MMDA czar Tim Orbos sizzles

By Jesus A. Garcia,

 

MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) officer-in-charge Thomas “Tim” Orbos was in Pangasinan recently as the guest speaker of the Breakfast Club hosted by Mita Duque and Jun Velasco at President Hotel in Lingayen attended by local media practitioners.  Tim was my boss for four years during the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) era (1998-2002), me, as the commissioner representing his Pangasinan Presidents (lately known as Pangasinan Waves) professional basketball squad. I still recall when the MBA was launched at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen summer of 1998 with then President Fidel V. Ramos as the guest of honor and speaker.

MBA rivaled PBA then. It is now defunct. I don’t know what happened and perhaps  it was due to financial constraints.

The San Carlos City-born Orbos was here on the invitation of Jun V anent the traffic woes in Manila metropolis. During the forum, he cited five essential remedies to solve the gargantuan traffic headaches in Metro Manila.

He said that first and foremost is to construct a skyway along EDSA from Balintawak to Pasay City. Second, to create a ‘common terminal’ for all transportation buses coming from northern Luzon to be located before entering EDSA and in Baclaran City for buses going to and fro southern Luzon. Third, to prohibit vehicles that are unregistered or with expired registration from accessing EDSA. Fourth, to strictly impose disciplinary actions against those undisciplined motorists, and,  fifth, hopefully the Diosdado Macapagal Airport (also known as Clark Field International Airport) in Pampanga will already operate.  And, we agreed with his analysis.. He mentioned others but he said will result only in minor impacts.

He concluded that he’s ready to resign his post if President Duterte is unhappy with his performance. Hopefully Mr. Digong will give Orbos more time to prove himself.

Shifting to sports, I asked him if there’s still a possibility that MBA will be revived. He answered in the negative.

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The controversy that rocked the 2016 PRISAA Inter-Collegiate Basketball Tournament championship was finally resolved.

Colegio de Dagupan head coach Angel Gumarang who was one of the coaches who questioned the eligibility of Philippine College of Science and Technology (PhilCST) player Mendoza and Pangasinan Merchant Marine Academy’s (PAMMA) Tweneboah is now amenable to accept the ruling that qualified the two. Although broken-hearted, Gumarang accepted the verdict for the sake of sportsmanship, camaraderie and for the success of the league. The latest I heard is that the best-of-three championship series between multi-titled and defending champion University of Luzon Golden Tigers and PhilCST Topnotch will start on January 14 next year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: after His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” MATTHEW 1: 18-20

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