The Historical Flavours of Iloilo

Whats there to do in Iloilo? I texted the organizer of our trip a week before the departure date. We'll eat batchoy, he texted back with a smiley face attached at the end of the message. Batchoy? What was so special about batchoy from Iloilo?

When we finally landed in Iloilo, I learned that batchoy was invented here and that this soupy noodle dish is one of the many things the Ilonggos are very proud of.

Iloilo City is the capital of Iloilo, one of four provinces that occupies Panay island in the Visayas region (the others are Antique, Aklan, and Capiz), and is actually independent from its mother province. Because of its strategic location and the presence of an international airport (the fourth busiest in the country) a half hour away, Iloilo City is considered the gateway to the Western Visayas region, which, apart from the aforementioned provinces, also includes Guimaras and Negros Occidental. It is also the country’s second oldest city (the oldest is Cebu City), which makes it one of the earliest regions in the Philippines discovered by Spanish colonizers and where they built their settlements.

This colonization is quite evident in the architecture. As you drive through downtown Iloilo, particularly through Calle Real (now known as JM Basa Street), try and ignore the tacky billboards, garish signs, and thick tangle of black electric wires and you will see beautifully designed old buildings. Unfortunately, many of these buildings have been left to decay or overtaken by commerce and turned into hardware stores or panciterias. You can’t help but wish that these colonial buildings were protected and maintained by the local government. They could follow the example of many major European cities—the facades of these old structures could be preserved, but the insides gutted and developed into charming cafés, quirky shops, or even small boutique hotels. In the 19th century, this row was the liveliest commercial district as it was the site of most of the town’s European and Chinese retailers.

During the city’s economic boom, thanks in large part to the development of the sugar industry in Iloilo and the neighboring Negros island, families turned their properties into farms for sugar production because there was a high demand for the sweet stuff in the world market. The Jaro district of Iloilo became the Philippines’ first “millionaires’ row” because many wealthy sugar barons built their sprawling mansions there. At the height of their affluence, we can imagine the illustrious families of Iloilo like the Lopezes, the Ledesmas, the Villanuevas, the Lizareses, the Montinolas, the Jalandonis, the Javellanas, and the Locsins, lounging in the verandas of their stately homes, playing croquet in the expansive lawn, or holding huge parties in the lavishly decorated salas.

These days, imagine is all a tourist can do. Many of these huge heritage houses have been abandoned because their owners have either migrated to other cities like Manila or Bacolod, or died. Some which have been left to caretakers are open for viewing by appointment or available to be rented for parties and events.

One of the most attractive is the elegant white mansion called Nelly Garden, built in 1928 and once owned by philanthropist and statesman Don Vicente Lopez and his wife Doña Elena Hofileña. Another notable house is the 200-year-old Casa Mariquit, considered one of the oldest existing houses in Iloilo and where the Javellana family once resided (one of the family members, Maria Mariquit Javellana lived there with her husband, the former vice-president of the Philippines, Fernando Lopez, Sr.). Our group managed to enter the brick-based house and surprised the caretakers—they were in the process of cleaning and sprucing it up for tourists. However, they were kind enough to tour us inside, while giving us a history lesson on its former occupants.

But the most stunning of all has to be the grand Lizares Mansion, which was built in 1937. Rumor has it that after the war broke out, family members were killed, and the mansion was used as a garrison by the Japanese. It then remained unoccupied for years till it was turned into a casino by gambling lords in the 1950s. By the 1960s, the mansion was purchased by Dominican friars for the discounted price of P50,000. It was then renovated and it eventually became the Angelicum School. If you visit Iloilo City during the holiday season, be sure to pass by the school at night—every Christmas, the building is beautifully decorated and lit up.

Visita iglesia...

After our drive by rows of rundown colonial-style buildings and abandoned heritage homes, it was time to visit a few old churches—for a change, it was good to observe efforts to preserve and maintain the churches, perhaps because they are always in use as places of worship. The first church in Iloilo was built in the early 1600s by the Jesuits to serve the needs of the military stationed there. As the province was the setting for early “civilization” in the country, the natural progression was for the Spanish colonizers to build churches there. Today, you will find many with stunning Baroque and Gothic designs.

We visited the Jaro Cathedral, which was built in 1864 and is distinct for its collection of life-sized statues of male saints perched on the columns inside. But outside, there is a statue of Our Lady of Candles (her feast day is on February 2) encased in glass and visited daily by devotees. The Madonna and Child is considered “miraculous” because it keeps growing in size, necessitating its transfer and change of glass case every year. The image originally occupied a spot by the altar inside the church; it is said that after a visit and a blessing by Pope Paul VI in 1982, the statue began to grow in size and had to be moved outside. The belfry is another unique feature of this cathedral—it is one of the few in the country that stands apart from the church (in fact, it is located across the street).

There are many other old churches to visit within the city, like San Jose Church (located right in front of Plaza Libertad) and Molo Church (the “feminist” church because of the presence of at least 16 images of female saints). If you dare venture a little road trip, however, we highly recommend the Miag-ao Church. Located some 40 kilometers southwest of Iloilo City, this over-200-year-old structure was declared a national landmark in 1973 and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list of “Baroque Churches in the Philippines” in 1993. It also holds the distinction of being one of the most photographed churches in the country, thanks to its unique architectural style. The façade has a decorative bas relief described as “native botanical,” featuring papaya and guava trees and a large coconut tree in the center, and flanked by two dissimilar bell towers.

Batchoy, biscocho, and more...

