Playing with Fire
Goodbye, Atty. Armand Montessa
By Gonzalo Duque
WE pause to honor a very dear friend, a model Rotarian and civic leader and, if you please, the father of our Rotary Club of Uptown Dagupan – Atty. Armand Montessa, who died last week. He was 65.
It’s true we were the charter president of Uptown, but it was Armand Montessa who founded it.
He was then the Extension Committee chairman of the mother club, Rotary Club of Dagupan under President Jess de Guzman when it was proposed that this young club (Uptown) be formed. It was not easy for him to do it – but he persevered and, thank God, succeeded.
You now know what kind of club Armand has sired. To show his sincerity, he even transferred residence – from mother club to Uptown.
Who could forget him ever?
To you, Armand, our unfathomable gratitude and appreciation. You are a rare breed – an honorable man, a model Rotarian.
May your tribe increase! And may you rest in peace.
* * *
Thank you, Madam President Gloria, for championing the education of Filipinos in its real sense.
In more than one occasion, this columnist and our beloved President have shared views and ideas on how to improve the country’s educational system.
Our thesis is that this country cannot move forward if its people are not properly educated. Our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, has also championed this view.
We told the President several proposals — among them, the increase by one year of our high school curriculum. She agreed. She is now energetically advocating it.
We strongly believe that if we don’t change the curriculum, the country won’t develop and progress. The other countries have gone ahead. Let’s catch up. Let’s follow the President’s fast pace.
* * *
We are all aware of how poor and lousy our students’ proficiency in English is. Blame the teachers? Yes – but all this emanates from our poor educational foundation. Our graduates can’t even compete globally after graduation.
No less than Education Sec. Jesli Lapuz has deeply lamented what he saw: our educational system at its lowest ebb. Anyway, the situation gives us an ideal staging point, so that we can measure our progress vividly.
Let’s support the President overhaul the entire educational system and push the country to new horizons and higher levels of improvement.
* * *
Reactions to our column on the aborted Rotary Night at the city plaza continue to pour in. Thank you, thank you for agreeing with us.
Please write to our mayor, too, so he will know. We are not blaming Mayor Al though but the one who made the preposterous and unpopular decision. We are not also blaming the Daltons, many of whose members agreed with our observation.
It may be apropos to remind everyone that the Rotary movement is a worldwide service phenomenon that has benefited millions of people. Don’t tell us that Dagupeños are blind to this fact.
But please don’t get us wrong. We are not against the Daltons. All if not most of them do not like that the Rotarians would get bumped off by them. Us, too. Sana may naka-schedule na dalawang gabi noon, one for Rotary and one for Daltons. Di masaya sana.
We are making this restatement because text messages and phone calls on the subject haven’t stopped, all saying we were correct.
(Readers may reach columnist at punch.sunday@gmail.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/playing-with-fire/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)
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