Mambulaoans WorldWide Buzz

Concrete and water …  a well-paved road that painstakingly inches its way to reach Larap such as the one in picture (left) and the bay of Mambulao are two resources that the municipality of Jose Panganiban could be proud of. This section of the Larap road in Malapayungan will somehow reach the bridge at Sparline by election time in May next year. It has already crossed Baranggay Calero and is now snaking across Baranggay Milagrosa. The bay water is another story. It is continuously plagued by silt and mud pollution caused by gold mining operations, which are now being carried out right in the shallow waters close to the poblacion. No relief is expected at the moment. Even then, Mambulao Bay is ours and all we can do is protect it from further degradation.



Sign of progress …  the three cell sites atop the mountain overlooking the poblacion of Mambulao are a clear sign that there’s lots of extra money going around the community in the form of cash shelled out on cell phone loads and accessories as well as internet. Thanks to the regular remittances from overseas workers that keep many Mambulaoan families awash in cash, at least for a week or two. But even then, foreign aid keeps flooding in almost every week through the counters of Western Union that operate in town. Notice too, the invasion of Muslim entrepreneurs who want to cash in on the local boom by selling fake goodies – from DVDs and all. Well, this is great for the economy of Mambulao – cash moves around, another reason why tricycle operators are busy for most of the day. Photo was snapped from the Larap roadwork site. – MWBuzzpics and text by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