By Gonzalo T. Duque 

 

THE annual Bangus Fest has just ended. What comes next?

Just a rewind. Years back, I recall that we experienced a devastating typhoon two weeks after the Dagupan Bangus Festival.

Many houses and buildings had their roofs blown down by the typhoon. Parang yong wind ng typhoon, sinasabayan pa ng ipo-ipo.

Our building in Polyclinic and school was unroofed and retrieved the next day at the Dagupan City Plaza. Ditto with the hotel of then Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. on JdV Highway going to Calasiao.

Now, the weather bureau people are saying that the Philippines should expect two major typhoons soon.

I can only agree with our weather forecasters because it was extremely hot during the past days. As a matter of fact, Dagupan City was always listed as the topnotcher in heat index across the country.

Let’s brace for an incoming Super Strong Typhoon by having our properties or houses insured so that in the event of such calamity, we can still rehabilitate our respective abodes.

During that strong typhoon I mentioned, my home in Tapuac was unroofed too and fortunately, it was insured. That saved me more than thousands of pesos to make the repairs!

Sana kung bagyo ang forecasted by PAGASA, ulan lang, not Yolanda-like winds. We need rains to drench our parched farmlands, gardens and roads. It will be a big relief to all of us if it rains with regularity soon, what with an average 47 to 48 degrees Celsius heat index we are experiencing in Dagupan daily.

But, the bangus growers do not want the rains yet. Their bangus may suffer thermal shock and die.

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With the advent of the rainy season after a long sweltering summer, the majority in the Sanggunian Panlungsod of Dagupan, referred to by my good friend and editor Ermin Garcia Jr. as EpaLifes, should already pass the supplemental budget amounting to more than P500 million, which partly covers the long delayed benefits due to our regular and job order employees at the Dagupan City hall.

Well, may be the EpaLifes do not need the money because they are all rich. But mind you, the said benefit will severely affect our city hall employees and their families if that supplemental budget remains shelved.

Hoy, ibigay na yan kaya. Malapit na ang pasukan sa school ng kanilang mga anak. Ang daming pangangailangan ng bawat family when enrollment comes. 

Why do you love prolonging their agony? If you continue to ignore their needs, sige malapit na ang election. You will surely regret it.

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It seems that the establishment of the Mother and Child Hospital will not push through after all.

The insistence of the majority councilors to locate the hospital other than the property donated to the DOH by the brother of Mayor Belen Fernandez will stay.

This is the crux of the problem. So, we will resort to other means rather than see the majority ‘clown-cilors’ to derail the project by hook or by crook until the project is completely lost.

The tyranny of the majority in a civilized society such as ours will not stand forever.

And, we have a majority in the Sanggunian that doesn’t mind seeing the P150 million going to the dogs. Sayang naman! In my view, the ultimate resolution of the city’s dilemma over the hospital project will be in the political arena in 2025.

But surely, they will suffer badly in the polls, mark my word.

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