I left Butuan in March, 1989 and have not been home in 10 years; so, I
was pretty much excited of my May homecoming. I read, heard a lot about
the progress in Butuan. "Yaon nai Jollibee... yaon nai Shakeys... bag-o
na nga region... Butuan ang regional center hong Caraga... yao'y gi
tukod nga sports complex ngani Libertad." Pwerte!
From Manila, I took the flight to Cagayan de Oro and proceeded to Butuan
by land.
On approaching Libertad, I saw the new Sto. Nino church. It looks
structurally finished but took a few years to build. If money was
readily available, no doubt the construction would have long been
completed.
I saw another ongoing construction. I asked my brother what it is. He
replied, "Ah... sports complex ba kuno iyan. Inday kun-o iyan matapos.
Basin amo na lang gid iyan kutob kay ang gasugod pag pa tukod haon di na
ba kong opisyal doon." Either the fund dried out or the proponents of
the project lost interest in its completion. The place looked abandoned.
Not an ongoing construction after all. In the center of a
cogon-infested land was a grandstand. There stands a grandstand with no
playground. No nothing.
I heard that the appropriation for the project was PhP 70 million! If
it is true, then somebody must have hit bonanza. It certainly does not
look like a 70 million grandstand to me. Not even 35 million. But what
do I know. Diin na kai ang iban nga kwarta? So, there... another
proof of government inefficiency and wastefulness?
The Sto. Nino church was built with minimal (if any) or no government
backing at all. But it is almost done. In contrast, the sports complex
started construction awash with money; but, its completion looks bleak.
I hope the parishioners of Libertad pray before the Sto. Nino and ask
that our government officials be given the wisdom to put the interest
of the Butuanons above all else and work towards completing the project.
If that won't happen, then I can only hope that those responsible for
the project's demise suffer from bouts of guilt pangs and sleepless
nights every time they pass by Libertad and see Butuan's monument of
folly.
What immense pride we Butuanons will have if the sports complex comes
into fruition. But for now... dream on!
