The following excerpt from a news item comes from the Naga City-based regional newspaper Bicol Mail:
“With immense pride and joy, Rep. Elizaldy Co of the Ako Bicol Party-List on Tuesday (July 16, 2024) led the groundbreaking of a new Meeting, Incentives, Conferences For Educations And Sports (MICES) building in Goa, Camarines Sur.
This landmark project promises significant advancements in community health, sports, and local commerce, embodying Ako Bicol’s vision of a brighter future for all Bicolanos,
The new multipurpose building will house a state-of-the-art Primary Health Center, prioritizing the health and wellness of the community. Designed to function as a fully-equipped hospital, the center will include consultation rooms, extraction areas, a chemistry lab, and a pharmacy.
“Health is a top priority for us. Our Primary Health Center will serve as a guardian of wellness for our community, elevating the standard of care and accessibility for all,” Co said.
Going beyond traditional health centers, it will also feature an X-ray room, radiology section, ECG and ultrasound recovery rooms, a minor surgery room, and a dedicated birthing room.
“This expansion ensures that we can provide comprehensive healthcare services right here in our community,” Co added.
Apart from its healthcare facilities, the multipurpose building will serve as a vibrant hub for sports and recreation with the new basketball court for local sports enthusiasts.
Why is the Tribune bothering its readers with what happened in faraway Goa?
The key words here are “MICES” and “Rep. Elizaldy Co of the Ako Bicol Partylist,” referring to the very same project that is the subject of the ongoing tug-of-war between Catanduanes State University (CatSU) President Patrick Alain Azanza, Lone District Congressman Eulogio Rodriguez and Governor Joseph Cua.
All six provinces in Bicol were allocated the same initial funding of P100 million in the Department of Pubic Works and Highways (DPWH) budget for the initial phase of the project, with a common design prepared by the DPWH regional office.
As the Bicol Mail story states, the MICES facility is not only for sports and conferences but will also host a state-of-the-art Primary Health Center that will function as a fully equipped hospital.
The DPWH’s insistence, allegedly upon the instruction of the congressman, that it be built alongside the National Power Corporation’s transmission power lines at the Calatagan Tibang lot will violate Republic Act 11361 prohibiting construction of hazardous improvements within the so-called Power Line Corridor.
Director Virgilio Eduarte has allegedly ordered the contractor to begin work ASAP at the site pending a request for NPC to relocate the power lines.
His wish is easier said than done, as RA 11361 is very clear that no such construction activity is to be undertaken within the power line corridor.
On the other hand, constructing it deep in the middle of the sprawling campus would deprive the public of easy access to the facility and its services, considering that the entry to the campus is generally limited and the university itself closes during the night.
Then there is the matter of private owners’ adverse claims on two of the university lots on which the MICES building is to be erected.
If the DPWH regional office or Dir. Eduarte cannot be swayed by the provincial government’s argument that its proposed site will best serve the public, then perhaps Congressman Co, who is the House Appropriations Chair, should step in and say so.
This way, the powerful Bicol solon would ensure that the project indeed would embody the partylist group’s vision of a brighter future for Catandunganons.