Think about it
Contrasting scenes
By Jun Velasco
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” Matthew 16:26
AS soon as our 3-year-old “apos” Gian and Joshua cheered the newly arrived Christmas stars and parols along Caranglaan Street came knee-deep flood waters in the whole stretch that deepened as we got nearer Calasiao proper.
Easiest to blame is atmospheric phenomena called climate change. Let’s not forget the ice berg at the North Pole is already melting.
Continuous rains, the shattering of the ozone layer, the unabated cutting of trees, conversion of rivers into housing subdivisions and other “environment-unfriendly” activities have spawned the floods.
But what we are seeing, warns Prof. Nick Melencio, is nothing compared to what his team–the Public Alert and Response Management Center (PARMC)–is doing to mitigate the harm of a potential earthquake cum tsunami anytime.
If you want to help, lend a hand, get involved in the city’s proactive work vis a vis this feared phenomenon, since the city and nearby coastal LGUs lie directly in the tsunami route, Professor Melencio says he would just be to happy to welcome you. He can be reached at his cell phone 09194536290.
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Is 2016 polls still too far off?
Maybe not so if you are following national political developments. Philippine politics is a daily affair in our beleaguered country.
But all is not lost.
We get from last Thursday’s Great Defense Philippics of Vice President Jojo Binay a brilliant formula submitted by an all-season political adviser with the head, “Do It Now, Regret Later!”
Translated: Binay did his best to escape harm’s way and, for all we know, he may have succeeded in neutralizing a lot of damages against himself and family members who have been openly accused by his own very close allies of committee graft and corruption.
In our kind of politics, the robber barons go scot-free, while the small time land in jail.
It’s great to be in politics if you have the gumption, the gall and the skin to be slammed in an ugly way.
Our political science students do not exactly know why such big names in the Government Roll of Honor–Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Johnny Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Bong Revilla–are in prison, when most of our public officials are not sin-less vis a vis graft and corruption. It’s a matter of time?
As the above biblical quote will remind all of us, what good is material profit if you lose your soul?
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Two DCNHS alumni are news stuff lately–Col. Harris Fama, class 83, and Atty. Hernan Cabrera, class 84.
We were elated to know the ease with which Dagupan police officer, now at CIDG in QC, Col. Harris Fama, brought to a fast solution a kasambahay’s woe at the Tulfo brothers’ program on Channel 5.
Harris’ easy-does-it assurance to Erwin Tulfo’s sumbong about an erring police officer in Manila and his wife has earned the respect/admiration of the Tulfos who, too, should be commended for their consistent (tutok) “policing” of law enforcers many of who we often see are involved in hulidaps and, ironically, fronts of criminality in the country.
Harris, btw, is a member of Dagupan City National High School Class 83 which will see action in the much awaited Annual December 28 Grand Alumni Reunion!
Fama makes his alma mater DCNHS proud.
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It may interest you also that another newsmaker alumnus, Atty. Hernan Cabrera (Class 84) is the spokesman of LRT and the embattled MRT you often see on your TV sets.
We used to tease him to aspire for higher responsibility in the problematic MRT but the youthful Dagupeño says he doesn’t have the proverbial political connections.
Although law is Hernan’s cup of tea, he has fine communication skills now in demand these days to assuage an irate MRT-riding public.
We told the leaders of host Class 64 led by brod Dante to give due recognition to alumni the likes of Fama and Cabrera who are on the vanguard of public affairs and leadership.
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