POLITICAL TIDBITS
BY BELINDA OLIVARES-CUNANAN
Inquirer/November 14, 2006

I WAS invited to be a resource person at the recent Aklan Media Summit held by the Publishers' Association of the Philippines (PAPI) in the towns of Kalibo, Boracay and New Washington. PAPI was founded 33 years ago by media personalities, such as the late Hans Menzi and Kerima Polotan Tuvera, Johnny Perez and Rosario Barretto Olivares.

The Aklan summit's theme was how the powerful local media can be a partner in the nation's development. The need to balance freedom and responsibility was stressed.

Veteran newsman Johnny Dayang, a native Aklanon, has been PAPI's indefatigable president for the last 10 years, and he has organized an annual national press congress over the past five years.

For the Aklan meet, some 200 delegates came from various parts of the country, many from Mindanao. I welcomed the opportunity to interact with them, as we from Manila seldom have such an opportunity.

The speakers included Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Pinol and National Commission on Culture and the Arts Director Cecile Alvarez. I was quite amused, but also heartened, to see Secretary Ebdane being peppered with questions by the media about public works projects in their own areas, which meant that they were aware of what was happening back home.

I later said that if only the media could team up with local leaders, such as church, business and NGO leaders, what a great monitoring mechanism it would be in the fight against graft and corruption.

Ebdane gamely answered the questions, revealing first-hand knowledge of many projects, or checking his "codigo" [notes] and referring to his district engineers those he couldn't answer right off.

Pinol narrated how North Cotabato has become one of the most progressive provinces in the country, despite all the problems it has faced. Obviously much of it can be attributed to his dynamic leadership. Alvarez stressed the crucial role of culture in the development of any place, such as the pride of Aklan, Boracay.

I cited how Bali in Indonesia has remained a top tourist destination in the world precisely because of its thriving and well-preserved culture. Boracay, which I hadn't visited since 2002, could learn a few lessons from Bali.

We were quite surprised to see how so many new hotels, restaurants and shops had mushroomed there, especially in the southern end. But Boracay will be just another over-commercialized island resort if one can't feel a cultural pulse -- its "soul."

To escape the commercialism, my husband and I walked to the northern tip, where Fridays and Sea Wind (the latter owned by my friends Ruth and Boy Jarantilla) are located, and I was happy to note that that part of island remains the way I remembered it -- quiet and serene, with the sand at its most dazzling, like powdered sugar.

In her speech before the 32nd Philippine Business Conference, President Arroyo noted that more than half of the tourists ended up in Boracay. She wants that island to be the dynamo of tourism development for the entire Panay Island, and plans include expanding the airport facilities at Caticlan, the gateway to Boracay.

Boracay, however, doesn't have a decent pier, and reports say the construction of one has been postponed due to the objections of the locals, who earn money carrying tourists piggyback to the boats. I must say, however, that few things are more offensive to the dignity of the Filipino than this sight.

Let's have that pier, Madame President. The facilities in the Aklan area are going to be upgraded, but right now the passenger lounge at Kalibo Airport, from where tourists take the big planes for Manila, is an oven with only one air-conditioning unit working. This seems to be true of many provincial airports.

Our colleague Mon Tulfo noted recently that the airport lounge in Puerto Princesa, another major tourist destination, also has malfunctioning air-conditioning units. If we're going to step up tourism, budgets have to be set aside for their repair.

A recent International Herald Tribune article spoke about real estate developments for retirement and leisure in various spots "once seen as ends of the earth" and therefore cheaper -- much as Mauritius in East Africa, Brazil and Borneo -- which are being snapped up by international jet-setters.

Dayang said the Aklan coast has many areas that could be developed as retirement havens, convention sites or resorts to catch the overflow from Boracay. Actually we have many beautiful places all over the country, but a very important requisite is peace and order.