Panglao Officialdom passes test

If Panglao Island was an Academy, its officialdom passed the Pre-Finals Test last Friday.

Keeping their cool, though privately peeved by the political intramurals in Panglao politics, the prime movers Governor Rico Aumentado and First District Congressman Edgar Chatto convened the Panglao officials before scores of private stockholders, long agitated by the stalemate over the potable water issue in the island Paradise.

The backdrop was grim as the result so damaging if no decision was made Friday. It would have be prejudicial to the efforts to buttress Panglao's claim as successor to the famed Boracay and the P 4-Billion international airport project would have seemed to outsiders like a daunting task - given the fact that people could not even resolve the water issue.The clock was ticking - and time waits for no one.

So it was perhaps the fear of a business disaster and public relation nightmare - that Panglao officials led by Mayor Benedicto Alcala and Vice Mayor Pedro Fuertes finally buried the hatchet under the glare of media, the Provincial Officaldom and tourism stakeholders.

They blinked amidst this pressure - and the Sangguniang Bayan of Panglao was post haste assembled and decided the Panglao Potable Water Project will now go on with Competitive Bidding rather than Open Access execution at the soonest possible time.

Why it would take the iron fist of the provincial brass and an peeved public opinion to address a basic concern an issue in Panglao is an indictment against the parochial politics of destruction and nihilism of the island officials. The successful Friday consultation also proved, however, that they are not beyond redemption.

But after the press photo opportunity, the Final Test of implementation is still to be carried out.
Let's do the competitive bidding with utter transparency and meritrocacy in mind and filter out the bogus, fly-by-night pretenders.

No other day must be lost hereafter - otherwise the sin of procrastination and sloth will be added to the previous list of parochialism, politicking and fighting for vested self interest. The people of Panglao and Bohol have had enough.

The time for final redemption of Panglao is about to begin.