare for it.

***

The area where SM Shoe Mart will put up its mall at the reclamation area is being cleaned. Very obvious, construction will start soon.

This is progress. You can just imagine the income in terms of taxes that will go to the city. Add to that the employment it will generate.

This will mean people here spending for goods coming from Manila and siphoning our money from here. I hope SM Shoe Mart will put up a section that will specialize in selling farm products produced here.

When this is finished, this will stand as a jewel in the crown of Sammy Palanca whose years of painstaking work made the reclamation project a reality.

***

I join officials and the public in calling for an end to the Garcillano hearings in both the Lower House and the Senate.

They are useless. Not only the Congressmen and Senators, but even the public can see Garcillano is not telling the truth.

And because he has lost credibility, everything that he will say will not be believed. And the public has already a conclusion.

Garcillano could remember the names of opposition lawmakers and officials he talked with, so many of them. But he could not remember where he placed his passport.

So, why make fools of Garcillano and ourselves?

***

The Saturday seminar by media on food security and productivity came out very successful with Governor Joseph Marañon himself, provincial agriculturist Igmedio Tabianan, provincial veterinarian Dr. Renante Decena, and farmer Ramon Peñalosa.

Now media have opened their eyes when told that the common problem of people in the poor countries is their lack of knowledge where to get help for a project and from whom.

Don't get surprised if some of these media people come out to be selling pigs and chicken in the market to augment their income.

***

Mon Peñalosa pointed out a sow can give an earning equivalent to a hectare farm. A sow can give birth 2.3 times a year. At only an average of 10 one can produce 23 piglets a year.

At a price of P1,600 per piglet, it means a gross income of P36,800 a year.

The only problem is the province will help only if it is outside of Bacolod. So, the piggery must be either Talisay or Bago or other towns.

Otherwise, the province will have problems with COA.

This is only one example. There are others more.

We want our media people to be self-reliant and self-sufficient.

***

And also responsible. It's difficult changing old practices but we are succeeding. In the past elections our Negros Press Club had the practice of making members pay their dues of P10 a month or P120 a year during election day.

The problem then was candidates would pay for the membership fee of a member for his vote. This is something we in the media have been fighting against, vote-buying.

Many even laughed because they would get from both sides, then pocket half. We change this and we are happy they are welcomed by the members.

Now, the deadline for paying their dues is moved to Wednesday, pay day. I said, okay. But after the deadline I will firmly enforce the non-payment means one's right to vote is suspended.

It they pay their membership later, they can still be member of the Negros Press Club. If they do not want we will not force them.

This is having a sense of discipline and commitment

***

I did not hear any complaint personally because I tell a fellow media man straight that if he cannot afford to pay P10 a month for membership fee which is just about the same of a minimum fare in jeepneys, there is no reason one should be a media man.

He should go to other jobs. It's not good to have the mentality of always enjoying free rides. There's no requirement to be an NPC member.

This way, we can also cleanse the Club so the members left are the ones truly committed to media, not just becoming a member without recognizing obligations.

We had last year 95 media people voting after paying their membership dues. This time, we might have very much less. I don't mind having just 40 or 50. But we can be sure, these are real media people.

We will publish this week the names of the members of the Negros Press Club for the public to know. Of course, when we have social activities, all members of media, some, even bringing their family members, are welcome.*

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