Twist in BREDCO-Bacolod fight

Give it to city legal Officer Allan Zamora . He always has aces up his sleeves. And he did just that yesterday when he questioned the legal personality of the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (BREDCO) to file the case against Bacolod officials, headed by Mayor Evelio Leonardia.

The point by Zamora – BREDCO has assigned its right to reclaim and manage and operate the seaport to Top Harbor International, Inc. In short, it unilaterally terminated the Comprehensive Revised Reclamation Agreement BREDCO had entered into with the city government.

That poses a vital question that could upend the suit filed against Leonardia and eight city officials by former Vice Mayor Renecito Novero. In short, it could even lead to premature dismissal of the case Novero, et al had filed against Leonardia and company.

But that was not enough. The proposed bidding for the port by the city with its takeover went into a tizzy with no less than property developer R-II Builders chair Reghis Romero II telling members of the CREBA-Negros chapter, headed by Ed Pestaño, that he is interested in Bacolod .

Considering that Romero's firm is known for its Harbour Centre Port Terminal in the Manila Harbour Center , that's something worth heeding by BREDCO and Top Harbor officials.

For Romero, there is a prospect of developing the local port into an international one since it has industries and other corporations it has ties with.

While Romero did not zero in on BREDCO, one can expect that his vision of what Bacolod can be could be easily realized were he, later, to bid to handle the BREDCO Port operation and the other facets of the CRRA contract with the city.

In short, it's not all gloom for Bacolod .

***

One must doff the hat off to Silay City Mayor Jose “Oti” Montelibano's move to provide free shuttle service to passengers taking an air trip via the new Silay Airport in Barangay Bagtic.

Although only a stop-gap measure, Montelibano envisions that it could ease the anxieties of many average passengers who may find it extremely difficult to go to and from the airport.

While there are shuttle buses at the SM Mall in the reclamation area, they charge P100 per head. That poses difficulties for the ordinary airline passenger.

But, as I had earlier pointed out, the other alternative is to board the baby buses and jeepneys up to the junction of Rizal Street in Silay City , then take a tricycle for the airport. The charge is only P10 per head.

But the problem is that these trikes are not allowed entry into the airport.

Thus, the shuttle buses to be fielded by Mayor Montelibano provides the best alternative to transport passengers to and from the airport to Silay City .

A salute to the Silay Mayor for fast thinking and immediate response to a public problem.

****

I had some very rational education from the e-mailed letter by Dave and Mrs. Nell Duckett of Sta. Clara.

One of the food for thought, which I knew had been intended for Mayor Bing was that he should have lobbied Cebu Pacific for an extra flight from Manila to Bacolod and Dumaguete. That could be an idea worth exploring.

And, yes, that the real competition for Bacolod is not Silay but Iloilo and Cebu . And, yes, it is also true that those interested to go to Boracay will take the flight to Kalibo or Caticlan and not pass by Bacolod .

***

Again, I must confess, I missed yesterday's Ati-ati festival of Ibajay, the hometown of my late wife, Dr. Lourdes L. Espina. I had vowed to go back this year. But I did not have the alalay to accompany me there.

Anyway, it is a festival which I did not want to miss. Since the first time, Nene had invited me to go there, I never missed one. It was always Ati-ati until the demise of Nene eight years ago.

Why? Because it is one festival which had never succumbed to commercialization. It has retained its cultural and religious purity despite the pressure by tourists from nearby Boracay who have been trooping to Ibajay year after year.

One thing with Ibajay. Most of the year, it is almost a dead town. The most populous of Aklan, but the bulk of its citizens are abroad or in the Manila area.

But once a year, many of these successful Ibajaynons (or Ibayjanons as some contend) return to Ibajay and transform it into a mini-city with their colorful costumes and the evidences of their successes abroad.

All because most of them, especially the younger generation, have not forgotten the favors or graces given them by the Sto. Nino. Thus, their religious pledge is the one that brings them back to Ibajay.

Well, I missed it again this year. Perhaps, next year, I'll definitely be there. A promise to be fulfilled.*

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