BY JOHNNY NOVERA
WE are impressed with the construction of a walking park on the whole length of the expanded Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue in Iloilo City, otherwise known as the Diversion Road.
When finished, we are sure we will all be proud of this new “Pasyalan ng Bayan” just like the Iloilo Esplanade along the Iloilo River.
There is a big volume of red tiles used in the project, but we were dismayed to learn that the supply is not sourced locally but comes mostly from Cebu. What happened to the tiles we produce in Brgy. Hibao-an in Pavia town?
More than a decade ago, while working with a rural bank, we remember a client from Hibao-an who asked us to finance his production of red floor tiles. At that time, he had just participated in a domestic trade fair sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and his new tile product won recognition during the event.
We visited DTI recently and learned that there is no more tile production in Pavia to speak of.
It is true that DTI is still assisting in the promotion of Ilonggo products but they consist mostly of gift items, decors, house ware and pottery, all more for their decorative and special occasion value, but none of the floor tiles which is an industry item and with a sustaining demand considering many construction projects at present.
Tiles in public works projects are now big business and can generate more work opportunities than any of the cottage industry varieties we have today in the province.
Then there was also OTOP or the “One-Town-One-Product” program launched a few years ago by the government to produce or sell products or goods identified with a locality. It is a very laudable program with the hope that someday, we will be able to manufacture in every town sustainable products of our own to overcome the continuing flood of foreign goods. These imports are causing the closure of local factories and deprive our people of work and livelihood.
We hope our present leadership in the city and province will take time to review our policy directions and pursue measures to encourage the growth of basic industries we have in Iloilo, including tiles production that we had once in Hibao-an, Pavia. (For comments or reactions, please e-mail to jnoveracompany@yahoo.com)/PN