Lest you think these architectural gems are the highlight of a tour of Iloilo City, locals will always take the time to make you taste their food. Ask any Ilonggo what there is to do in their fine city and they will almost certainly answer “Eat!” And at the top of the list is batchoy.

Batchoy is a hearty noodle soup dish that includes pork innards, crushed chicharon (pork rinds), vegetables, shrimp, chicken breast or beef loin, shrimp broth, and chicken stock, and topped with spring onions and chopped fried garlic. The original version used miki noodles, but to meet customers’ demands, other varieties were developed using miswa, bihon, and sotanghon noodles.

There is much debate on who invented the batchoy. Deco’s and Ted’s, two of the most popular batchoy restaurants in Iloilo, both claim to have concocted this filling dish. The original owners, Frederico Guillergan Sr. and Teodorico Lepura, respectively, each started out experimenting with a basic Chinese noodle soup back in the 1930s. They then opened up batchoy stalls in the public market and eventually expanded. One thing is for sure, though: It originated in the district of La Paz, Iloilo; hence its full name of La Paz batchoy indicates that you are eating batchoy, Iloilo-style.

Another source of Iloilo pride is the seafood. Many seafood restaurants line Villa beach and the most popular, no doubt, is Breakthrough. Tourists and locals alike head to this sprawling open-air restaurant, where you can pick out the fish, crab, lobster, or prawns you want cooked your way. Another must-visit restaurant is Tatoy’s Manokan & Seafoods. Their specialty is barbecued whole chicken stuffed with tamarind and lemongrass leaves and, of course, grilled seafood. These seaside eateries are generally very casual and you may even want to eat with your hands.

After three days of sightseeing and eating, the group was ready for some pasalubong shopping. At the top of my list was biscocho, the one thing my dad asked for when I told him I was going to Iloilo. Personally, I didn’t get the thrill of eating a crunchy piece of toasted bread heavily buttered to the point of turning yellow, but the province has made a whole industry out of it. You can find many brands of biscocho in supermarkets and souvenir shops, but we were told the best if from Biscocho Haus, found all over town and practically an institution in Iloilo.

source:

TRAVELIFE MAGAZINE - the Philippines’ leading travel & lifestyle publication.

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Milestone Heritage Site Preservation Urged

By TARA YAP

May 21, 2011, 6:27pm

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines — Heritage conservationists strongly urge the city government to scrap a P35-million proposal to turn the old Iloilo office of Ker & Co. into the new city hall’s parking space.

Exclaimed Dr. Kristin G. Treñas, who is president of the Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Conservation Council (ICCHCC), “What an expensive parking lot! Not just in pesos, but in its true value to Ilonggos, which is inestimable!”

Lamented Treñas, “It is like tearing off a whole chapter from our story as a people!”
The 3,063-square meter lot of the oldest British trading company in the country has been eyed by the administration of Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog as a parking space for the new seven-story city hall which did not incorporate a parking space in its blueprint. Such a facility – a parking space – must be built - to comply with National Building Code requirements.

“A few months ago, the mayor wanted to retain Ker & Co; and now he is resorting to its acquisition,” cultural worker Bernardo Arellano III said, on Mabilog’s apparently flip-flopping decision on the heritage site.

The Mabilog administration countered however that it does not intend to use up all of the 3,063-square meter lot as a parking lot and that the 19th century structure would be preserved and may even be turned into a museum.

However, heritage conservationists are puzzled about the mayor’s plan for the construction of a parking space and a museum all in one lot.

“Although there is a plan to use the heritage building as an extension office and a museum, it is not entirely clear,” added Arellano.

Ker & Co. was established in the city in the middle of the 19th century when the port of Iloilo opened its door to international trade.

source & related story(s):

 http://www.mb.com.ph

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‘Sinadya sa Suba’ Kicks Off Today

ILOILO City – For the first time, Iloilo City celebrates Sinadya sa Suba today and tomorrow in tribute to the river that runs across the city.

Sinadya sa Suba is an environmental campaign of the city government for the advancement of the Iloilo River development and rehabilitation.

It is a two-day affair with a food festival along the riverbanks, variety shows, musical bands, and other sports events like Tipon Basura, a mass mobilization for garbage collection along the river, and Waswas Pamunit, an inland fishing competition.

The festival opens today with the food festival, stretching from Promenade La Paz Area to the area of Drilon Bridge at Brgy. Rizal, La Paz and Carpenter Bridge all the way to Treñas Boulevard.

Today is also the grand opening of Night of Music Festival by the River with KAPUSO Night of GMA-Iloilo, accompanied with a performance by Showcase of Sinamba sa Regatta top performers. 

A mass will be offered at 7 a.m. in tribute of the river, followed by a Formal Opening of Ceremony at the Treñas Boulevard near the Carpenter Bridge.l.

By 8:30 a.m., Tipon Basura and Waswas Pamunit will start, and by 9 a.m. Tribu Pan-ay, Tribu Paghida-et and Tribu Pantat will give a special Dinagyang tribute to the river through Pamukaw sa Suba.

The food festival will open again by 3 p.m., along Treñas Boulevard in the vicinity of Carpenter Bridge.

This will be followed by a Final Judgment for Tipon Basura Competition and First Inland Angling Competition and Paralympics by the Bridge with Office of Persons with Disability Affairs by 4 p.m. and the Awarding Ceremony with Cong. Jerry Treñas and Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog after.

A special performance by Sinamba sa Regatta Grand Champion will be given at the Music Festival Area along with Pasanag sa Suba: Candle Light Floaters/Lanterns by 6 p.m.

