I honestly feel sorry to whoever will succeed Margie Juico sa Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office  pagdating ng oras at binulabog na niya ang magandang set-up ng PCSO noon sa Quezon Institute Complex.  I pity the next PCSO Chairman for it would really be a tall, tall order to reorganize that office again. 

But it must be done by whoever succeeds her – and soon before it gets more complicated and before the PCSO is totally run down by bad planning.

Sayang, the 6.5 hectares and the beautiful massive historical buildings of the PCSO in the QI Complex still stands strong and tall.  The PCSO can never find another place like it ever again. There is just not one like it nationwide, which the PCSO can call its permanent home.  By abandoning the place, the PCSO lost its identity.

If Margie’s successor would be in his/her right mind, maybe, just maybe, the PCSO can take over the QI  again before it is sold.  There are still 37 years left out of the 50-year lease contract; and not only that, it is stipulated in the contract that the QI, managed  by the Philippine Tuberculosis Society, is willing to sell it to the PCSO at “a very reasonable price”.  The PCSO has the first option to it.  I pray nobody else gets ahead while there is time.

How happy all the 1,200 PCSO employees would be if that would come to pass because all of them loved the place and never wanted to leave it, for most of them are Quezon City residents; and they all know that the building is not even in danger of collapsing “in case of a strong earthquake” as that female Nostradamus predicted just to impose fear on them.         Not true at all.  It has gone through all the earthquakes since 1938 when it was constructed by our National Artist and father of Philippine Architecture, Juan Nakpil, whose buildings he designed and constructed are all standing.  Not a crack on all the buildings inside the QI Complex.

Although Juico vandalized the interior of the building occupied by the PCSO before, it would still be worth refurbishing it again.  It would still cost much less than to construct another building elsewhere; and no matter how much she tries, it would never, never be grander than the historical site in the QI Complex which is better looking than Malacañang (built in the 1850s), the Post Office building (1911), and the old Congress building built earlier than the QI Complex in 1938. Binomba na noong Liberation ang Congress noong matapos ang giyera, inayos at naitindig muli.          On the other hand, not even a firecracker has hit the QI buildings.  And what a huge cemented parking area and open space for everyone.  And to think that all the buildings inside the QI  Complex stand on solid adobe foundation.

Think about it.  I worked hard to clinch the deal in 1996/1997 for the PCSO to have as permanent home, and Margie was a witness to it.  I was up against the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and another big government outfits which wanted it.  But with the help of President Ramos, who was once connected with the Philippine Tuberculosis Society Inc., he approved my request above all the rest who were fighting to have the site. To think Margie, as one of my directors at the time, approved it, too.

‘Yan talaga ang ikinagalit ko kay Juico (aside from the many patients who died under her reign): Why she concocted stories just to be able to transfer to the PICC to give her a new look, wanting to make a name for herself.  But she should have thought of the interests of the permanent PCSO employees because political appointees like us simply come and go at anytime. I will even praise her to high heavens should she consider the site again.

So many chairmen succeeded me since 1998 when I left the PCSO as its chairman and all of them fell in love with the place.  It took a Margie Juico to screw everything up for reasons of her own. Maybe she is not cultured enough to appreciate the magnificent structure.

If you are listening Margie, I estimate that the refurbishing of the damages you caused in the interior of the building to make sure na hindi na makababalik ang PCSO office doon will not cost much. Alam ko you did it para tumigil na ang pagpumilit ng mga employees makabalik and to stop them from hurting for not wanting to leave the place.  God willing, you may yet come to your senses and revive the old contract.

For Juico to venture  into  a new PCSO building and lot would cost  billions.  Why not reconsider the QI while there is still time, for it will cost you much, much less. And it’s the best place that you can ever find.

There are still 37 years left of that contract.  Your pre-termination was illegal in the first place, for it had no approval of President Aquino when you cancelled the contract to transfer to the PICC.  It was only your board which preterminated it, an act which is against the law, for it needed a presidential approval which you did not have.

Baka makuha mo pa ‘yong QI site again.  Makiusap ka na lang muli, Margie, you can even buy it on installment, for the QI needs so much financial help to run the hospitals and clinics for tuberculosis patients nationwide.  That’s the only reason they agreed to sell it to the PCSO.

Balang araw, mawawala ka rin sa PCSO.  Do justice while you still can for the injustice you have committed against the employees and the poor patients who found the place most convenient for them.  That’s the legacy I want you to leave behind.  It’s all yours for the taking and for the sake of history.

I estimate that it will only cost less than P20 million to put it back again as most of the partitions and glasses you removed and kept in different bodegas in town, including the new elevator, are still available, I hope.

Twenty million pesos as compared to spending billions for a new building with probably no open space and sufficient parking area.

Think about it.  I promise you will never hear from me again; and you can run the PCSO to your heart’s content without ever hearing from me again.

Remember, I am not fighting for myself.  I did it all for the permanent employees and the poor patients who you can serve better by being at the QI again.  Do it now before you leave your office. History will vindicate you.

Revive the contract, fix what there is to fix, transfer, and reign with all the pomp and pageantry that you have always wanted to have.  I will even praise you for it.

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