Kalag-Kalag and Landslide

After doing my rounds at the various cemeteries here, I could say that this year's Nov. 1 observance is peaceful and somewhat orderly. While there are still 'pasaways' who tried to sneak in bottles of liquors or bladed weapons, the police claimed they have not responded to major alarms as of 2p.m. today.

It was raining at past 11a.m. Good thing I was at my parent's home eating lunch, otherwise, I could have been wet all over. It was a hard rain and I was pretty sure several cemetery goers were caught off guard because it was sunny all morning.

There is a talk about a landslide somewhere in a mountain barangay in Cebu City. It's a raw information and I can't personally check the report myself because I have no transport and the company drivers are all out for the Kalag-kalag.

I just hope it's just a mere landslide with no one hurt or injured. The landslide (or should I say, mudslide) in Guinsaugon, Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte is still fresh in my mind. I was there for three days covering the tragedy and I was praying no similar incident will happen anywhere in the country.

Happy kalag-kalag everyone. Just dropped by to blog!

Cebu Vice Governor Greg Sanchez could not give a straight answer when asked on whether or not the controversial Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) will be finished by Nov. 15, as what Architect Manuel Guanzon has been claiming.

Sanchez instead offered a litany of technical construction terms that a layman like me could not fathom. He said the word complete connotes several meaning, adding that it differs from various points of view.

Reading between Vice Guv's lines, I could say that the CICC will be far from finish on Nov. 15. I offered the term "usable" to Vice Guv instead of "finish" and he agreed that the term usable is the right word. Vice Guv said the CICC will be 100 percent usable by Nov. 15.

Anyway, whether it will be finished or not, the CICC will be used for international conventions and gatherings other than the scheduled 12th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this December. It will not transform into a white elephant, said Vice Guv.
And the CICC's project budget has now ballooned to P650 million from the original P450 million.

Vice Guv, who was guest at the 888 News Forum held the new Parklane Hotel, said the rising cost of steel and several other unforseen expenses have contributed to the increase of the project cost. And this has caught the attention of veteran broadcaster Choy Torralba who questioned the legality of the sudden increase of the project cost.

Vice Guv, however, said the project is very transparent and is free from the usual evils that lurk behind government projects. Choy answered back with a naughty smile.