Think about it
Jewels in a haystack
By Jun Velasco
“The company of just and upright man is better than wealth and a real estate,” Euripides
IN spite of man’s inherent propensity for greed which is shaking our governmental institutions—the Palace, the Supreme Court, the Legislature (Senate and House of Representatives), the nation is still lucky we, denizens, are able to stay the course and allow the wheels of life to proceed.
Go to the coffee shops and savor not only the sip and aroma of brewed coffee, but also the blasts between and among our government officials, so much so that each and every man you meet has also his take on the simmering topics, making us all impromptu members of a debating society.
Not to be drawn to the whirlpool of confusing nomenclature and gobbledygook, we decided to take on certain local subjects that would put sense to our existence.
First off: did you know that Urdaneta’s youthful Mayor Bobom Perez, who confessed of his Sunday Punch reading habit since his studentship, goes to office everyday (without fail unless disabled by force majure) at 6:30 a.m. and goes home at 6 p.m?
Interviewed at the old, how sparklingly renovated City Hall, Bobom downplays Urdaneta’s record of having dislodged Dagupan from Pangasinan’s tolempol of having the highest income level.
A chip off the old block (Ambassador Amadito Perez Jr.,), Bobom eludes reports on Urdaneta’s soaring success.
Over in Alcala, youthful Mayor Ryan Paolo V. Mencias, son of National Irrigation Administration’s Engr. Rey Mencias, trounced all mayors in Region 1 in the search for the best LGU-NGO partnership under the aegis of the Regional Development Council (RDC).
First runner up was San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte and 2nd runner up was Tagudin, Ilocos Sur. Vice Gov. Calimlim, Mayor Pao and Alcala officials received the award.
A humbled Pao paid tribute to his predecessor, Manuel Collado, who in his acceptance speech, said, “tinuloy ko lang po ang inyong sinimulan.”
* * * *
Not very many know the fine role and workings of the Sanggunian of our local government units in development and the preservation of the democratic process.
It was with this thought that we sought out the veteran Alfie Bince of the Sanggunigang Panlalawigan. Alfie, (we usually refer to him as brilliant Alfie) you know, is a kindred soul who literally was our bridge to Pangasinan journalism after the late Ermin Garcia Sr., the venerable founder of this paper.
Under the leadership of Vice Governor Ferdie Calimlim, our provincial board has been doing a lot of heroic deeds that are not given appropriate play by the local media. More often, the SP’s news stories are “passengers” of the Governor’s media machine.
Our interest on the SP was prompted by a recently revived measure to increase the province’s congressional districts to ten (10). Wow!
Well, let’s not just shout gerrymandering or shoot it down prematurely. Fact is after our recent trips to Ilocoslovakia—Region 1 to be exact—we felt ashamed for having a province that is overly dominating its three other province-counterparts of La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.
Are we proud? Nope! We feel as if we are putting one over our neighbors. We sincerely hope Governor Spines, so far the most successful of Pangasinan governors, won’t begrudge the idea that a two-or three-way Pangasinan deserves another, very serious look this time.
Back to the SP.
When we were still excited by our work in covering that august body, we were impressed by the intellectual debates in the pre-martial under then Gov. Aguedo F. Agbayani, Vice Gov. Porfirio Sison and Board Members Vic Millora, Ager Rosario, Alfie Bince and Arturo Padua. They are all deceased now —except Alfie whom we’ve sought to assist the media highlight the SP’s mandate in our democracy.
Aside from that big re-districting measure, we learned about the SP’s meticulous care in zeroing in on a resolution declaring a Binmaley ordinance “requiring the food service industry to include one half cup of cooked rice in their menu and providing penalties for violations thereof…”
The personalities who debated the measure were men of substance, lawyer Jaming Libunao, Nikki Boy Reyes and Raul Sison. It occurred to us that a small item need not be ignored especially involving our staple cereal.
Other SP’s “greats” are former Rep. and Vice Gov. Ranjait Shahani, Nap Fontelera Jr., Clemente Arboleda, Angel M. Baniqued Jr., Generoso Tulagan, Jr., Amado Espino III, Antonio Sison, Sheila Marie Perez-Galicia (League of Councilors president) Liberato Villegas, Danilo Uy and Pogi Espino (Liga ng mga Barangay president).
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