4 November 2005 - 1:12 AM EST

When I first read this article from the recent issue of BUDYONG, I know that this important decision making event is shared to all Carigaran-ons. I don't know about you but somehow this scenario doesn't fit very well with my principles. Borrowing money and paying such enormous interests especially in todays standard is beyond me, or am I just too old.

What about you?, express your views here and share your opinion on this matter to all our readers.

Fel

16 November 2005 - 9:07 PM EST

Mayor, please be REALISTIC!

17 November 2005 - 12:44 AM EST

This looks like a scam or a money-generating machine to benefit 1 or 2 persons and leave the townsfolk of Carigara miserable. This project is totally RIDICULOUS and completely UNCALLED FOR. The project's intention is not to benefit the townsfolk of Carigara and "Kalgaran-ons" MUST NOT allow this project to happen.

Mayor, be CONSCIENTIOUS.

20 November 2005 - 2:19 PM EST

I have again and again objected to this P47 million loan, in fact I have my comments written in my column, The Manila Mail(Filipino newspaper in the Washington, DC area) and have them mailed to some concerned Carigara citizens. With that kind of rent, I don't think our small business enterpreneur in Carigara will be able to compete. Based on my experience as Business writer of MagNegosyo Magazine way back when I was in the Philippines such rent and cost will not work out. First, we must consider the population and the demands/needs of these goods. A high rent will only work out if there is so much demand for these goods because then our enterprenuers will be able to sell more hence more income to pay the rent. Simple economic principle. Based on the existing Carigara annual income, we won't be able to pay this loan. Just think of the salary/wages that our fellow Carigaran-ons are receiving every month, do you think they can afford to buy these goods if they increase due to cost of production? There is going to be a unilateral increase of everything - simple economic theory. I have traveled to many places in the Philippines trying to interview small business enterpreneur and promoting their business in MagNegosyo Magazine and how they could be helped by the government through the Countryside Development Funds of the President of the Philippines which was handled by Technology Livelihood Resource Center, so I knew that with this proposal of the Mayor, everything will just be wasted or more so there is a danger of this (a part of it, such as komisyon na ibibigay ng contractor, I think if it is not 15%, it's 20% of the project cost) loan to go into the pockets of the inner circle. Remember that 2007 is election day and many politicians will probably need some funds to buy more votes. I wish I could write more but I'm in a rush so I'll just talk to you someday.


Regards,

Rene R. Calandria

23 November 2005 - 4:42 PM EST

Wow, that was my initial reaction when I read the article !?47.7 million pesos for new mercado!? then I ask myself, what!|s wrong with the current one? The mercado has been refurbished over the years and it looks great for Carigara standard. What I like about the current set up is there is a lot of open space and it is clean. When they relocate the abattoir to Murosikos from mercado (I hope this is the right place) it was a great move, it just means that whoever was the municipal mayor at that time was looking after the well being of the Carigara people and its visitors.

For the last 5 years I spend my normal yearly holidays in Carigara plus whenever I am in Phils I always make it a point to spend at least one night in Carigara. I just love the place ( siguro nagtitikalagas na ako or I am just compensating for the time lost during my formative years which I spend in Manila). I have seen and experienced a lot changes in Carigara since we migrated to Manila in 1972 from the roads, electricity, mercado, municipio, barangay hall, schools, cell phones, radio station, resorts and karaoke bars, pantalan, reclamation now called boulevard (used to be the favourite beach and now it is converted to ala Roxas Boulevard), what has not change are the Carigaranos we still love !?batidor!? in our daily life. These changes are necessary for every society or organisation to be able to compete or catch up with the trend.

Now back to the subject (sorry I was a bit carried away), I have some questions to the Municipal Mayor, Councillors, Administrators and the Carigara people as a whole.

„X Is the proposed Mercado valued at 47.7m pesos necessary for the betterment of Carigara people? If no, then end of discussion, If yes,
1. Have you done a detailed feasibility study? ROI (Return of Investment)?
2. Will the small businesses be able to afford the upfront goodwill occupancy money?
3. How will the 500% increase in rent or 828% if you include the goodwill (based on a 5 year amortisation) affect the prices?
4. Will you able to guarantee full occupancy of the proposed stalls all year round (from 194 stalls to 306 an increase of 57.7%)? If not, how will you be able service your loan?
5. What will happen to the TABO (every Wednesday)? Does it mean that you will enforce every vendor to pay the upfront goodwill occupancy to be able to sell their goods? If not, it will be unfair to those vendors who have paid the required fee and compete. Just remember that!|s the only day of the week that the market place is busy.
6. Madam Mayor have you been to our mercado? If yes, have you asked the vendors/business owners and consumers on how the current trading is like or have you observed the traffic flow of consumers, what are they buying, how much they are spending and how often they visit the market place? If not, you better visit the market place in a hurry and observe and ask a lot of questions.

