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[bicolandiangayon-blog]

Moreno’s political will

The only needed to implement the existing laws is the political will of the government officials. This is evident when Manila Mayor Isko Moreno launched a campaign to clean his city from all of the obstructions including the illegal vendors, permanent structures along roads and carried-out a tight campaign against all illegal activities in the city including extortion of the law enforcement department of the city hall. He also regained roads of the city usurped by private individuals aside from strictly implementing the liquor ban in university belt areas.

Perhaps, this has been noted by the national government which part of the SONA of President Duterte when he orders the cleanup of all the traffic obstruction in the Greater Manila area. Albeit he did not mention the campaign of Moreno, we suspect he recognizes the cleanup operation of the Manila government under the youthful Mayor Isko Moreno. Even his desires to implement the smoking ban in the entire country like what he has done in Davao City; most of the LGUs in the country have already the existing ordinance on anti-smoking in public places.

What we point out, the laws that are needed are already there and what needed is the serious implementation of the ordinances by the local government units. The LGU should need to have its political will to seriously implement the existing laws like what Moreno did when he assumed office as the city mayor. The congested traffic flow in Metro Manila is the headache of the present government. Some proposals are resolving such issue like the granting of emergency power to the President to immediately resolve the traffic problem without the intervention of any entities.  

This is now the time that the local government units should assert themselves as the agency that is mandated to implement the necessary measure to make it a place to live in. Maybe Moreno’s catapulted in power is the sign of time for all LGUs in the country to follow him as an example of elective officials who dwells in the mandate of the constituents—to dispose of his government function appropriately. Imagine if all the urban cities in the country are cleaned from all traffic obstruction and no traffic congestion. Perhaps the country will become a better place to live in.

[bicolandiangayon-blog]

The ‘Ukay-ukay’ Identity

If you are going to shop in Naga City’s Centro one thing you can notice about it—the old business district of the city has been turned into ‘Ukay-ukay' district. While stores of cellphone imitations and pirated CDs and DVDs are also notable aside from the night market that sells second-hand shoes, pants, shirts and other ready to wear clothes which the city has conceptualized to infuse economic activities to the dying old business district. This old business district during the night is like the Divisoria in Manila where the economic activities target the ordinary lives of Nagueños and common people who cannot afford to go with the luxurious lives of riches and fame in the city.

The famous ‘Kalye Putikon’ was missed by Nagueños who used to stay in New England Restaurant to unwind after office hours. The delicious ‘pansit’ of Naga Garden was replaced by the “spaghetti and chicken joy” of Jollibee after its stall was given to the multi-national company for a money consideration. The former Padian—now Caceres Street is occupied by the Taiwanese business firms that sell substandard products which the city allowed for more than a decade now. This is the life in the Centro of Naga City—the liveliness of the place was replaced by the engrossments of selling the ‘Ukay-ukay, ‘and fake products.

The old central business district was forgotten to be developed despite its significance in the rich history of the city. How about the city’s public market? The change of its name into Naga City Peoples Mall has removed its identity of serving the common ‘tao' in the city. It reflects the sudden change of Naga City into a billionaire city that protects the tax system to sustain the collection of gross receipts of the city. Compare to the old business district where old buildings  and aged  government infrastructures, the new business district of Naga is full of the modern facilities and infrastructures that signified the decisiveness of the LGU  developing the new site for business.

As the small business in this old district is dying naturally, their owners have to resort into a business that will be patronized by the common tao—the ‘Ukay-ukay’ business is suited since they cannot compete with the multi-national companies that started to monopolize the business industry  of the city. Despite existing business organizations in the city that are claiming they brought about economic development in the city, and—the city progress is owed to them, they did nothing to protect the local business instead support the investments of multi-national  companies.

The Ukay sellers are resilient. They could easily adopt the atmosphere of business. They have just done what would be the appropriate strategy to sustain their business instead of withdrawing from the tight free-market competition set by the city. The silent heroes stood at the Plaza Oragon are the witnesses to every selling of Ukay. If they could only talk—they would ask why these local entrepreneurs have just resorted in selling the Ukays. Anyway, if this is the price of the progress of the city—where local businesses have not been protected from the might of the giant companies, so be it.

The important is, they have their own identity—the Ukay identity.