By 7:30 p.m. at Treñas Boulevard, local bands and ABS CBN talents will showcase their talents for Sinadya sa Suba.

This project aims to create a heightened environmental awareness among Ilonggos, particularly the riverside communities of Iloilo City on the importance of sustaining a clean river.

source:

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http://www.panaynewsphilippines.com

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Lopez Group to Revive Airline Company

ILOILO CITY, Philippines (PNA) -– The first Filipino-owned private airline company in the country is poised to revive its operation by servicing chartered flights but, this time, it will already be based in Manila.

This was disclosed by Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog who recently met with the son of Don Oscar Lopez and officials of the Iloilo-Negros Air Express Company (INAEC) where informally he was informed of the development.
Mabilog said that the revival of the operation is very meaningful because it is the first private airline to operate in the country which really came from this city.

Their return to the industry, according to Mabilog, will again “put Iloilo in the historical map being a host to the first airline and that the company is still there.”

“In the next coming months, they will be very aggressive in the marketing of their chartered flights,” he said.

The INAEC had its inaugural flight with its Iloilo to Manila route on February 1, 1933.

The Flight Schedules and Fares

source:

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http://www.mb.com.ph
http://www.skyscrapercity.com

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Fit for a Queen: The Grand Design for a New City Hall

By The Daily Guardian Special Investigative Team
 

A PALACE fit for a Queen. Such is the avowed intent of City Mayor Jed Mabilog in pushing for the construction of an admittedly expensive New City Hall building which will put the Iloilo City government and its taxpayers into a debt burden of at least P715 million and counting for next 15 years.

The grand design for City Hall, of course, did not start with Mayor Mabilog. It began during the second term of then Mayor (now Iloilo City Representative) Jerry Treñas. But ‘grand’ is not just a word to describe the structure, it may also apply to the schemes and machinations that were used to extract, nay mine fully, from  the city government’s coffers the most that can be had for the taking.

It is a sordid tale of shortcuts taken and shortcomings (by omission or commission) by a spineless and gullible city council. For the past couple of weeks, The Daily Guardian (TDG) Special Investigative Team has been following a paper trail in order to establish a clear picture of what now appears to be a purposeful yet haphazard tactic to bilk the city coffers dry.

So far, what we have uncovered is a large puzzle with many pieces missing. But it is certainly in those missing pieces that we see the cunning deception that is being perpetrated against the public welfare.

Background

The original Iloilo City Hall is that classically elegant structure that sits at the heart of the UPV Iloilo City campus. This has been the city’s seat of government from 1936 up the 1950s when the city donated it to the State University in order to lure UP into establishing a branch in Iloilo. Today, the old city hall serves as the main building of the UPIC campus and the future site of the expanded Center for West Visayan Studies and Museum of UP Visayas.

City Hall transferred to the site in front of Plaza Libertad where the New City Hall is being constructed. Here, it held business until the turn of 21st century, or sometime in 2000, when it was declared by engineers as “unfit/unsafe for human occupancy” due to its dilapidated conditions. Because of this, the Malabor administration (1992-2001) became a tenant in several ‘for-rent’ buildings, including Marymart Mall where it paid rent amounting to P511,500 per month for a floor area of 1,620 sq. m (or a concessionary rate of about P400 per square meter, including air conditioning)  for the period August 2000 to - December 2001.

With the city government rendered homeless, then Mayor Mansueto Malabor aspired to build a new city hall. He identified a lot in San Pedro, Molo district as a prospective site and, in fact, a ground breaking and time stamp laying ceremony was held thereat. Senator Miriam Santiago gave full support to Malabor’s lofty aspiration and allocated some P50 million from her pork barrel to jump start the project. It sank instead. Somewhere in the Iloilo River, near the banks of San Pedro, Molo are said to be buried some P50 million worth of pre-stressed concrete pilings. Malabor’s aspiration is buried with it.

Parenthetically, several years earlier, then Iloilo City Rep. Raul Gonzalez Sr. also tried to recover from UPV not just the Old City Hall but the entire UP Iloilo City site claiming that UPV already had its vast home in Miag-ao. He met with stiff opposition, not just from UP itself but from its powerful alumni. Gonzalez has now gone riding into his own political sunset without making any headway against UP.

Under the Treñas administration, City Hall moved to Robinsons Place Iloilo. How much it cost the city government has not been clearly established (despite nearly ten years of occupancy) although sources at the City Treasurer’s Office said “rent” for the occupancy at Robinsons consisted of an offset agreement (or in exchange for tax dues of the mall) excluding electric consumption or power bills which the city has to pay for. Whether this agreement was covered by the necessary authority from the City Council, we have yet to uncover.

The New City Hall: A Showcase

Like Malabor, Treñas also wanted to build a permanent home for the city but not in a new site. To establish some form of chronology to the Treñas undertaking, we secured from the City Council all documents relating to the New City Hall project. Those documents showed that on August 9, 2006, the City Council led by Vice Mayor Guillermo Dela Llana passed Resolution No. 2006-1089 authorizing Treñas to negotiate/enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Land Bank of the Philippines for a loan to finance construction of a New City Hall intended to be a “showcase window” for the city. That resolution, principally pushed by then councilor Jed Mabilog, deemed as “urgent” the construction of the new city hall considering the constantly rising construction materials and labor costs. The original loan approved was for P350 million.

The initial plan was to for an 8-storey building in the Plaza Libertad site straddling two lots (Lot Nos. 594-A & 1153-A for TCT No. T-31992 and Lot No. 480 for TCT No. T-21278) with a total lot area of 2,162 square meters and a total floor area is 14,530 square meters.

