A trip rooted to roots

By Al S. Mendoza

I HAD a chance encounter with Mayor Rey Velasco of Sta. Barbara on Tuesday at the fabled Dagupeña Restaurant.

After the usual handshakes and hellos, I asked the good mayor, “What’s the latest on your airport project?”

Rey was quick to reply.

“The feasibility study is ongoing,” he said. “But don’t you worry a thing, Al. I’ll get my airport project done. I can guarantee you that. You’ll be the first to know when the ground-breaking ceremonies will be held.” So there. Right from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

I wanted to shoot more questions. But the mayor was busy with his lunch in the company of several persons. I hate disturbing a good meal.

I went back to my sumptuous lunch consisting mainly of  sinigang na malaga, sizzling bangus and the good, old embutido.

It was a late lunch as we had left Baguio late. But nonetheless, the meal was irresistibly perfect so that when we got to see Ms Anel Perez of Binmaley, everything went hunky-dory.

Like the lovable Anel, Butch Ferrer and Gabriel Cornel had also extended us a really warm welcome only a true-blue Pangasinense could genuinely dish out. My heartfelt thanks to smiling doll Anel, and to such nice guys to include Vice Mayor Pedro Merrera, Peter Patalud and Vital Valerio for taking their valuable time out to greet us.

It was a brief visit, yes, of Binmaley’s Town Hall but, boy, was I impressed.

People doing their business at the Presidencia were comfortably seated in a large, longish, back-to-back, wooden sofa while waiting for their papers to be processed. What made their “presidential visit” more relaxing was the constant blowing of a cold breeze kissing their cheeks, coming from a centralized cooling system. It, sure, protected them from the scorching summer heat of a blazing afternoon sun outside.

Likewise, all the offices, from the ground floor all the way upstairs, were air-conditioned. Which was just right.

For a tropical and really warm – and most often really hot weather during summertime – all offices in government should be air-conditioned. That’s for the benefit of both the government employees and the people being served.

Beside the Binmaley Presidencia (I like the word Presidencia; it’s really the original name of all town hall buildings in the country) is the Binmaley Museum, which is also air-conditioned.

My salutation goes to Mayor Sam Rosario, who was in the U.S. when I came visiting.

The beautiful, air-conditioned Presidencia, not to mention the charming Binmaley Museum proudly standing beside it, is a reflection of good, transparent governance. Mayor Sam’s administration must be really going great guns. More power!

Of course almost every visit to my hometown Mangatarem (I long to see the day our own Presidencia gets air-conditioned, too) wouldn’t be complete without dropping by my Buloy Al’s paradise of a pond in Bacayao Norte in Dagupan. Was I lucky because my coming coincided with the Bangus Festival being expertly orchestrated by Buloy Al a.k.a. Mayor Fernandez of Dagupan City, culminating in today’s Pista’y Dayat festivities.

While at Buloy Al’s paradise, the fiesta atmosphere lent a fitting climax to my happy joust once more with my roots, so beloved I wouldn’t trade them for even a plane ticket to Paris, or a cruise down the Caribbean.

I’m just a country boy. Small pleasures translate into treasures. It’ll remain that way till the end of time.

(Readers may reach columnist at also147@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/general-admission/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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