More business than pleasure: Speaker defends solons’ north Luzon ‘junket’

House Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez. CDN FILE PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Thursday defended his colleagues from criticisms that their inspection trip across North Luzon this week was a junket.

In an interview with reporters, Alvarez said lawmakers rode on buses, stayed together in one hotel room, and conducted committee hearings in the provinces, just so the representatives could check on the country’s roads and highways

“Subukan kaya nila ‘yung ginawa namin kung madali. Imbes na magpahinga kami nag-iikot kami sa lahat ng probinsya. ‘Yung congressmen sumasakay ng bus. Isipin mo naman ‘yan nagsi-share ng kwarto, isang kwarto apat. O, ‘yan ba ay outing?” Alvarez said.

(Why don’t they try what we just did so they would know if it’s that easy. Instead of us resting, we went around all the provinces. The congressmen rode on buses. Imagine, they shared rooms, four in one room. How can that be an outing?)

Lawmakers just concluded their trip across La Union, Vigan, Isabela, Banawe, Nueva Vizcaya, Baguio, Dagupan city, Manaoag, Subic, and Bataan which started June 1 and ended June 6.

The House leadership has dubbed the trip a “North Luzon Inspection Trip” of the country’s roads and highways.

The solons went on the North Luzon inspection trip as a continuation of their highway expedition through Mindoro, Iloilo, Mindanao, Bicol, Quezon and Batangas last March, when lawmakers checked the country’s roll-on roll-off ports and facilities and other infrastructure.

Lawmakers went on a few sightseeing side trips during the inspection trip in North Luzon’s famous heritage sites and resorts—Thunderbird resort in La Union, Banawe Rice Terraces in Ifugao, sand dunes in Vigan, and Hannah’s resort in Pagudpud.

The trip even included yachting and cruise sessions in Subic.

Alvarez said without the trip, lawmakers would not have known for instance that the Banawe Rice Terraces, a world heritage site in Ifugao, is in a deteriorating state, thus calling for an increased budget from Congress.

“Ngayon anong nakita namin: Banawe, pinabayaan… Pumunta ka ngayon ng Banawe, ang pangit. Bakit hindi natin inalagaan ‘yun? Kaya nga sabi ko itong Department of Tourism ‘yung budget nila kailangan merong rehabilitation ‘yan. Kasi ‘yan national heritage ‘yan eh, napabayaan,” Alvarez said.

(Now what did we see: Banawe, it was neglected… Go to Banawe, you’ll see it’s ugly already. Why didn’t we take care of it? The Department of Tourism should have a budget for its rehabilitation. Because that is national heritage, but it was neglected.)

Alvarez said the lawmakers during the trip saw the need to rehabilitate the country’s tourist destinations to attract more tourists and protect the country’s heritage. IDL/rga