News reports during this period quoted former Councilor Ed Peñaredondo, the Majority Floor Leader, to have made assurances on the city’s financial capability in securing and paying loan. The city government, he said, has a credit line as high as P2.5 billion in the LBP based on the city's 20 percent Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and amount of business taxes collected.

After all, in 2006, the City Government was paying “only” the loan acquired from the Pavia housing project.  [Note: The housing project has been dubbed “Pavia Housing Scam” where the city incurred over P130 million in indebtedness to Philippine National Bank (PNB) to pay-off the contractor which was found to have used substandard materials for the project. Standing now in the city’s 8-hectare property in Pavia are cannibalized low-cost houses now home to stray dogs, goats and other ghosts.  The term of Treñas began and ended with an unconscionable waste of people’s money.]

In October 2006, or barely two months since Treñas got the SP nod, his administration was already harping on P382 million at its disposal for the use of new City Hall building – the  P350 million to be loaned from LBP and P32 million that was then collected from various Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs).

Missing pieces

By this time, Pacific-Orient Consultants & Management Co., Inc, fresh from its stint with the controversy-marred construction of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, has entered the picture as consultant and construction manager of the City Hall building now estimated to cost P378,987,675. However, the The Daily Guardian’s Investigative Team has seen no record, particularly any City Council resolution granting authority or appointing Pacific-Orient as project consultant. Pacific-Orient is the same outfit that oversaw the construction of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol building, which its Manager, Engr. Conrado Goco, admitted only recently to be more expensive if not overpriced. Pacific-Orient first surfaced in a document submitted to city officials outlining additional cost for partitioning works pegged at P16,386,000 and additional works that affected general requirements with additional cost of P3,247,020.

Architects from the firm, W.V. Coscolluela & Associates, also came in the picture having won the contract for the design.  Its 2006 estimate of architectural works amounted to P116,240,000, P49,402,000 for the electrical works, plumbing and sanitary works worth P13,803,500 and fire protection which is P10,897,500. The mechanical works estimate was P31,638,600. Still in 2006, estimate was also given by the Pacific-Orient for four elevator sets pegged at P14 million. 

Soon enough, however, construction costs escalated. Thus, in early 2007, there were already moves in the City Council to secure additional loans. In May 9, 2007, or five days before the May 14, 2007 National and Local elections, twin Resolutions were passed granting full authority to Treñas to loan for and in behalf of the city P350 million and assigning the city’s Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) as collateral. In both Resolutions, then Councilor and now City Hall spokesman Ed Peñaredondo was the prime mover.  Despite the election period, the City Council and Mayor Treñas took time to heed LBP’s request for amendments on the authority granted to Treñas citing the “vagueness” of the August 2006 authority granted by the council.

By May 24, 2007, two weeks after the elections that got Treñas reelected and Mabilog as the next Vice Mayor, a work contract with W.V. Coscolluela & Associates was signed. W.V. Coscolluela won over eight other firms that made their bids in the architectural, space planning, engineering design consultancy. The seven other bidders were the Mohri and DA Associates; Filipinas Dravo Corp; Woodfields Consultant Inc; United Technologies Inc.; Schema Konsult Corp; Palafox and Associates and E.S. de Castro & Associates.

W.V. Coscolluela’s design of the building cost the Iloilo City Government more than P12 million in fees. A Notice To Proceed (NTP) was issued the following day, May 25, 2007. A stipulation of the contract is that design will be presented after 120 days or by September 25, 2007.

On September 12, 2007, or four months into the term of the new City Council, they passed Resolution No. 2007-1042 authorizing Treñas to sign related documents needed for the P350 million loan. Two days later in September 14, 2007, the loan agreement was duly signed.

Here again is another missing piece, perhaps a fatal flaw. Under the Local Government Code, “the Local Chief Executive can enter into a contract in behalf of the Local Government Unit so long as there is a prior authorization from the Sanggunian concerned.

In this particular case, Mayor Treñas did have authorization to negotiate for a P350-million loan for and in behalf of the city. But that authorization came from the previous Sanggunian headed by Vice Mayor De La Llana.

By the time the first loan agreement was to be signed by Treñas on September 14, 2007, the City Council is already headed by Mabilog as Presiding Chair and there were six new City Councilors who were not privy to the earlier authority granted to Treñas to negotiate the said loan.

Can the “Mabilog Sanggunian” shortcut the process of securing the loan process without first granting Treñas authority to negotiate? No way. By legal definition, a “Resolution” is used whenever the legislature wishes to express an opinion and it has temporary effect, binding only upon the council members who passed it.  

Thus, the Mabilog Sanggunian’s Resolution of September 12, 2007 authorizing Treñas to sign the loan agreement and a subsequent Resolution dated November 14, 2007 confirming the LBP loan agreement in the amount of P350 million appears to be legally infirm and void ab initio.

Escalating costs and remedial legislation

Nevertheless, by March 2008 or four months later, estimates for the construction cost of the city hall building have increased to P463,883,922. 

By September of 2008, estimated construction cost increased further to P465,039,000. The two sets of estimates were prepared by the Pacific-Orient Consultants & Management Co. Inc. through its General Manager Conrado Goco.  It was clarified at that time, too, that the P465,039,000 costing does not include the installation of air conditioning units.

By November 2008, Treñas saw the need for additional project funding to be secured by another loan with LBP.

Incidentally, news stories in November 2008 reported of how Treñas acknowledged the need for another SP authority before he is allowed anew to represent the city in any bank transactions.  

