BEWARE OF TRAINING PLANES – When I received a text message morning of March 13 about a Cessna plane that crashed in a cornfield in Barangay Linmansangan, Binalonan, the next quick thing that came to my mind was a resolution earlier passed by the provincial board declaring the Capitol Complex in Lingayen as no-fly zone during flag raising ceremony and special events.

Natural nakakatakot kapag may mga two-seater planes na umiikot sa taas dyan sa Kapitolyo. Pag nag-crash, malamang patay kang bata ka.

In the Binalonan incident, two were hurt. They are Capt. Bruce Sinaking, a resident of Baguio City, flying master, with student pilot Marcus Lim from Manila.

Both victims were rushed to Sacred Heart Hospital in Urdaneta City for medication while the Cessna 152 incurred heavy damages of still undetermined amount.

When I made a follow-up, I was told by the police chief that the victims were transferred to hospitals in Baguio City and Manila.

Why am I telling this?

We have reported here incidents of two-seater planes used in training of student pilots in Lingayen and other areas that had met accidents.

Kawawa yung mga nakasakay at nakakatakot sa mga nakatira sa palibot ng Lingayen airport o sa iba pang lugar na pinagpapraktisan baka biglang mabagsakan sila ng eroplano.

I wonder if our provincial board members will finally consider crafting a local legislation regulating the operation of aviation schools and prohibiting them to fly in populated areas to avoid loss and or heavy damages to lives and properties in case of accidents.

In addition, better if owners of flying schools are required to have their own runways away from residential areas.

Kanino kaya yung sa Lingayen airport?  Siyempre government-owned. Mabuti pinayagang gamitin yung runway dun. Nag re-renta kaya yung owner? If so, who gets the payment?

The Binalonan runway is owned by the mayor there. I’ve been there and I was impressed. It’s wide, spacious, clean and it’s manned by professionals.

But accidents are inevitable. Good thing the plane crash happened in a cornfield.

Kung sa Lingayen yun nangyari, knock on wood, pero wag naman sana sa Kapitolyo, otherwise imagine the extent of damages to lives and government offices.–Eva Visperas

 

WHO SAYS FVR IS OLD? Has anyone seen and talked to FVR up close lately? Well, I did at the birthday of former Cong. Gina de V last week.  He was in his usual jolly mood, in sweat shirt, wearing a blue beret that had many military medals pinned on it.

Out of the blues, he pulled me from my seat, wrestled and pinned my arms. I was not surprised because I had seen him do the same thing to the other guys seated in another table next to us.

While still holding my left arm, he pulled me a few meters away from my seat, and told me: “They tell me I am already an old man Kabaleyan, is this the strength of an old man?  he asked. FVR is already 89 years old (if I am not mistaken).

“No sir”, I replied. “You are still as strong as a bull”.  With that reply, he directed his staff tailing him to give me an advanced copy of his Sunday column in the Manila Bulletin. Yes, if you do not know it yet, FVR is a regular columnist in the Manila Bulletin. His columns appear every Sunday.

Then the former president who ruled the nation from 1992 to 1998 hopped to another table and picked on Rudy Ramos, a close relative of former Speaker Joe de Venecia, and did exactly what he did to me.

FVR is still undeniably sprightly active, strong and still possesses an agile mind that he demonstrated during his entire military life and when he became the president of the Republic of the Philippines.

He was a physical fitness buff when he was still president and apparently he still does to this day, jogging where he can to maintain his steely legs and swim like an athlete to develop his stamina.

When he was still the chief of the Philippine Constabulary, precursor of the PNP, he was always first to appear in Camp Crame’s parade grounds in jogging shorts while the rest of officers were still snoring in their beds and had to be awakened by the chief PC’s aide-de-camp.

As columnist of the most widely circulated newspaper in the country, he continues to share his wisdom and greatness to the whole nation. In his newly found practice as a columnist, I noted some of his criticisms leveled at the Duterte administration.

It is obvious that he inherited his gift of gab in writing from his father, Narciso Ramos, who was a journalist and lawyer, having been the first editor of the Pangasinan Review, a publication that preceded the Pangasinan Courier, and his mother, the late Angela Valdez, a teacher of the then Pangasinan Academic High School.

It was already late in the night but FVR was still moving around, renewing acquaintances with the guests, mostly his kabaleyans from Pangasinan.

I said this is one proof of FVR’s great staying power, Leizel Basa, who was beside me, nodded in agreement. (Leonardo Micua)

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