January 15, 2025

Emmanuel "Manny" F. Piñol

Official Website

‘Paano kaming OFW?’ ‘OFW Fish Cage Farm: Brilliant Idea, Why Not?’

One of the first reactors to the post I made about the Bangsamoro Mariculture Park was an Overseas Filipino Worker,
Ronaldo Allan C. Sanchez, who asked whether OFWs like him could also invest in the project.
“Sana pwedeng mag-invest ang mga OFW na katulad ko sa ganyang proyekto, yung hindi naman sobrang laki para afford ng mga tao. Gusto ko kasing kumita kahit paano sir habang nasa abroad pa,” Sanchez commented.
Actually, ang unang naramdaman ko ay awa pagkatapos ay paghanga.
Naawa ako dahil isa si Ronald sa milyong mga Pilipino na iniwan ang pamilya para kumita at napahanga ako dahil wala siyang ibang nasa isip kundi kung paano makaipon para sa kanyang pag-uwi.
Nakaramdam ako ng lungkot sapagkat may isa kaming kapatid, si Nilo, na isa ring OFW kasama ang kanyang pamilya sa Great Britain.
Although British citizen na sya at ang kanyang asawa, si Beverly, at mga anak, OFW pa din sila.
Dahil sayo Ronald at sa mga libo-libo pang mga OFWs na nagpapakahirap ngayon para maitawid ang pamilya, bubuo kami ng isang investment program para sa mga OFWs sa Aquaculture Project.
Sa totoo lang, maganda ang kikitain dito kaya lang gusto kong maniguro na hindi mawawala ang inyong mga pera dahil alam ko marami na sa inyo ang na-scam ng mga get-rich-quick investments.
Kakausapin ko uli si President Emmanuel G. Herbosa ng Development Bank of the Philippines para ituloy namin yong napag-usapan na namin na OFW Investment Fund to be managed by DBP.
Ang pamamaraan nito ay sa DBP OFW Investment Fund kayo maglalagak ng inyong pera for investments at DBP ang magpapahiram nito sa mga projects tulad ng OFW Mariculture Park.
Maliit lang ang tubo dito sa scheme na ito pero walang disgrasya ang pera ninyo.
Puede din natin i-package ang direct investments na direkta kayong maglalagak ng pera sa Mariculture Park Project na pamamahalaan ng isang mapagkatiwalaang investments management group.
Mas mataas ang risk nito pero mataas din ang ROI kasi direktang madedeklara sa inyo kung magkano ang magiging tubo ng pera ninyo taon-taon.
Bigyan nyo ako ng isang buwan at mabubuo ko na ang programang ito at magkakaroon kayo ng pagkakataon na kumita samantalang nasa ibang bansa kayo.
Pero ang pangako ko ay ang susunod na Mariculture Park Project na bubuohin ko ay para na sa mga OFW at ito ay maaring sa Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte o sa Olutanga Island sa Zamboanga Sibugay.
Just pray that everything will turn out right for us.
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!
#TulonganAngBayaniNgBayan!

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21-Year-Old Cotabato Airport: Sad Story Of Childish Politics Twenty-one years after work on the Cotabato Rural Airport was started and 15 years after the Runway and Terminal Building construction were completed, it remains unused, a sad testament to the evils of petty and childish politics which had prevailed in North Cotabato. For people to truly understand this tragic narrative of a project which could have brought progress to the province, here is the historical account of the Mlang Airport Project: 1. I was a young Mayor of Mlang (1995-1998) when I envisioned the growth of my town into an agro-industrlialized city and thought an Airport would be critical in realizing that vision; 2. With the help of the Vice Mayor then, Luigi Buenaflor Cuerpo, whose family owned most of the areas in the former Hacienda de Tomas Buenaflor, I presented the idea to the elders of the clan and they loved the idea but since there were no funds available for the project, it remained just a dream; 3. In 1998, after one term as Mayor of Mlang, I was elected Governor of North Cotabato and I pursued the vision of building an airport in my hometown; 4. In 2003, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan authorized the purchase of 62 hectares of land in the former Hacienda Buenaflor for the purpose of building the airport; 5. With an initial P30-M Grant Fund which was provided by then Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sourced from the Department of Energy (which at the time, operated the Mt. Apo Geothermal Project), the project was started in 2004; 6. By 2007, my term as Governor ended and I was succeeded by Governor Jesus N. Sacdalan. I served as his Vice Governor. Gov. Sacdalan continued the project; 7. In 2009, the Runway and Terminal Building of the Mlang Airport were completed and Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrived for the blessing and inauguration; 8. In the 2010 elections, Gov. Sacdalan ran for Congress in the 1st District of the Province while I attempted to regain the Governorship but I lost to then Congresswoman Emmylou Taliño-Santos (now Mendoza); That was when work at the Airport was stopped and to justify the suspension of the Airport Development, the new administration claimed that the documents covering the purchase of the land were not perfect. I was accused of owning the land which was, of course, ridiculous and false. It was also claimed that the project was started without a Feasibility Study which again is a big lie, for how would it be given a budget if there was no study conducted. In fact, I made a public declaration that I was willing to help perfect the documents if they needed my signature on the alleged incomplete documents but my offer was ignored. In 2019, when former Congresswoman Nancy Catamco won as Governor, the alleged missing documents were recovered or reconstructed and perfected. That was when work was started again in the airport. Unfortunately, in 2022, Gov. Catamco lost in a tightly contested election to then Vice Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza before she could turn over the Airport Land Property which is owned by the Provincial Government to the Dept. of Transportation and the Civil Aeronautics Authority of the Philippines for it to be operational. The incumbent Governor is the Chairman of the Regional Development Council and she could have given utmost priority to the completion of Airport. Access to funds for the completion of the project would not be difficult because Speaker Martin Romualdez is the nephew-in-law of her husband, TUCP Partylist Congressman Raymond Mendoza. The real reason why the Mlang Airport Development has dragged for 21 years is because it is identified as the Brainchild and Pet Project of former Governor Manny Piñol and the current leadership dread the thought of seeing planes loaded with passengers and fruits from Cotabato to the big cities and the people giving credit to Piñol for initiating the project. The airport is for the people of North Cotabato now and the next generation and I would not care if she names it after her grandfather or whoever. This narrative is my account of the real story behind the delay in the completion of the Central Mindanao Airport which I know will be refuted by the other party. So, here is my challenge: Let’s hold a Public Debate/Forum on the real and true reasons behind the delay in the completion of the Central Mindanao Airport. I am willing to face anybody from their side in that debate, anytime and anywhere. The People of North Cotabato deserve to know the truth. #WeDontOwnGovernment! #TheTruthWillSetUsFree!