Philippine netizens have voiced outrage over a plan to spend 7.8 million pesos (about US$177,000) to replace a flagpole at a national park in Manila, accusing the government of misusing state funds
September 4, 2013 Leave a comment
Outrage over multi-million peso flagpole
By Christine Ong
POSTED: 04 Sep 2013 12:35 AM
Philippine netizens have voiced outrage over a plan to spend 7.8 million pesos (about US$177,000) to replace a flagpole at a national park in Manila, accusing the government of misusing state funds.
MANILA: There is uproar in some quarters of the Philippines over a plan to spend millions of pesos on replacing a flagpole in a national park. The government is allotting 7.8 million pesos (about US$177,000) to replace the current 30-metre high pole standing in front of a monument of the country’s national hero, Jose Rizal, at Rizal Park in Manila. The new flagpole to be imported from China, will be 52 metres high and will include the installation of a mechanically-assisted pulley and a new marble base.Netizens in the Philippines have taken to social media networks to express their outrage.
They say it is an abuse of state funds and that the money could be better spent on the poor.
A billboard photo of the multi-million peso project went viral days after a massive protest against the misuse of state funds was held.
It drew flak from netizens who felt the project was overpriced.
Government officials, though, are quick to defend the project, saying the rehabilitation of the flagpole will further enhance the heritage value of the country’s national park.
Juliet Villegas, the executive director of the National Parks Development Committee said: “It is going to be the tallest in the country and it gives you a sense of pride that you have a national treasure, a park with a national flagpole that is very tall.
“Don’t you want to think that it’s also feeding your soul, feeding your body, having a good park and having a flagpole like that? It is not an expenditure itself, but it is really an investment for tourism arrivals, to increase tourism arrivals.”
However, many Filipinos still feel that the project is overpriced.
Flordeliza Rustia said: “The money should have been given to the poor instead of that flagpole. We need not change the flagpole.”
Alma Albutra said: “It’s too expensive. We do not need a new flagpole because the current one is still standing.”
Besides replacing the flagpole, the government will spend a total of US$904,000 for the beautification and improvement of the 53-hectare national park.
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