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| Drilon slams military’s P11.5B golf course budget | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 24 2011, 02:25 PM (1,439 Views) | |
| ctrlaltdel | Aug 24 2011, 02:25 PM Post #1 |
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 Does the military need a P11.5 billion golf course for the well-being of sick and wounded soldiers? Senator Franklin Drilon, chairman of the Senate finance committee, raised this question on Wednesday during its deliberations of the proposed 2012 budget of the Department of National Defense (DND). The golf course is a 33-hectare land located at the Veterans Memorial and Medical Center in Quezon City. But Drilon found out during the hearing that the P11.5 billion golf course is only earning about P1.6 million a year. “For an eleven and half billion worth of property, you are realizing P1.6 million annually. Don’t you see the disproportion? I repeat, you have an asset Mr. Secretary worth P11.5 billion, you have a revenue of P1.6 million,” he told Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, who was defending the budget of his department. “What I am pointing to is maybe you can sit down…and see how you can utilize this asset worth P11.5 billion,” he said. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/47023/senator..._medium=twitter 11 billion could buy how many armored vehicles? or |
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| migzky19 | Aug 25 2011, 10:04 AM Post #2 |
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DND told to make profit from 5 government-owned golf courses By Marvin Sy (The Philippine Star) Updated August 25, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (3) MANILA, Philippines - The Senate has advised the Department of National Defense (DND) to take advantage of its five golf courses in Metro Manila and make some profit out of these to finance its stagnant modernization program. Senate committee on finance chairman Franklin Drilon noted that the five DND-Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-owned golf courses at Camp Aguinaldo, Villamor Airbase, Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) and Fort Bonifacio were practically idle assets considering that little or no revenues are generated from these properties. Using a rough estimate of 30 hectares per golf course at P30,000 per square meters, Drilon noted that the five properties would carry a total value of at least P45 billion. “At least P45 billion in assets of the AFP are just being used as golf courses. I don’t think that we need these golf courses. What we need is to modernize our Armed Forces,” Drilon said. “We are asking the DND to look at these assets for purposes of a source of revenue for the modernization of our Armed Forces. We are not saying that they should sell the assets, but certainly they should have a better income from these assets worth at least P45 billion,” he added. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said that the DND could just offer a long-term lease on the five golf courses and use the income from these to continuously support the AFP’s modernization program. Drilon cited the example of the VMMC golf course, which the DND said generates a mere P1.6 million in revenues annually. “That is the kind of income that is being realized out of this asset. It is very clear that by better utilization of the assets of the AFP, we can modernize our Armed Forces. Our Armed Forces, in terms of equipment, manpower is in a very sorry state, is very inadequate,” he said. Drilon said the additional revenues could also benefit the AFP in terms of increasing its personnel, considering that the military staff to civilian population ratio of the Philippines is the lowest in Southeast Asia. He pointed out that the AFP has only 125,000 active personnel that serve 95 million Filipinos across the country. “This is a ratio of 1:750. In other countries like Thailand, for 63.5 million Thais, they have 305,000 members of the armed forces. For Indonesia, with 245 million population, they have 438,000 in the armed forces. In Malaysia with 28 million population, they have 109,000 in the armed forces. Here, we see the inadequacy of our Armed Forces. In the view of the committee, there are enough assets that can respond to the needs of the AFP if these assets are properly utilized,” Drilon said. “For the past several years, there is simply no initiative taken to look for other sources of funds. They just rely on the GAA (General Appropriations Act) when in fact, right there on their doorsteps, are assets which can be utilized, which are totally underutilized. You cannot justify 150 hectares of prime land in Manila used only for golf courses,” he added. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publi...rticleId=720281 |
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| Hitman | Aug 25 2011, 10:07 PM Post #3 |
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this is not a bad idea. the officers and NCOs need some recreation too. |
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| flipzi | Aug 25 2011, 11:28 PM Post #4 |
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The soldiers have reasons why they need the golf course. One is that the income from the golf courses maybe funding their own internally-funded projects or benefit programs covering the soldiers and their dependents. But there are other pressing concerns that outweigh those reasons. The country's interest rises above all. I suggest these for consideration; 1) Sell the golf courses that the AFP controls like VMMC, Fort Bonifacio and Villamor Air Base. 2) Continue opening the golf courses in Camp Aguinaldo to the public and enhance the audit system to ensure that no single centavo is lost through corruption. We cannot sell the golf course or have it leased because Camp Aguinaldo is a prime military base and there's not much area there in fact. We must reserve it for future use. The sale of these lands will surely generate billions of pesos. 10 billion pesos will be enough to buy us a squadron of our brand new fighter jets. 10 billion pesos will be enough to buy us at 5 OPV and a hundred patrol gunboats (Andrada-class) which will boost our maritime patrol heavily. 10 billion pesos will be enough to buy us a squadron of modern attack helicopters and another squadron of utility helicopters That's just 30 billion in total. The internal security preparedness will surely be enhanced including territorial defense. We will be saving and protecting our fisheries resource much better and providing security against piracy and smuggling. Add safety of maritime travel due to increase of available floating assets that be be called in to rescue ships and fishermen in distress. Now, compare that great benefit to the entire nation with simply giving a few military officials their chance to play golf? |
 " Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them! - Art. II Sec 1, Philippine Constitution " " People don't care what we know until they know we care. " getflipzi@yahoo.com | |
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| spearhead | Aug 26 2011, 01:08 AM Post #5 |
DoctorNO, Your Neutral Observer.
