Why not lick politics for good?

By Jun Velasco

DAGUPEÑOS are lucky.

They had a fair weather last Friday, grand (?) opening of the much anticipated, much delayed, much debated, and finally smoothly enacted Dawel-Pantal-Lucao Diversion Road and Bridge across Pantal River.

Fair weather? Oh, yes, only in the morning when Jun Ebdane breesed through the motions to cut  the ribbon. But it rained hard in the afternoon while we were typing this column.

By the way, don’t forget that Pantal River — the very why of the new infra — oozed with poetry when Pantal boys Councilor Reggie and national fictionist Armando Ravanzo were still alive and sang paeans to the river.

We have asked Kapitana Lilia Yazar, Boy Rayos  (Pantal  boy by heart), and  singer par excellence Johnny Moulic to train their eyes in converting the ugly river sidewalk into a promenaders park.

Meanwhile, Director Fidel Ginez said construction of the Dawel-Pantal-Lucao infra had been  finished last week of March yet and its  delayed opening  has uncorked a lot of   amusing  speculations due to the cleavage between   the families of President Gloria and  Speaker Joe.

Mayor Al Fernandez had asked us not to write about the coming of  GMA or JDV  at the road inauguration maybe  because  he was not sure about it, but  Gonzalo had  spilled the beans  when he said  that  Gloria couldn’t come because it was mama Eva’s death anniversary.

As for JdV, Jun Ebdane had told us he would still be in Russia on Friday. Which left him, Jun E, and Mayor   Al, and   the Japanese envoy and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez to do the honors on the launching.

In fairness, the whole thing began during the mayorship of Benjie Lim.

Politics has sideswiped him.

Why can’t we lick politics for good? Even the new infra   was delayed because of it.

* * * *

We doff our hat to LBC Bank Dagupan manager Ms. Shirley Ortega, still a bundle of pulchritude, for her bias in the writing profession although she is in banking.

Schooled in St. Louis and Baguio Colleges Foundation for her commerce and  law degrees  (she didn’t take the bar), Shirley is now  the president of Metro Dagupan Rotary Club. She is related to the famous Ortega family in La Union and Baguio.

With her sterling background and writing interest, it shouldn’t a surprise us when she discussed economic issues with aplomb.

* * * *

For 40 years, our friend, former Sta. Barbara Vice Mayor Romy Ocampo, beloved hobby … ops, hubby of high school classmate Marlene Espino … lived lucratively in Arizona, USA.

He  came home recently to serve  as “guardia civil” to Marlene and  help manage her    Diner’s Bistro, home of Rock and ‘n Roll in Dagupan..

Romy’s first project: hold a sectoral night, ala celebrity night, with Sta Barbara mayor General Rey Velasco as inaugural night next month.

Still a looker and gifted with a natural A- l PR, Romy will make a dent in lounge and entertainment business in Dagupan.

We covered him as vice mayor to the late Colonel Florencio Villanueva in the late 60’s and   found him extremely good.

Welcome home, Romy!

* * * *

We received over the weekend a letter   from old pal, Tato Donato, which runs:

Jun,

 I would like to congratulate you for your balanced commentary on our beloved Dagupan City.

I have been sick and tired of hearing politicians   as if only for their merry-making, abuse our minds, ear drums and sensibilities, news and infos to suit only their selfish  aggrandizement.

Let us instead put our beloved city on the map as a home of happy people and not just Home of Kuya Joe and Pare Al.

Let us not forget that Dagupan City gave us two National Artists, Victorio C. Edades and Salvador Bernal.

We have rich cultural roots, so I ask, why don’t you spearhead a move to cultivate   the feelings of our Dagupeños for the enrichment further of our cultural heritage?

Thank you Jun, you are one of a kind journalist.

I salute you,

 

Liberato E. “Tato” Donato”

ledonato2004@yahoo.com

ledonato2004@donatoinc.com

Website: http://

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

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments