Cementing roads and goodwill

This is a re-posted opinion piece.

Most everywhere in the Philippines you travel by land, you’re bound to be horrified by three realizations. One, the cemented roads leading to farms are broken up into segments, i.e., one kilometer of cemented road is followed by two or three kilometers of not cemented road, then another kilometer of cemented road is followed by two or three kilometers of not cemented road, and the alternating process goes on and on till you reach the end of the 50 kilometers or so of a supposed cemented road contracted by the government and foreign or private funding agencies. The second realization is that the local government agency reports a fully-finished 50-kilometer road at the specified contract cost. The third is that the national government agency closes its eyes and agrees to the veracity of the report.

This frustrating nationwide experience may be finally put to a stop — and the roads not cemented are finally cemented — with the determination of President Aquino to wipe away graft and corruption from the face of this land. You and I wish him the best of luck as he kicks cheating government officials and private contractors out of business.

Interestingly, I’ve been invited to two events related to road-construction activities. These demonstrated the high quality standards and expectations of two companies that ensure the building of infrastructure that, if their products are put to good use, fulfills President Aquino’s call for a “matuwid na daan.”

The two projects practice corporate social responsibility and involve residents/beneficiaries of concerned communities — in effect improving their quality of life.

Read the full article: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=793857&publicationSubCategoryId=64
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By: Domini M. Torrevillas – From the Stands
Source: The Philippine Star, April 3, 2012
To view the original article, click here.

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