A group, comprised of a priest, engineer, golfer, and lawyer, recently sat down for coffee at a local hotel. They discussed a variety of topics, from conditions of the roads to airline delays, and they all boiled down to evaluating how city councilors were performing.
Bacolod City Councilor Dindo Ramos is an active public servant and has sponsored several ordinances addressing traffic chaos in the city, said the priest.
The engineer noted, discipline on the roads is poorly implemented, which is why there is so much confusion on the roads.
He added, is it true Ramos could barely convince traffic authorities to implement discipline on the roads because of political intervention? The golfer affirmed he had heard something similar.
The golfer also touted Councilor Caesar Distrito as “active” and “a man on the go.”
The priest, however, expressed doubt, noting, he hopes the councilor is not swayed by “his boss” to act based on the possibility votes may be negatively affected in the next election.
The lawyer shifted the subject to traffic, saying the current mayoral administration needs to clean up the mess downtown, but he has yet to see anybody determined to start the ball rolling since traffic authorities seem blind to the matter.
The engineer replied, it depends on the mayor, they are supposed to give commands.
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The City of Smiles needs to use more imagination in making the city a destination for leisure and business travelers. Innovative ideas are needed to make the city into an attraction. While everybody ends up in Bacolod City, fun and leisure activities are found in other towns and cities across Negros Occidental – politics must be set aside in order to improve tourism.
Often times, when one takes a look at our Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) neighbors, such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, they have busloads of leisure tourists visiting. Why does that not happen here? Is there some magic wand needed to develop local tourism? Only those in authority can answer that question.
Tourism and travel should be left to the private sector, as it is in a better position to push campaigns; although, government leaders should also offer all-out support. Government facilities plan an important role and supportive government is a major tool in tourism development.
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This column greets Maricel Jamir, Jazmin Jayme, Rosbe Gepelago, Jezrel Jordan, Dondi Yapjoco, Toto Tarrosa, Leandro Zayco, Tintin Manzinares, Harold Geronimo, Nino Lizares, George Zulueta, Danny Dangcalan, and Panyo Torre./WDJ