Thus Resolution No. 2008-1867 dated December 10, 2008 was passed. This resolution broadly stated that the authority given to Treñas was to contract a loan for the “amount not exceeding Four Hundred Fifty Five Million Pesos (P455,000,000.00).”

Treñas was merely just trying to secure an additional P105 million loan but the new resolution which pegs the amount at P455 million could also have been made as effort to cure the glaring deficiency for the first P350-million loan. This was a very poor attempt at remedial legislation, made apparently upon prompting of Land Bank officials who noted the infirmity. Succeeding resolutions by the City Council glaringly exposes how much the City Council tried to correct itself to further clothe the LBP loans with some semblance of legality.

Coscolluela blames Treñas, Mabilog for delays

Meantime, the City Council with Councilor Erwin Plagata as Acting Presiding Chair approved Resolution No. 2008-1691. With Mabilog on official leave, lawyer-Councilor Eldrid Antiquiera pushed for the presence of Architect William V. Coscolluela to appear before the SP and shed light on the City Hall project.

That was November 19, 2008. By then it was ten months since W.V. Coscolluela was commissioned and supposed to have presented the basic design for the project. Yet what was available only then was a “perspective design.”

This delay and the expressed intention of the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Iloilo Chapter to present their own architectural design at a lower cost stirred an otherwise “quiet” project. Councilor Antiquiera asked Architect Coscolluela to appear before the body on November 26, 2008. He never did.

What happened was that in November 25, 2008, a presentation of the P465-million project was made in a local hotel with Mayor Treñas present. All members of the City Council were invited but seven of the City Councilors did not attend. The seven, said to be critics of the multi-million project, were lawyer-Councilors Antiquiera and Antonio Pesina, Julienne Baronda, Jeffrey Ganzon, Ely Estante, Armand Parcon and John Melchor Mabilog. Those present were Councilors Eduardo Peñaredondo, Jose Espinosa III, Lyndon Acap, Irene Ong, Lex Tupas, Erwin Plagata, Perla Zulueta and then Vice Mayor Mabilog.

In that presentation, the media reported Coscolluela as blaming Treñas for the delay. Coscolluela reportedly described the situation as “complicated as Mayor Treñas entertained other ideas regarding the project.”

Indeed, at that time there was an offer by Megaworld, which has just acquired the old airport in Mandurriao, to build a City Hall in the area in exchange for the city hall lots. The idea was shot down by many quarters before it could even take off.

Coscolluela said Treñas only informed him to proceed with the old plan of building the City Hall in its old site in March of 2008. As a matter of procedure, the contractor could not present the design for the city hall unless approved by the mayor.

There were other delays, too, including changes sought by then vice mayor Jed Mabilog. A news story in November of 2008 reported of the vice mayor’s admission that he returned the proposed plan as he wants the vice mayor's office near the session hall. The conference hall, he also insisted then, must be adjacent to the offices of the city councilors.

City Council cover-up

By late 2009, another series of maneuverings were made at the City Council to cover up the loan agreement deficiencies. On September 2, 2009, the City Council passed Resolution No. 2009-1244 confirming the P105-million second loan to be used for the construction of the new City Hall.

On September 14, 2009, Treñas also sought SP authority to sign the Deed of Assignment using the city’s Internal Revenue Allotment share from the national government as collateral to the LBP loan.  

By September 30, 2009, Resolution No. 2009-1404 was passed adopting a Committee Report and granting Treñas’ request relative to the collateral issue. This Resolution again showed a glaring irregularity. The Committee Report cited a supposed authority granted to Treñas to secure the P105-million loan as per Resolution No. 2008-1867 in December 2008. But there was no such provision in Resolution No. 2008-1867. This resolution grants Treñas authority to secure a loan in the amount “not exceeding” P455 million.

Simply put, Resolution No. 2008-1867 tried to cure a fundamental defect in the first LBP loan of P350 million but, in so doing, merely impaired the second loan of P105 million because it gave no specific authority for such. Hence, Resolution No. 2009-1404 that purports to cure both defects by mere assumption of non-existing facts.

Full speed ahead

Defective loans notwithstanding, construction of new City Hall went full speed ahead, secured by  two loans amounting to P455 million with interest rate of 7% payable in 15 years from initial drawdown. 

With elections of May 2010 drawing near and a ban on projects looming, the bidding was conducted and the project eventually awarded to FF Cruz with the winning bid of P368 million. The Notice To Proceed (NTP) was issued February 15, 2010.

Treñas was elected Congressman and Mabilog was elected City Mayor, both to assume their respective posts on July 1, 2010. But just about two weeks after the election, on June 1, 2010, Treñas released a total of P55.2 million in advance payments to the contractor. This was disclosed, not by Treñas, but by Mabilog in his official explanation to the public published in local dailies and posted in the official website of the city (http://iloilocity.gov.ph/iloiloct2011wip/autogeneratedpagenews.php?id=346).

For his part, Mayor Mabilog was issued the authority to sign for and in behalf of the city all documents related to the LBP loan only on September 8, 2010.  Incidentally, Resolution No. 2010-853 was pushed by Councilor Joshua Alim and Councilor Lyndon Acap.

According to Mabilog, the city has made only the following payments to the contractor:

1st Progress Billing dated October 13, 2010 for  P57,172,180.89 net; 2nd Progress Billing November 10, 2010 – P16,517,504.03 net; 3rd Progress Billing (received December 6, 2010) – P5,549, 950.34 net;  4th Progress Billing (received February 7, 2011) – P22,065,778.77 net; and 5th Progress Billing (received March 11, 2011) - P37,512,496.69 net.

