Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

DEFENSE AND COMMUNICATIONS

253

No one ignores what is now happening with respect to the
distribution and disposal of funds for works of this kind. An
insatiable eagerness for undertaking them reigns in all provinces,
and this eagerness is translated in an infinity of law projects
which each elective public official, provincial or insular, considers himself obliged to formulate. We have reached to such
an extreme in this respect that it looks as if all decrees of a
legislator or provincial governor are measured in proportion to
the quantity of projects which he can adopt appropriating
money for the mentioned purpose and to his ability of formulating it at once and converting it into laws.
I am first to recognize that this eagerness is highly commendable when it comes to the legitimate desire of each senator or
representative to obtain for his respective district all the advantages, all the benefits, and all the improvements possible; for
it is but natural if we take into consideration that the actions
of a legislator are the faithful and exact reflex of the feeling
of his constituents. With this attitude of the elector which is
general and uniform in all the districts of the Philippines, what
is there strange in the legislator centering his anxieties and
efforts in the attainment of these improvements? And what is
there strange that the departments of the Insular Government,
run by men selected by the majority see themselves compelled
to a certain extent to be molded to the policy of the Legislature
in this respect? If this way of thinking or proceeding on the
part of the electorate is sound or not, if it is prejudicial or not
to the community, this is not the right time to discuss it.
Anyway, I cannot help but sympathize with such efforts to
satisfy the electorate, and nothing would make me feel more
grateful than to be able to cooperate and contribute to the
realization of all these plans and projects.
Very well then. If we have the millions which other
countries possess, there would be no difficulty in satisfying
everybody, undertaking the construction of roads and highways simultaneously in all the provinces, in the municipalities
and barrios to the very nooks and corners of the Islands. But
such is not the case. Our resources are, unfortunately, limited,
very limited in truth. And here rises the difficulties which