Playing with Fire
In God’s own time
By Gonzalo Duque
THERE are events or circumstances in our lives that we thought were un-connected but would later show they were inter-connected after all.
We have seen the truth of this in a recent experience.
Last Wednesday during the Anti-Drug Summit in Lingayen, Pangasinan, no less then Gov. Spines opened up a subject that was close to our heart.
It’s about the aborted drug rehab center in Burgos town, which as then vice governor in 1992 we had envisioned for the province.
Spines in his characteristic visionary mantra told us about the need and relevance to revive it.
Namangha, nagulantang, nagtaka at parang nabigla tayo—but very deeply pleased at nakita ng isang taong may kayang ipa-implement ang isang napagandang ideya.
After our talk, we immediately called up Secretary Bebot Villar who was equally impressed by the idea. Manong was okeng-oke sa project.
What happened then was that former Speaker Joe de Venecia took over the whole thing and had the Regional Drug Rehab Center established in Barangay Bonuan Binloc, as an adjunct of the Regional Medical Center (R1MC), to which we offered no objection because it was for a noble cause.
We’d like to see Board Member Pogi Espino go all-out for this since his Liga ng mga Barangay is all out for a drug-free province. We also want former Rep. Mark Cojuangco to back this project because it’s for the youth, the hope of the province, since he is eyeing the governorship.
Walang pulitikahan sa drugs drive, hindi ba, Manong Bebot?
* * * *
While on the Burgos drug rehab center, our thoughts go back to a number of things that happened without our least knowing they would materialize.
Look at our advocacy against epal, public officials putting their names and pictures on billboards on public projects along the highway and public places!
Hindi ba that kind of thing is now being denounced?
And then the organization of the province’s Pangasinan Historical Cultural Commission (PHCCF) which has succeeded in fixing the date of Pangasinan Day (April 5, 1850) and publication of a landmark book on the province’s history and becoming a part of the education curriculum.
Two governors attempted to do this—the late Gov. Tito Primicias in 1967 and former Governor Raffy Colet. It did not go beyond the planning stage.
No, we are not saying “good morning myself,” but that as we earlier said everything falls in God’s own time. There’s a James Bond film to this effect, “Never Say Die.” If it’s good and noble, it will happen—not in our own mortal time but in His time.
* * * *
We should congratulate Mayor Belen Fernandez for her program on the oldies or elders, the senior citizens.
You know this to be an inspirational truth.
Look and divine the Senior Citizens Center she put up at the city plaza!
Belen in effect is telling every Dagupeno “to love your father and your mother.” Isn’t that why she is lucky and laging masuerte? She is getting all the breaks as leader of the city.
Two great world leaders who still shone at their old age—former President Ronald Reagan of the U.S., and Prime Minister Winston Chunchill of England.
Well, Rizal who died at age 35, saw the hope in the young, while the two elder statesmen exuded wisdom for their own countrymen and the world.
Who was the philosopher who said that “wisdom is the greatest gift from God?”
In the young, we speak of hope, in the old, gems of wisdom.
The oldies in Dagupan describe Mayor Belen as a “santa” tuloy. Kung sabagay, sa ating kapaskuhan, siya ay laging naalala.
Belen kwanyo pa!”
* * * *
An unassailable authority on the historic landing of Gen. Douglas McArthur (he almost became U.S. president!) in Dagupan is shown by the Veterans Bank’s photo exhibit at the Dagupan City Museum.
We saw the document and entertained no doubt about the claim that it was in Dagupan City that the great U.S. general first landed—not in Lingayen, as then former Agrarian Minister Estrella claimed, having talked to MacArthur himself in 1961. We thought the general looked eastward then pointing his finger to somewhere like Barangay Libsong.
McArthur was then 84, and the terrain was not that clear. Besides the direction of his finger was toward Binmaley or Dagupan!
What should stand out was the official records themselves obtained from the general’s memorial itself in Norfalk, Virginia.
The data which is displayed at the Dagupan Museum said:
“General MacArthur disembarked from USS Boise and landed at 2 p.m. on 9 January 1945. In the first corps area (Blue Beach). At 3 p.m., he met with Gen. Patrick at 6th Division on shore.
He then tried to take a jeep to Dagupan proper, but the bridge over the Pantal River was destroyed. So he returned on January 10, 1945, he went ashore again at the same place and did a jeep tour of all 4 divisional landing sites: Lingayen town proper (Green and Orange Beaches), Lingayen Yellow Beach somewhere in the area of Libsong East, Binmaley (Crimson Beach) and San Fabian (White Beach).
He stayed aboard USS Boise on the 11th and 12th. On the afternoon of the 13th, he moved advance hq to the municipal building and adjoining the Home Economics School in Dagupan.
Based on the records, we can surmise that the massive Gulf landing which involved over 200,000 men over a 32-km beach head did indeed occur almost simultaneously in Lingayen, Binmaley, Dagupan and San Fabian.”
* * * *
NOTES: We sincerely condole with Dr. Hermie Rosal, Brgy. Poblacion, Dagupan City, on the death of his beloved wife, the former Teresita Mina, recently.
Mrs. Teresita M. Rosal was one of the first board topnotchers (No. 4) in the Midwifery Board. They were our neighbors in the late 50’s.
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