ILIGAN City ― There's a tarpaulin in the center of the city hanging miserably in all its ugliness. But the thing is, nobody seems to care. People here have other things on their minds. What do they care about tarps that are no longer appealing to the eyes?
Am talking about this tarp that hangs by some "loose thread" so to speak. With only some words that can be read. If you care to read, that is.
Not very long ago, such a tarp was a happy-looking tarp. It had the size of an airplane runway too. Well, almost. Though I am exaggerating. The tarp announced happily, by the looks of it that "on this site will rise the world-class market." Something like that. One can't help gawking at it gladly. With the feeling that at last, some dreams do come true. Like this dream market!
A love story of sorts. Between a contractor, BM Marketing, and this local government unit under then-city mayor Celso G. Regencia and his Vice, Jemar Vera Cruz.
And so the construction began, with some fanfare before it actually began. By a presscon, with the local media here on February 20, 2020.
Days later, it actually began. So the tarp that was "futuristic" with the word "will" became a reality. A present tense, although it had a future date too. And providing other info like how much was involved in the amount, and when was it scheduled to be finished, (December 31. 2021). And who is the agency involved in overseeing it?
People here began to notice that it was going slower and slower. Yet it had good reason to be so. There were the lockdowns, no thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. Ah…so. These were the reasons too for the extensions, extensions, extensions, and more extensions by the contractor. Even when the pandemic had slowed down. People here began to get impatient. Yet there was still that "love" between the LGU and the contractor. A case of "with all thy faults, I love thee still."
But one "lover" had to go. It could not be avoided, because of the 2022 elections. In its stead, another "lover" took over. Led by city mayor Frederick W. Siao.
Well, this new party couldn't take the slowness. Or the faults. Something has to be done. Analysis, analysis, analysis. Maybe to prevent some "paralysis" on the project, per their view?
So, after all, was said and done, the LGU terminated the contractor, BM Marketing. And at this moment, it is still in a lot of study mode. How will it proceed? Will they hire another contractor? Although they're thinking of another option too. The city has to do it, itself. With some help from outside too, in several aspects that they don't have the necessary manpower, or the expertise, to do so.
Meanwhile, I heard some comments on the air about some torn tarp. Like that one saying: "Welcome to barang…" the word "barangay" couldn't be continued anymore when one reads it for it is already torn. Partially.
Yet that torn tarp hanging by some loose:"thread" in the city's center, does not seem to bother the people.
Maybe, for one, people just see it as a "very minor concern"? The name there of Mayor Celso G. Regencia could still be read. And part of the vice mayor's, Jemar Vera Cruz. And the other info on that tarp? It's already torn, shredded. By the time, by the weather. Didn't they say that life is just a "case of weather-weather"?
So in the meantime, I suggest that something has to be done with this torn tarp!
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