„X Are local governments now in commercial property management business? Do you have the current skills and experience to manage? Globally infrastructure projects like these are given to private investors to manage and finance in return the government give them a multi year lease or license to operate thereby avoiding large amount of capital expenditure and risks associated with the project plus they are more cost productive.
„X Will we be able to compete with Tacloban or Ormoc? The answer is definitely no because of ;
1. No seaport or airport
2. Freight costs will always be expensive
3. No specialty product
4. Tacloban and Ormoc have more product varieties
5. Colleges/University are in Tacloban and Ormoc
6. Transport buses/coaster from Tacloban - Ormoc just pass by Carigara because of good roads

„X Are we anticipating/targeting mega new customers from other towns because of this new market place?
„X Could you service the loan with your current income without jeopardising your current services? 6.6m pesos for the first 3 years and jumping to 16.6m pesos for the next 4 years are a lot of commitments. Will you still be able to pay your municipal employees which currently your casual employees are paid 50 pesos a day (less than $). I just hope that the Carigarano!|s will be able to live with these.

I think there are still thousands of ????. The more I dig into it, the more I want some facts but unfortunately I am not privy to it. I have read a lot of government contracts in the newspaper that went pear shape I hope this is not one of them.

Message to all the elected officials of Carigara;

!?Do not make your money where you get your votes!?

!?Public administration is really a question of changing your ultimate motive from profit to service!?

24 November 2005 - 12:24 AM EST

First of all my apologies for the incorrect number of stalls I mentioned in my first comments it should be from 194 to 500 stalls an increase of 306 or 158% (ka damo hin duro ini bisan ngani kun tabo dire mapupuno). Secondly I could not resist of asking more questions probably because I am a concerned Carigarano.

I would like to share with the elected officials of Carigara the process I follow whenever I have projects/business opportunities to manage. We call it a Program Roadmap Stages;

„X Opportunity Creation !V Opportunity Profile
„X Opportunity Evaluation
„X Development & Proposal !V Approval from Stakeholders
„X Negotiation !V Financing (Bank) and Subcontractors
„X Implementation !V Reviews and Scope Change Management
„X Support !V reviews organisation objectives, milestones, financials, schedule, scope changes, customer (people, vendors & banks) relationship, open issues and success factors

I do not know what stage are you in at present but I suspect you are almost in the pre-implementation stage just by reading the article in Carigara website. Has anyone of you who are involved with this project (Mayor and elected Councillors) have ask this relevant key questions.

KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK

1. What is the Carigarano!|s need/problem? How well is it understood by the Carigarano!|s and by us (means members of municipal council)?
2. What is the business potential? How has the business potential been verified?
3. What are the risks and issues?
4. Where are the resources to perform the opportunity evaluation and what would be the cost of that evaluation?
5. What is the solution? Is it technically and realistically feasible?
6. What is the preliminary P&L (profit & loss) and has a value-based costing pricing analysis been performed?
7. How does the opportunity fit into the Municipal strategy?
8. What are the identified risks, such as unusual Terms and Conditions (Ts & Cs) or unusual legal issues?
9. Where are the resources and skills and are they available?
10. What are the results of the required technical review?
11. How well are the quality requirements established and has the Quality Plan been developed?
12. What are the results of the financial analysis, such as ROI (return of investment), P&L and value pricing?
13. What is the initial implementation and payment schedule?
14. What are the significant dependencies on third parties and have third-party teaming agreements and firm subcontractor bids been defined and obtained?
15. What was the Carigarano!|s response to the proposal?
16. What alternatives and final contract positions have been established?
17. What are the contingencies for Land Bank and subcontractors if there is a major change in scope?

If you are satisfied and convinced that all the questions have been answered affirmatively then go ahead with the project otherwise go back to the drawing board because the people of Carigara will held you accountable. Just remember that the money you are trying to spend does not belong to a selected few but rather TO THE TAXPAYERS WHICH IS THE PEOPLE OF CARIGARA.

22 October 2006 - 2:14 AM EDT

This is a very bold and aggresive moved by the Mayor. I am up for a change.The question is can we sustain the cahange?.They need to look at the average income of the population.if that is not balance then were up for a big trouble.I have a suggestion, instead of putting up all the money towards the renovation of the market area,They should consider improving our tourism industry.in that way we can have some income coming from the local  and foriegn tourist alike.That would  help boost the local economy if we can get some money from the tourism industry. just a suggestion, don't count on it.

6 December 2006 - 8:00 AM EST