Records show that at the close of 2010, the city has already begun paying for the interest to the LBP loan for the construction of the new City Hall which amounted to P12,239,899.55. This year, tentative interest to be paid is P31.8 million with the principal loan of P455 million still intact.

source:

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http://thedailyguardian.com

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Cities That Could Steal Your Job: New Outsourcing Hot Spots

By Mark Scott

Sending jobs overseas is controversial in the best of times—and even more so when the recession is forcing layoffs all around. Just look at the proposal floated May 3 by U.S. President Barack Obama to tighten tax loopholes he says encourage companies to ship work abroad.

Yet in the hunt to shrink overhead, outsourcing continues unabated, particularly in the IT sector. Problem is, classic destinations such as Bangalore aren't as cheap as they used to be. Competition there among foreign firms has pushed up local costs, and staff turnover is high as well-trained employees jump to rivals. That's forcing clients to consider other places for outsourcing. From overlooked American cities such as Boise, Idaho and Winnipeg to more exotic locales like Cluj-Napoca, Romania, or the Philippines' Iloilo City, dozens of areas around the world are trying to grab a slice of the outsourcing business.

Obama's controversial plan to collect more taxes on foreign profits made by U.S. companies could tip the balance back towards domestic outsourcing. But there will always be other factors at play, so up-and-coming outsourcing destinations around the world still have room to grow. Click on to learn about 31 emerging global hot spots.

Statistics provided by KPMG and the World Bank

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Asia Pacific: Iloilo City, Philippines

Population: 419,000
Ease of Doing Business Rank (Philippines): 140
Rigidity of Employment Index (Philippines): 35

Already identified by Philippine authorities as one of the next wave of IT outsourcing centers, Iloilo City has received large government grants to upgrade its IT and transport infrastructure. The well-trained, English-speaking population makes the city an ideal option for companies looking for a cheap alternative for U.S. consumer support.


sources:
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http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/05/0504_outsourcing_hot_spots/1.htm
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/05/0504_outsourcing_hot_spots/31.htm

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All Systems go for Sinadya sa Suba 2011

Iloilo River @ Daytime

By Lilibeth A. French
 

IT is all systems go for the first Sinadya sa Suba here in Iloilo City May 20 – 21, 2011.

Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said Sinadya sa Suba is an environmental advocacy program not only of the city government but of all Ilonggos through their active support and cooperation.

He said the program is at no cost to the city as the fund for it was raised by the private sector to ensure its success and is a public-private partnership endeavor.

Sinadya sa Suba intends to raise the level of awareness and participation of the public in the rehabilitation efforts geared towards the protection and preservation of the Iloilo River which according to Mabilog is a good source of livelihood and the promotion of tourism.

It will be recalled that Iloilo City is a recipient of a gold award under the Environmentally Sustainable Project Awards of the International Awards for Liveable Communities (LivCom) in 2010 for its Iloilo River Development Project.

The two-day Sinadya sa Suba will kick off with a food festival in the afternoon of May 20 at 3pm in two separate venues – the Promenade in LaPaz Area and Treñas Boulevard in Mandurriao district here.

Iloilo River at Night

Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog will lead the opening program of the food festival at the Promenade which will be followed by the ABC LaPaz Barangay Night as LaPaz District is also celebrating its annual fiesta.

On the other hand, Rep. Jerry Treñas will give the message at the opening program of the food festival at the Treñas Boulevard which will be followed by an event sponsored by ABS-CBN and M.O.R.

At 7pm, there will be a Konsyerto sa Suba in both venues. Four bands will perform in each venue playing reggae, alternative and other varieties of music. They were also requested to play environmental songs during their two-day gigs.

Bands to perform at the Promenade are Bahag Hari, Tribu ni Mali, Tunog Amakan and Dos Band while at the Treñas Boulevard these are the Kuwatro Kantos, Joscko, Katu Kamos and Alallie.

Also, Ilonggo visual artists who wanted to share their talents in the preservation of the Iloilo River will hold an actual on-site mural paintings at the two venues starting at 2pm on May 20.

A Holy Mass will formally open the event on May 21 to be followed by a ceremony at the Trenas Boulevard near the Carpenter Bridge where Mabilog will officially declare the Sinadya sa Suba open. This will also signal the start of other activities such as Pamukaw sa Suba, Tipon Basura Community Mobilization, Rescue-Lympics and Waswas Pamunit.

Pamukaw sa Suba will showcase the performances of Dinagyang prides Tribu Pan-ay, Tribu Paghida-et and Tribu Pantat and Tipon Basura is a clean-up activity of the Iloilo River. On the other hand, the Rescue-Lympics is a showcase of different rescue groups and disaster preparedness and rescue capacity skills while Waswas Pamunit is an inland angling competition.

A people’s conference for Iloilo River Development and Protection is also set for the day starting at 10:30 AM at the Promenade Area. Other activities include Pinta-tawo and Super Bodies and a special performance from Sinamba sa Regatta Grand Champion.

Mabilog said he is looking forward that the Sinadya sa Suba will be institutionalized and will become an annual festival of Iloilo City which will be scheduled every second quarter of the year.

He said May is the best time to hold the Sinadya sa Suba when the waves and the seas are calm considering that the Iloilo River is an arm of the sea.

