US lawmakers seek RP

Good news. Two US lawmakers have asked the support of the Philippine sugar industry to endorse the US farm bill which is up for deliberation by the House agriculture committee yesterday.

This request was relayed through Luis Tongoy, the Confederation of Sugar Producers' Association Inc. representative to the ninth World Association of Cane and Beet Growers meet in Brisbane last July 9 to 11.

The two US solons were Rep. Collin Peterson and Senator Keith Conrad who also attended the convention.

The House sub-committee on agriculture had already processed the bill to set up an 85 percent domestic requirement for US sugar for US producers with the 15 percent remaining allotted for the US Sugar Quota with the same tariff rate.

But there was the possibility that while the subcommittee had included the proposed one cent hike per pound of sugar, Tongoy said, it is possible what this could be increased.

Bill Hajt of North Dakota, president of the WDRC and the Red River Valley producers, also said there is urgent need for RP support for the passage of the bill, according to Tongoy.

For the moment, that's good news for local sugar producers. And that could perk up the price of domestic sugar.

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If we have to be honest about it, Silay City will soon enjoy an economic boom with the operationalization of the new Bacolod-Silay Airport. And Mayor Oti Montelibano seems to be enjoying the promised bonanza with his recent election as mayor of Silay City.

That is why Montelibano has asked an urban planner to make a new city around the airport where the Magsaysays are reportedly planning to set up an export processing zone.

West Negros College also plan to open a school in Hacienda Bagacay.

On the other hand, the Infante family intends to put up an EPZ. So with the Monfort family. But the most ambitious plan if Montelibano is to build an LRT from Robinsons linking it to the airport. And he reportedly asked City Mayor Evelio Leonardia to extend it to the SM in the reclamation area.

He also discussed plans for a golf course, a horse race track, a car race track, and five-star hotel with a 3,000 capacity convention hall.

"We expect Silay's population to achieve a middle class status in the next 20 years," Montelibano reportedly said

. Those are plans for the moment. But these are realizable goals and dreams.

Definitely, though, Silay City will benefit from the airport of international standards.

Although, there are still things that have to be realized before the boon from the airport's operationalization can be attained.

As already pointed out by Rep. Monico Puentevella (Bacolod City) during their meeting of the four leading LGU and national government officials Sunday, there are still things that have to be finalized.

Like, for example, the installation of an alternate route from Bacolod passing through the eastern side of Talisay that will reduce travel time to only five minutes between the two cities. Then, there is the other route for the circumferential road to Talisay then direct to the airport.

There is also the proposed circumferential road that will pass Cansilayan, Murcia, and Barangay Granada in Bacolod, then to the airport.

Definitely, though, the circumferential road may become, too congested unless alternatives are constructed. Heavy cane trucks have reduced the circumferential road to almost a potholed vehicular artery, although repairs are ongoing.

But definitely something drastic must be adopted to make it very hospitable to vehicular traffic when cane trucks congest it when the government center is completed and the milling season starts.

In short, the center of gravity of development in Bacolod will shift to the Villa Angela area with the activation of the government center. That will relieve the traffic congestion in the downtown area, but it will also aggravate conditions in that part of the city.

But whether one likes it or not, the opening of the Silay airport is definitely going to benefit Silay most, although that remains to be realized yet.

Still Montelibano must be congratulated for already dreaming of the day when his city will join Bacolod as the pivot of development.

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Tilapia seems to be the secret weapon of the health department in fighting the Aedes aegypti, the mosquito carrier of H-fever.

Although not original, the idea of seeding the marshy lot near the Hinobaan cemetery with thousands of tilapia fingerlings by Dr. Efren, the PHO, is based on the Tanzanian government experience. Kudos to the DOH team for having researched on how to control the pitik-pitik, the mosquito larvae.*

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