PANGLAO AIRPORT PROJECT

If one studies the evolution of the Panglao Airport Project it reveals a pattern on how our government officials are not focused on good development strategy:

1. The project status as reported looked liked it is being rushed.
2. It is being calculated to avoid any semblance of competitive bidding.
3. The project has shown no evidence of effort by the proponents to save money for the government and is designed to award everything to a single contractor.
4. It is not clear so far if the project proponent is the Local Government Unit of Bohol or it is the National Government thru the Department of Transportation and Communications.

While charges of irregularities concerning the project where often raised, no one involved can clear the controversy unless and until they will be transparent in dealing with the answers to the public questions and appeal for clarifications.
It cannot be helped that quite a number of minds would think that some politicians and people in power are intent on making loads of money in preparation for the 2010 elections. If one will make and in-depth analysis of the process, there seems to be a conscious effort to promise, borrow and spend as much as possible. Let the future generation pay for the project cost and its substantial overprice.

Why have they arrived at a project cost, some say its 4.2 b (Ph P) in the absence of evidence to show that we really need this airport? If the project is a feeder airport, what’s being proposed is a redundant facility. If it is international standard, then it competes with the already operational Mactan International Airport situated just a few minutes away from the proposed airports Panglao location.

Good governance, transparency and good procurement practice would require that multibillion projects would begin with a project and economic feasibility and architectural and engineering (A&E) studies that will justify the project undertaking and the basis for what the bidders should bid for. International funding institutions such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the likes usually fund such studies.

Our leaders fixation for mega projects made them overlooks effectiveness and efficiency. In fact, the intent as always, is to maximize the cost of the project, so the overprice, the bribes, can also be maximized. Finally these questions must be addressed squarely:

1. Since the airport project idea started officially during former Gov. Torralba’s Watch, sometime in the late 80’s, was there a feasibility study prepared? What did that study conclude?
2. Subsequent administrations were into a policy of land acquisition precisely for this proposed airport. What happened to those pieces of land reported to have been acquired when the proposed airport is now in a new location as reported?
3. Would an airport have a manifest effect ecologically on the island of Panglao?
4. What exactly did Gov. Aumentado mean when he said, in response to the public clamor and appeal for dialogue and clarifications, “TOO LATE THE HERO”.

In the old days we used to look up to our leaders with respect and awe. We relied in their being dedicated public servants. Today our leaders have focused on merely being functionaries! And we are now, as people, as government experiencing the devastating logical consequence!

Bobby Cericos