Dinagyang festival, Candelaria or the Jaro Fiesta, Chinese New Year and the Paraw Regatta are held during the first quarter, Sinadya sa Suba on the second quarter, Charter Day on the third quarter and the Lighting of Christmas Lanterns and the New Year countdown on the fourth quarter of the year. 

source:

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http://thedailyguardian.com

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DA VINCI CODE

BY MARTIN SORIANO
‘Ma`am, high tide or low tide?’
(History 102)

WOW, dugay na ta wala ka kit-anay! Did you miss me? I missed you too.
Bueno, i-dissect ta ni ang mga Ledesma today.

To those of you who are still in doubt of the force of the Ledesmas ari ay: Let us start with the Iloilo malls: Primo Santos (a Lopez y Ledesma) owns much of the land in the diversion road. Halin dira sa may Marina pakadto to sa bag-o nga bridge ni Drilon to West Bridge (naga end where the Laguda Estate (Ledesma man ni) begins again lapos to sa NHA kag ga libot pakadto sa SM City. That is all Ledesma land. SM City itself was bought from Primo Santos.

Now, kadto kita kay Lola Valer: Tanan na nga duta along Ledesma Street---SM Delgado, Robinsons to Supermarket ga libot sa Mary Mart pakadto sa Tanza kag in the opposite direction ma bunggo sa Atrium sa mga Cooper nga Casa Plaza (Lopez-Ledesma man ini) ga libot da pakadto sa Amigo (Uygongco bought this from the Lagudas y Ledesmas) including Quezon and propedad sang mga Betita (nga mga Ledesma man) -- ay mga palangga Ledesma land ini tanan. Ang Lapaz is practically a Laguda estate and of course, there is Jaro stronghold sang mga Helmsleys ga lapos na to pakadto sa CPU all the way to Ungka dira sa Christ the King sang mga Jamoras --ay palangga, that is all Ledesma lands.

“Ang tabok sang suba," which is Tabus Suba -- yodefotah iya ina ni Lola mo Ruth (Linti noh? Ma bato si Lola mo Ruth, mabato! Ha ha ha) The whole of Tacas----iya ni ni Lola mo Ruth lapos na to sa Banuyao ni Tita Elena Javellana kag ni Tito Romolo which of course includes the new Monfort highway, all the way to the Iloilo Strait in Hinactacan --ila ina tanan. Remember that L' Dumas (as in Alexander Dumas) or the Le Dumas or Ledesmas were based in Jaro--the real city then. They practically owned the city. Such was their influence that the Lopezes from Guimaras "married up" or intermarried with the Ledesmas to gain a foothold in Iloilo society.

Ang mga Javellanas ni ya is the Yin-Yang of both the Lopezes and the Ledesmas. Daw glue ni abi ang mga Javellana. That is why although indi related si Zafito O'Farrell kay Marice directly to the O'Farrells, they are still related through the Javellanas. Ang Yin-Yang to ya ni JJL and Ambassador Ledesma amo ni: "Ay, abaw.....didto kamo lisensya kay Oscar kay wala ko ya may na bal-an sang mga papeles nga ini...." Pati ka na ka balo man na siya....Ha ha ha ....te? May gahum si JJL noh? May gahum! Si Tiyo Nanding to ya kag si Inday Mariquit mag first cousins ato. The arrangement was that Nanding married Mariquit J. because it was what his brother Eugenio saw as the FUSION of the Eastern and Western Roman Empire so that the Lopezes would become a world power.

Wala guid siya nag sala. They soon gained Manila Rail and Light Company di Roma and ABS-CBN Italia. Pero ang palangga gid to ya ni Nanding si Mita Rufina.......t hat is why si Marivique Rufina ni Lopez gid ni ya! She even looks like Tio (or Tito in Ilonggo) Nanding, she acts like a Ledesma too kay the ARTS are a specialty of the French speaking O'Farrells (Le Dumas.)

Wala kamo na ka notar nga si Celina Lopez kag Marivic Rufina daw halin sa isa ka kahoy sa Simoun Ledesma Street, Jaro? Linti noh? May gahum si Lola mo Aida! May gahum!

Going back to the Javellanas, sang guina kontra ni sang mga politico sang sang una si Ambassador Oscar Ledesma sang ga padalagan siya Mayor Roma -- they were hitting below the belt-- nakita ko ni si JJL nag was-ag sang gahum niya!

JJL said: "Ngaa gina buyayaw ninyo ni si Oscar sa Radyo? Ka buot sini kay Oscar gina amo n'yo ni?" Linti pagwaan sila ni JJL sang iya war-chest nga halin pa kay Lolo Julio Javellana a...pa ulanan ni JJL kwarta a...te man....haplak sila tanan...linti nga Nana noh? Yudefotah nga gahum ni Nana JJL ha ha ha.
During these times, amo na ni ang pag rise sang mga Lopez into the political stratosphere by marrying their relatives (Javellana in the case of Tio Nanding).

They bankrolled political parties throughout the Philippines and with Nana, mga Montelibanos, etc. (all relatives from Bacolod) -- the Lopez (y Ledesma) became a formidable political block in the Philippine landscape known as THE SUGAR BLOC. They controlled the Nacionalista Party. Their main rival was the Liberal Party.

Si Ninoy to ya kag si Marcos upod man to sang una sa Liberal Party, but the presidential candidate of the Liberal Party was President Diosdado Macapagal, GMA`s father.

Baw linti si Imelda nag kadto guid di sa Iloilo kag in one party nag hibi-hibi gid kay Tio Eñing (ga luhod pa na ya si Lola mo Imelda habang ga hibi, ha ha ha--kabalan noh) nga si Marcos lang ang ila pa dalaganon kay ma "jump-ship" si Macoy from the Liberal to the Nacionalista Party. The rest, of course, is history.

