Playing with Fire
Rep. JdV’s Korea-RP university ill timed
By Gonzalo Duque
BY way of making up for our many absences (sorry, brothers and sisters in Rotary), we wish to felicitate the brilliant and lovely souls of the Rotary Club of Uptown Dagupan for making waves, yes, lately again. Nayari kayo, rather, nayari tayon amin awa?
The lady at center stage is bank executive, our lady president Razzle Coquia who was named most outstanding club president in the recent District Convention. And Dr. Edwin Cansino outstanding member. And the club, most outstanding club. Wow, wow, wow!
Beauteous Razzle beamed and captivated the hearts of the machos and señoritas of all the Rotarians, as she carried the banner of Uptown during the recent District event.
Little did we realize that the little club that we founded a few years back would be institutionalized as an outstanding club, well, credit them nice and great souls who have unselfishly shared their time, talents, care, love, and resources so that this well-known service club will go on in uplifting our community.
Uncomplaining in her sweet and lovely comportment, Ms. Razzle steered the club well and excellently, bagging l5 awards in all, and so we could see Councilor Dada Reyna, incoming president, feeling some butterflies in her belly because a high standard of performance has just been laid before her.
But no matter, she might smile, because she is an outstanding leader herself, leadership being second nature to her having come from two top political families in Dagupan — the Manaoises and the Reynas.
In case you don’t know our club yet, here are some names who have brought it to celestial fame: Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, former Councilor Edna Gonzales, national IBP president Atos Bautista, former club president Marietta Sorio, former president Rebene Carrera, Colonel Noli Taliño, Gen. Pol Bataoil (although our neighbor Jun Velasco, now president of the Rotary Club of Metro Cubao, insists that Pol is an active member of his club, along with General Art Lomibao) former president Dr. Lucy Honrado, sino pa? We could not recall everyone as of this writing, but suffice it to say that each and everyone, without exception, has done their best. Mabuhay kayo, rather, tayo lahat!
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Congressman Jose de Venecia’s announcement about the establishment of a Korea-Philippine University in the province does not sit well with our local colleges and universities that have been doing their best despite the hard times in promoting education in Pangasinan.
Of all people, Congressman Joe who has been a hero for all of us in the education has shown his lack of empathy and sympathy for those promoting higher education in the north. Instead of continuing his support to the locals in promoting education in the countryside, our congressman would push us further down. We can’t see the logic at all.
It might interest our congressman to know that private education leaders are having a nightmare of their lives due to the global economic crisis. And yet in spite of the thankless situation, we are still up and about, thanks to the perseverance, creativity and resilience of our education leaders.
Already, the association of private schools, colleges and universities (APSCU) headed now by University of Luzon president Macky Samson has written the congressman about its grave concern that was brought about by his efforts to make things hard for private education to survive. Ano ba yan, Manong Joe?
If we know the leaders of education here in the province, they want to remind the congressman that medyo galit sila. One of the directors even said, “may araw ka rin, Mr. De Venecia.” They are now meeting on how to deal with this monstrous idea.
It just entered our mind. Would, Mr. de Venecia, a local university here put up a branch in South Korea, too, to even the situation? That’s how bad the situation is.
The Koreans have eaten up many of our precious wealth in our hapless country. Should we still allow them to impose their culture on our young by way of a Seoul-Dagupan university? Kawawa na tayo, gagawin pa ata tayong more kawawa ni Manong Joe?
No, we have nothing against the Koreans, who have been helpful to the growth and development of our economy, but to give up and surrender more our remaning wealth such as our young’s minds via a Korean university in Pangasinan, medyo nakakapuwing na ata yan, Mr. Congressman.
Sana tumulong na lang kayo sa pag papalakas sa ating mga local na universidad and colegios at eskwelahan.
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