This article first came in the Bohol Sunday Post, a weekly newspaper in Bohol, Philippines.
The Great Panglao Airport Debate
In so many scathing words, a retired manpower provider took the cudgels for embattled Panglao Bohol International Airport proponents who were pilloried by so-called concerned Boholanos for advocating the construction of the ambitious project.
Frony Fortich who during his heydays was riding high on the popularity of his Atlantic Gulf and Manpower Services zeroed in on the adverse position of two vocal critics of the project-Dr. Ernesto Pernia, an economist teaching at the UP-Diliman and a certain Ago Cloribel, who claims to be an NGO stalwart.
In a three-page advertisement, Fortich minced no words in castigating the two, the most biting of which was the one that described them as "prophets of doom".
Asking why these people were scared of progress, Fortich said were these objections well grounded and not based on unfounded assumptions calculated to scare the Boholanos?
Giving premium to Pernia's thesis that the country has too many airports already, Fortich countered "what is wrong with adding another international airport for the sake of progress?
Fortich volunteered the information that the airport project will not take away funds for anti-poverty efforts. He said "what we are using are the unpaid rentals of Mr. Lucio Tan in using the centennial airport in Manila for his PAL planes representing landing fees."
Provincial officials were not spared by Fortich's barbs. He said if they(provincial officials) do nothing to promote the airport and merely bask in the glory of the new airport then they are do nothing officials.
He added that if the airport is finished, the provincial officials must implement a herculean job of promoting the airport to all parts of the world and this is not impossible with the wonder of the internet and close communication with tourism players throughout the world
At the same time, the former manpower executive lamented the critics' negativism about the project. Saying that they would rather focus on positive actions, Fortich stressed, that the airport is a pro poor project and therefore it promises to generate vistas of opportunities to Boholanos and yield much needed jobs. He added that it would open more jobs to Boholanos who are working in this particular sector of the industry to manpower jobs in Canada, United States, Singapore and even Australia.
While Fortich admitted that there were so-called economic indicators floated around by perennial objectors, yet it was widely known fact that these are used as convenient tools by economists to project what they want for certain projects in most cases. He added that they are used to scare people or scare away investors.
Summing up, he said that in the end thousands of these so-called economic indicators have been proven to be damned wrong.
Fortich disagreed with the theory that because "we are poor we might as well spend the resources of government into helping the poor. Contending that this argument is fallacious, he said there are proven ways for the national government to spend money for infrastructures which will ultimately help the poor.
On the belief that some airports are underutilized, Fortich has a ready answer for this. Saying that it was only a claim, Fortich said he has yet to be provided with statistics that this is true. Citing an example, if the Mactan International Airport is underutilized, then why it is still operating.
Fortich also took to task the proposal of the two prominent objectors why not improve ship transport facilities instead of building an airport. Without batting an eyelash, Fortich said he wondered if the two objectors are Cebuanos instead of being dyed-in-the wool Boholanos.
ECOLOGY
Fortich also discussed at length the implications to ecology once the airport is constructed.
He said the contention that the ecology in Panglao would suffer with the presence of the airport is erratic and a downright lie.
According to the manpower bigwig, there is no respected study yet made by an independent body that the ecologies of places where there are airports have suffered tremendously to a certain point that it is irrepairable.
He countered that if "we follow this premise, then let us go back to the old age when no planes landed in our shores so our environment will be saved."
NO POLITICS
In the same vein, Fortich belied the canard that this is all about politics.
He said the claim that politics is all behind this is simply not true. Paying glowing tribute to Gov. Erico Aumentado for advocating the project, he said the only thing beneficial for the governor is that this would be a legacy for him and many others who made this project a reality.
STOP THIS NONSENSE
As Fortich remained steadfast in his airport position, he called on the oppositors to stop this nonsense and proceed with the airport construction.
He said the issue has been on the table for the past 29 years and now that the project is about to be started, these oppositors want to delay and discuss more why? Saying that these people are foisting unfounded fears on the populace like a sword of Damocles for whatever reasons, it's about time that they should stop this insane and stupid act and "let's stop it for heaven's sake".
Fortich also blasted Cloribel's thesis.
He said Cloribel's long talk was a long monotone, nay, boring. He said except for Cloribel's utter display of one-sidedness against the project, listening to him would give the impression that there is no tomorrow in Bohol-everything is bad and this is totally absurd.
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