I cited this to illustrate the pinnacle of the power of the formidable sugar bloc of the Ilonggos. Don`t forget that the Liberal Party was controlled (and still is today!) by the Aranetas of Bago City, Negros, Roxas City, Capiz and Cubao, Quezon City. Shall I say they we’re ALL arranged marriages: Ang iya ni Inday Judy kag ni Senator Gerardo Roxas (by their respective fathers), ang kay Nanding kag Mariquit (by Don Eugenio)...ang kay Vicente Madrigal gani kag kay Sussana Paterno gin arrange man ni ni President Manuel Quezon (who was a Spanish mestizo but descended from Chinese ancestry too -- Quezon means son of Mr. Que, eg. Mariano Que of Mercury Drug Store Bambang, Manila <the original store>).

Abe mo, wala ni kwarta ang mga Madrigal! It was Sussana Paterno (tag-iya sang Quiapo) nga may kwarta. Pero daw labandera ni chura ni Paterno kag si Madrigal daw si Richard Gutierrez e. So who says you cannot convert looks into cash man? ha ha ha.

Just like how the Javellanas helped the Lorings abe kay te nag linapta na to ya kwarta sang mga Gay kay nag pa España na ang mga utod ni Manolet mo.

The Paternos of Quiapo were the real macoy! Dyanay, ngaa ari na ta sa Quiapo man? Daw ara pa man ta sa Ledesma Street da sa Iloilo nag lab-ot na to ya sa Quiapo man?

Ha ha ha...Abe ninyo I have so many things to tell you, but I have to go kay ma pa Divisoria pa ko bwas te ka gab-i na ni ho.......but I don't like how they twist history in classrooms bala hau.
What is the capital of ZIMBABWE? Ha ha ha linti terror gid ya? But with history bala indi ako happy because they twist the real facts.

Let me give you some exampolos before I leave. Did you know nga si Jose Rizal gay gid to ya? As in Shugi? Si Maximo Viola to banaba to ni Rizal....ambot ah.....upod to sila ni Maximo Viola ga travel around Europe kag ga live-in to sila.

Maximo Viola financed the printing of the Noli novel. Rizal was only 4'11 how could he be macho (pa) sa mga babaye abe?

(Organize kamo da university trip. Ask Alfonso Uy kay alamotan namon, ma huo ni siya ako di transportation sa Manila--makadto ta sa Ayala Museum. May wax to si Rizal mga daw "Madame Tussaud."

4'11 lang daw si Rizal...hambal an...Leonor Rivera (aka Maria Clara) was a cousin and Josepine Bracken was an alpot (mababa ang lifad). They were not girlfriends but mga amegas of Rizal! Gahulamay to ya sila lipstick!

Who else can write a Noli if not Lino Brocka aber? Kun indi ka gay makasulat ka sang mga echos-echos like the Noli and the Fili? Nada! Ngaa gina distort nila ang history man?

Haay, padaluman ta na sa ulihi pero I have to go. I leave you with this thought: When you speak English, you are actually speaking FRENCH. The English that we speak of today is a German + French. Almost all our words in English today came from France. Example: Army is the corruption of the French word armee. Archer is from archer. Court (curt), duke (duc), baron (baron), nobility (nobilitie), peasant (paisant).

ALMOST all words from the English language is a corruption of FRENCH. Always remember this that is why ang panan-awan sang taga Paris sang mga taga London daw taga-Janiuay.

Ha ha ha...Ang mga kano ya daw mga mang-yan sa mata sang taga Paris e, ha ha ha...linti noh? Ha ha ha....France is the center of Western civilization dahlings, not your New York, New York (or your Long Beach Baywatch chicks ha ha ha ha) daw mga taga bukid kamo tanan sa mata ni Zafito O'Farrell of the Louvre! Ha ha ha...The Yin-Yang of France is China.

When you dine in Jaro with Zafito or Marice, never put your elbows on the tableau (table). But when you dine with Tita Baby at the Panaderia in Molo, it is okay to have your elbows in the table BUT DO NOT USE YOUR HANDS, use chopsticks or your kubiertos...ne ver eat with your hands when with the Chinese/Hans....ambot kun exception ang taga Macau? Ha ha ha ha.

In China/Han, remember this, bisan ano ka imol o ka pigado sa ila--they will never eat with their hands. ONLY DOGS EAT WITH THEIR HANDS sa Molo or Han.

Mag kadto ka sa Panaderia/Han, dapalon ka guid ni Tita Baby kun ga kinamot ka. Juanapo! Wala ka tinun-an! Daw ido ka! Haven't you noticed? Wala Chinese customers sa Kamayan? Yaks daw ma dig-wa si Tita Baby (Chinese Han Princess) sa mga na ga kinamot.

Lastly, it is okay to give a wall clock to Allana L. (of Paris) as a gift, which she really got so much in her wedding, ha ha ha.....But NEVER NEVER give a clock as a gift to the Chinese/Han taga Molo ha? Sa Jaro lang na ya ha? Daw gina terminohan mo na kabuhi ni Tita Baby if you give her a clock. Tampa-on ya gid ka! Wala ka tinun-an. Ha ha ha …

Do you see the difference? Yin is the opposite of Yang. Both are correct. Both are civilized. Both know the FORCE. Both may gahum. China and France. Night and Day. Life and Death. Yin and Yang. Hello and Goodbye. (Work of FICTION based on true facts.)

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