Think about it
Plato’s Republic in our mind
By Jun Velasco
‘The road to a friend’s house is never long.” — Danish Proverb
THOSE beautiful Alaminos City-Gawad Kalinga houses that were bannered in the Inquirer should be replicated for our homeless newsmen in Pangasinan.
What do you think, Pangasinan Press Club president Gonzalo Duque?
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Our friend since college days, Buddy Dawal, is mighty proud of his kababayans in Leyte for their hearts of gold. They are raising funds for Japan’s earthquake-tsunami victims with Mayor Rico Rentuza of St. Bernard, Leyte leading the activity.
Japan in 2006 sent a gargantuan aid to Leyte when some l,000 inhabitants were killed by a landslide.
Also Friday, we read in Rina David’s column that Gov. Alfredo Maranum of Negros Occidental was rallying his constituents to raise at least Pl milllion for the earthquake victims. Noble souls.
At this juncture, how do we compare the mindset — or heart-set — of our own provincial officials? Here we go. If it isn’t too much, we suggest they donate the P26 million they received from the provincial government last week for their Everest cars to the suffering Japanese and Filipino workers trapped there.
Japan, you know, has remained a generous donor to our infrastructure and development projects in the Philippines. The Pl.2 billion De Venecia Diversion road was partly donated by the Japanese. We even proposed that the spanking new infrastructure which dramatically shortens travel time to Lingayen be named Philippine-Japanese Friendship Road. It’s one of the alluring come-ons of the city.
In times like this, we have no country, only brotherhood and humanity under the fatherhood of God.
We should draw inspiration from Mother Teresa who said, “I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only love.”
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Amid a world spinning out of control due to Mother Nature’s fury and power-greedy despots and demagogues, we try to beat our path back to untried political theories which could have sired trouble-free governmental systems.
We recall Plato’s Republic (government run by philosopher-kings, who will be hired to do nothing but administer the government in an ideal way). On record, our present crop of officials has bungled government systems everywhere.
Plato’s government would be placed only in the hands of the most competent and highly intellectual philosophers who will be devoid of earthly pleasures to ensure the smooth running of government.
Why the platonic idea was not tried is anybody’s guess… probably because we are not saints. As Imelda Papin would sing her out, “sapagkat tayo’y tao lamang.”
A Platonic government – like platonic love – is an ideal one that won’t be realized in our lifetime.
It would remain a pipe dream.
* * *
We received a call from Atchi Mita Sison-Duque, widow of the late Dr. Salvador Duque, that it was Kuya Ado’s “babang luksa” last Friday, writing time, coinciding with her mom the late former Gov. Nancy Sison’s 95th birthday anniversary.
We’d missed the two occasions due to previous commitments in Manila.
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If you are in Dagupan, try dining out at Sam Palaganas’ Manoxx, new home of charcoal-grilled chicken at the former Mouse House (Llamas building) on Burgos Extension. Sam is planning to make his swanky eatery a venue for the proposed DagupanToastmasters Club that he is organizing.
Last Tuesday, Alfred Dawana’s US-based family paid a courtesy call on Mayor Benjie Lim. His daughter, Amy D. Buccat, nursing director of St. Francis Medical Center, and hubby Edwin Buccat of the San Francisco Post Office; daughter Joellen, a nurse, who finished her nursing course summa cum laude at San Francisco University; younger sister Janelle, a graduating nursing student; Amy’s sister Freda, a facial therapist at Oakland, and Arlene, a nurse at Kaiser Nursing Dept. of San Rafael, California.
They were all looking for Benjie’s record of songs which they promised to distribute in the US. The family had a grand time in Baguio with educator Teri Hernaez whose presence warmed everybody’s hearts, and fishpond owners vice president Ping Meneses.
Before they departed for the US, former Tour of Luzon leader and Mrs. Teofilo Cuison and family gave them a despedida at Star Plaza. Bon voyage!
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