Insan Ponsing’s Malasiqui, a boom town

By Al S. Mendoza

SOL Juvida and I were in Malasiqui on Tuesday, June 19, to pay our last respects to Eufemia Barrozo, a gracious woman who was the mother of Alma Juvida.

The last time we were there was last Holy Week. We heard Mass at St. Ildephonse.

I consider Malasiqui a boom town and I must say my insan, Mayor Ponsing Soriano, deserves much of the credit for that. 

As Malasiqui mayor for nine years, Insan Ponsing, the graduating chief town executive, did a good job transforming Malasiqui, the province’s bamboo capital, from a rustic, almost sleepy town to what it is today alive and literally bursting with economic energy.

All over at the Poblacion, you see establishments being erected every now and then. 

I particularly find joy in seeing Jollibee and Chowking etching themselves into the stream of things among the locale. 

Sol and I had wanton beef soup and siopao there on Tuesday and they were good.  The place was teeming with people, which is a good sign that business is doing well in Malasiqui.

While there, I suddenly remembered a kabaleyan of mine who came to me a while back.

This kabaleyan wanted to put up a Jollibee joint in our beloved hometown of Mangatarem.

For one to get a Jollibee franchise, three things must be met.

1) The restaurant must have an ample parking space.

2) The place must have a college.

3)  The place must have a commercial bank.

My kabaleyan met the first two requirements -parking space and a college.

Unfortunately, there is not a single commercial bank in my hometown.

Application denied.

Andy Poe, the brother of the late Fernando Poe Jr., also came to me some four years back.  He had asked for an opinion on what to do with their prime land at the heart of my beloved hometown, just beside the town hall. 

The land, owned by FPJ, has been bare for as long as one can remember.

I suggested to Andy that they build a small business complex there. Not too tall, maybe a two-storey edifice will do so as to preserve the beautiful skyline of Mangatarem.

“What are we going to house there?” Andy asked.

To begin with, I suggested either a Jollibee or a McDonald’s joint at the ground floor (I wasn’t aware yet of Jollibee’s three franchise requirements then). 

On the second floor, I told Andy to reserve a space for an FPJ Museum to preserve FPJ memorabilia and Poe heirloom maybe.

Andy was very receptive of my idea.

“I’ll strongly recommend that to Kuya Ron (FPJ),” he said.

Then FPJ ran for President.  He lost.  Then, he died. 

With FPJ’s death also came, apparently, the death of a dream-albeit temporarily?- for my beloved hometown.

Anyway, going back to Malasiqui, I hope its march to progress continues without delay. 

With the election of  Rachel Arenas, the 28-year-old, Harvard-educated daughter of socialite Baby Arenas, as representative of the third district covering Malasiqui her own hometown, the pitch is that Malasiqui may soon be even jueteng-free- if it isn’t yet. 

That’s a promise Rachel said she would pursue up to the ends of the earth.

Surprises happen. And if Rachel succeeds-and I pray she does- there is, to paraphrase Rizal, indeed hope from among our young.

One true mark of a leader is to doggedly pursue a dream.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/general-admission/)

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