It's good that the holidays are over. Whether you are the giver or the receiver, it's always nice to have the holidays already over. And you know what we mean.

With the advent of the New Year, it's about time that we loose those excess fats earned during the holidays and restore into normalcy the household budget.
Most importantly, let's buckle down to work.

* * * * * * *

Undeniably, the top issue of the week is about the drainage problem in the city's main thoroughfare, Carlos P. Garcia Avenue.

The heavy downpour for the three straight days exposed the defect of the drainage system resulting to the overflowing of CPG Avenue. There are a lot of factors attributed to this but it would be inutile to tackle each of them here.

Even criticisms and sarcasms will not bring solutions to the problem. The most pressing concern is to come up with the solution to the problem. No need for finger-pointing.

* * * * * * *

Let's hit the nail right on its very head. While others disagree that the waste water facility for the drainage outlet in San Jose St. would provide the ultimate solution to the problem, it is our considered opinion that it does.

Problem is, even our top city officials disagree on how it would be done. Vice-Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso chides City Mayor Dan Lim for not including the waste water facility in the proposed budget.

Lim shot back that the vice-mayor does not know whereof he speaks. Considering that the money to be used for the facility would come through a loan, it does not need to be included in the city's proposed budget for this year, the mayor said.

* * * * * * *

Undaunted, Veloso retorted that the city mayor should better check with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) whether a loan or borrowing should not be reflected in the budget.

See, even in the approach, they already disagree. With utmost due respect, we honestly and most sincerely say that they are both right and wrong.

Right, because a loan or borrowing can only be reflected in the annual budget of a local government unit provided that: (1) there is already an authority from the sanggunian for the chief executive to contract such loan and (2) the credit facility is already on stand by, meaning, the financing institution is ready to release the loan at the behest of the borrower. Wrong. because without these twin requisite, the loan or borrowing may not even be considered as an expectant income and therefore, would be erroneous to be included in the budget.

* * * * * * *

The next problem is while Mayor Lim acknowledges his commitment for the waste water facility, the public is clamoring for a time table and concrete plan of action leading to this.

At the outset, the city mayor was firm on his stand that the drainage outfall at San Jose St. must be completed first before the start of the waste water facility construction.

But that is not what the public expects. The taxpayers are eager to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If only the city mayor could come up with his concrete plan of action, we are certain that the hullabaloo over the city's drainage problem will immediately come to an end. Even before the dry spell.

* * * * * * * *

For comments and suggestions, just e-mail to the following e-mail addresses: obiter@boholchronicle.com