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Post by olivier on Jul 25, 2020 23:16:27 GMT 8
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Post by olivier on Jul 25, 2020 23:17:09 GMT 8
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Post by EXO on Jul 28, 2020 5:59:54 GMT 8
It sometimes happens that governments in trouble, and bureaucratic opportunism, will float grandiose 'Blue Sky' development schemes just to see what the reaction is. The concept of a bridge across the bay isn't new - Felicito Payumo, former chair of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), named his idea the Trans Manila Bay Crossing, which he first pitched in 1987. This Good-News float looks as if its being driven out of NEDA, the National Economic and Development Authority, abbreviated as NEDA, is an independent cabinet-level agency of the Philippine government responsible for economic development and planning. It is headed by the President of the Philippines as chairman of the NEDA board.
It will be an interesting saga, imagining how many busy little bees descend upon the honey pot. The autoindustriya.com website estimates the honey-pot at PhP 187 billion. The goodnewspilipinas.com website cites NEDA's announcement of January 2020 at PhP 175 billion.
Governments never low-ball early estimates, of course. Contractual overruns never happen. As they say, "Pigs will fly."
If anyone wants to know how this project will go, you don't need a crystal ball. Just google the history of the Philippine National Broadband Network controversy (also referred to as the NBN–ZTE deal or NBN–ZTE mess) involved allegations of corruption in the awarding of a US$329 million construction contract to Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE for the proposed government-managed National Broadband Network (NBN). NEDA was involved in that too - On January 30, 2008, the Senate produced warrants of arrest to Neri and Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada, Jr., former chief executive officer of the government-run Philippine Forest Corporation and a consultant of the NEDA. On February 29, 2008, a rally was held in the Makati City central business district to protest corruption and call for the resignation of President Arroyo. The rally's attendees, which included former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Joseph Estrada, were estimated by police and rally organizers to be around 15,000 people.The Sandiganbayan ultimately dismissed graft charges against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her co-accused in September 2016. It all goes to show the healing powers of a neck brace are more powerful than Justice in the Philippines.
One might also google the number of foreign assets acquired by the People's Republic of China arising out of failures by third-world companies to repay PRC-based loans. Check out "Debt-trap Diplomacy".
'Blue Sky' Projects, of which the Bataan-Cavite Mega Bridge is just the latest in a long line, is that the opportunity for wealth comes at all levels, provided you are powerful and devious. One doesn't actually have to build the project to become wealthy by it.
Corregidor is just a pawn in a high-stakes chess game. Nothing much changes, the wealthy become more wealthy and the casualty lists get longer.
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