Lawmaker says P55-M SEAG cauldron ‘Imeldific’ but . . .

The P55-million “kaldero” for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) may be “Imeldific,” but it befits the country’s “new and bolder character,” said Joey Salceda, chair of the House ways and means, in response to criticisms about the pricey cauldron to be used for the torch lighting ceremony at the opening of the SEA Games on Nov. 30.

The Albay representative admitted that the cauldron atop a 50-meter-tall structure designed by the late architect and National Artist Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa might appear extravagant to critics, but he argued that it represented the grandiosity of the Philippines’ hosting of the regional sports meet.

“Regarding the P55 million [cost], if you look at the cauldron, it looks reasonable for its price, although it has an Imeldific aura. It has grandiosity,” Salceda said in a television interview.

“Imeldific” is an adjective coined from former first lady Imelda Marcos’ ostentatious lifestyle and excessive spending.

Salceda said such display was typical in “authoritarian regimes,” in which leaders were keen to show symbols of their power.

“Usually in periods such as this wherein there is a strong president and the nation is coming of age… it personifies the new character of the Philippines as a strong economy,” Salceda said.

On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon questioned the steep price for the cauldron, which he found “so unnecessary” and “expensive.”

Drilon, who said the money could have been used to build more than 50 classrooms, called on the Commission on Audit to conduct a special audit on the funds used to build the structure and other SEAG facilities.

The SEA Games will be held at New Clark City in Pampanga province and other venues from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

The Philippine Sports Commission was tasked with constructing the cauldron, while the Bases Conversion and Development Authority built the other facilities.

The cauldron’s design alone cost P4.4 million; its foundation, P13.4 million, and its construction, P32 million. An additional P6 million was allotted for “wrist tags,” Drilon said.

Asked why the House approved the item, Salceda admitted that the budget for the SEA Games was a “lump sum” of P6 billion, without any details on how it would be spent.

The Palace said that Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano was accountable for all concerns, including any irregularities, that might be related to the country’s hosting of the SEA Games.

Cayetano also chairs the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), a private foundation handling the games. Phisgoc was given P1.5 billion in funds.

Panelo was optimistic that Cayetano could justify the P55-million stadium cauldron.

“Let’s not prejudge. It’s very easy to accuse. Let’s first find out the root of all this,” the Palace official said.

Cayetano, however, said the cauldron was not overpriced or excessive.

Appearing at the Senate, Cayetano said the cauldron’s actual price tag was P45 million, but the cost for the fuel and the mechanism to keep the flame going for 11 days—the duration of the SEA Games— was P5 million.

“The cauldron is the symbol, not one of the symbols, but the symbol of the games, whether Olympic games or SEA Games, and it’s a work of art,” Cayetano told the Senate.

It was an “appropriate” expense, he said, adding that Singapore had spent P63 million for its cauldron.

“Is it expensive? Yes. But is it worth it? It’s priceless, it’s a work of art,” he later told reporters.

“It enhances the development, it adds value (to the SEAG),” he added.

But Drilon maintained that it was a question of propriety and priority.

“Do we need that kind of luxurious facility, which has nothing to do with training?” he said.

Cayetano said the cauldron, as well as the other newly built SEA Games facilities, would be used again when the country hosts other sporting events.