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I dont think the military need more golf-courses in times like this. Not yet time to reward them an additional R&R to play with. Let the military take care of the business first before the people reward them if the satisfaction guaranteed. Give all the bang on modernization first, acquire all the necessary equipment they needed before thinking about R&R for generals who hasnt even done neutralizing the rebels. |
"Men of War must learn the art of numbers or he will not know how to array his troops." - Plato  
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| spearhead | Aug 26 2011, 01:10 AM Post #6 |
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DoctorNO, Your Neutral Observer.
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Atleast leave 1 or 2 golf courses. Thats it for now. |
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"Men of War must learn the art of numbers or he will not know how to array his troops." - Plato
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| flipzi | Aug 26 2011, 01:11 AM Post #7 |
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the generals needed R&R this much? mahirap paniwalaan na kulang pa nakuha nila. Remember the multi-million peso "Pabaon", the case of Gen. Carlos Garcia and the revelations of the Magdalo on weapons being sold to the rebels? tapos pa-golf golf pa sila. mas importante ba yung golf nila kaysa sa national security problem natin? |
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" Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them! - Art. II Sec 1, Philippine Constitution " " People don't care what we know until they know we care. " getflipzi@yahoo.com | |
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| spearhead | Aug 26 2011, 01:25 AM Post #8 |
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DoctorNO, Your Neutral Observer.
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kung tutuusin nga lang eh, if these golf courses are not generating revenues enough to maintain it and help the government then close it. Sell it now so that they can help boost the modernization. Beside there are beaches all around the philippines, and let them use it. There are also paintball sports that they can play, instead of gayish playing golf thats only for rich people. Atleast in paintball they get to practice what they have learned from PMA. 
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"Men of War must learn the art of numbers or he will not know how to array his troops." - Plato
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| AVBsupersonic | Aug 26 2011, 07:33 AM Post #9 |
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Puro nlang pagpapasarap sa buhay ang inaatupag ng mga hinayupak na mga iyan tapos may "Pabaon" pa, samantala ang mga sundalo nila nasa frontline at nangaganib ang buhay walang kumpletong kagamitan, luma ang mga armas at hirap sa buhay lalo na ang kanilang mga pamilya, di katulad ng mga "Pabaon" Generals dapat ibenta lahat ng mga Golf Course na iyan para magamit sa Modernization. Speaking of Revenues, who going to believe them that napupunta sa maganda at hindi sa bulsa nila napupunta ang mga revenues ng mga Golf Course? Better long term lease or sell those that are in prime locations like Fort Bonifacio, VMMC, Villamor Air Base, these locations can produce profits that can help Modernize the Armed Forces. P.Noy can appoint someone to manage and make sure that all profits coming from the sale or lease of these Golf Courses will be added to the AFPM Funds in order to help and fast track the purchase of Military Assets and Equipments needed... |
| "Some are just lucky that they're not under oath and are not classified!"- Blue badge | |
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| spraret | Aug 26 2011, 12:23 PM Post #10 |
PDFF Admin Support
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For sale or lease: AFP golf courses
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?artic...ubCategoryId=68 |
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