Think about it
Art Lomibao’s birthday/miting de avance
By Jun Velasco
HUNDREDS, nay, thousands came and hugged LTO Chief Art Lomibao on his 59th birthday last July 4 at his sprawling mansion in Barangay Alitaya in Mangaldan town.
Earlier on that day, he led a marathon (fun-run) under a DOTC road safety program around the Dagupan City Plaza with Mayor Al Fernandez firing the opening shot.
That and many more socials in the 4th district with Art as honoree or celebrator, are loud indicators of a congressional campaign he no longer denies.
In the same vein, Manay Gina de Venecia, beauteous wife of Congressman Joe de V, has been guesting in many education, social and media activities in the district and made plain her decision to be Congressman Joe’s political successor inthe meantime that he is barred by the constitution to seek a third congressional term.
You are right. The election fever is in town even if JdV and Bishop Oscar Cruz keep saying it will not happen in the scheduled May 20l0 elections, the reason being PGMA’s known obsession to stay in power till kingdom come.
Probably, this would be the only electoral exercise in the country where opinion on whether it would happen at all is divided right in the middle. The administration, of course, is getting the flak for this uncertainty, but credit it for its success in doing it, which gives it an edge in tactic and political strategy.
But does it? We doubt it. Most Pinoys are mad at these rumors on cancelled elections, because they’d deprive them of entertainment fare and temporary relief from poverty and a great chance to get even with their pet peeves, the inept and corrupt politicos they have learned to despise, or earn little money from election handouts.
So we go back to the Gina de Venecia-Art Lomibao congressional tiff scenario.
The fact that Manay Gina has declared her decision and looks every inch a candidate as hubby’s successor should belie JdV’s theory of no-el. Or probably, he just couldn’t trust anyone in GMA’s enclave having been ousted by congressional colleagues he had treated as amigos and amigas who turned out to be “bought friends” – or fiends?
Think about it, even those who seem sure about the elections being held in May 20l0 are now having second thought and are, in fact, shaking in their feet with the series of bombings going on all over the land. Maybe we should ask General Hermie Esperon who’s been schooled in guerilla warfare in Mindanao about how to get out of the confusion. He, too, is a declared candidate for congressman in the 6th district. Aha, so there, let’s clap, happy days will soon be here again.
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Aside from Dagupan City, do the other LGUs in the province hold a yearly boys and girls week?
We in Dagupan had one recently to the delight of the young counterparts of Mayor Al Fernandez and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez and other city officials.
In the 60’s during our high schools days, we played boy secretary to the mayor and boy councilor in l962 and l963.
We must have seen too much of the sad side of politics we have been weaned of it too early. But as a source of ringside view of the art of governance, these young kids being given the feel an LGU official’s are a privileged lot. It takes long to learn things from the book. But a hands-on learning approach, management gurus say, gives the student a big edge over the rest. When we asked some of them how it felt, all of them were all praises to Mayor and Vice Mayor Fernandez. The boys and girl week was a PR coup for our city officials.
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We salute this group of outgoing souls, men and women, young and old all over the world for devoting a large chunk of their time and resources for the benefit of the poor, the sick and the needy without any thought of compensation except a token of appreciation or recognition within their own social – or civic – circle.
We are referring to the Rotarians anywhere in the world, they who wouldn’t mind shelling out cash and goodies to make life in this world more enjoyable and bearable.
Their acts of kindness, contrary to sweeping accusations that they are for show are proofs of a world ruled by love and friendship. It is with this frame of mind that we greet and felicitate an Indian national who has metamorphosed into a model Filipino by his acculturation into the Philippine mainstream and modest but successful family business. Ashok Vasandani, our classmate in Rotary – he at Central Pangasinan, and us in Metro Cubao – has embarked on non-stop acts of sending out through text Christian and inspirational messages to thousands of his friends and acquaintances everyday with nary a thought of return. He has also been donating helpful gadgets such as an expensive video camera to the local press club, umbrellas, flashlights, wallets and many more. Asked why he loves doing it, he simply says it makes him feel good. Let’s pray to for more Ashoks in these harshly changing times to lighten the burden of the poor.
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NOTES: We condole with the family of media colleague Susan Yadao for the dastardly killing of her nurse-daughter Yen Yen from a cellphone snatcher last week. General Pol Bataoil and Police Chief Sonny Verzosa assured the public she will soon get justice. May Yen Yen, high school classmate of our son Yousef, is now living in peace in God’s Kingdom.
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