Strength in number

SAY Pangasinan and the initial thought would most likely be, ah the land of the Pangalatok. (Well, the language is actually also called Pangasinan and the people are referred to as Pangasinenses.) Or perhaps what comes to mind would be images of Manaoag and its Lady, or the Hundred Islands, or, oh that place where you pass by on the way to the mountain city of Baguio.

Truth is, Pangasinan is a giant. That’s in terms of land area and population – one of the biggest in Luzon); and in resources – with both sea and land wealth. Pangasinan could very well be a driving force in political decisions because it is a vote-rich province with more than 1.65 million registered voters. In the last election in 2010, records of the Commission on Election (Comelec) indicate that 80 percent of those registered voters actually came out and cast their ballots. The Comelec office in the province is optimistic that the same percentage, at the very least, will again be active participants in the May 2013 midterm polls.

This means that Pangasinenses have the strong potential to put into office the best – or the worst – candidates vying for national posts. And consequently, this also means Pangasinenses, given their number, have the capacity to be heard as a people, to influence a national agenda, and to set an example as a group of Filipinos.

There is strength, power, and responsibility in numbers because numbers can make the difference.

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A time for reflection

JEFFREY Hillman, shoeless and homeless, was recently given a pair of boots by Lawrence DePrimo, a New York City policeman. DePrimo’s generosity at New York’s famed Times Square was caught on camera by a tourist from Arizona; the photo would go viral on the internet. The chief of police cited DePrimo, 25, and gifted him with a pair of expensive cuff links. The story grabbed headlines in New York’s major newspapers. But just days after the heart-rending event, Hillman was seen shoeless again in New York’s swanky Manhattan. Asked by a reporter about the $100-boots given him by DePrimo, Hillman, 54, said, “Those shoes are hidden. They are worth a lot of money. I could lose my life.”

Did Hillman mean those boots could put him into harm’s way?

When asked why he left New Jersey and chose the street as his new home, Hillman took a long pause before saying, “I don’t know.”

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