Playing with Fire
Junket
By Gonzalo Duque
WE lavishly thank our co-workers at the Pangasinan Historical and Cultural Commission for their dedicated involvement and support as we fashion out its mission and vision for our premier province of Pangasinan.
We single out Prof. Fe Mangahas of the Philippine Historical Commission for serving as mother hen to all of us, guiding, facilitating and inspiring everyone to get the job done. Latest activity at the seminar workshop at the Capitol Resort.
Know what? We’ve participated in many workshops and seminars, and we know that you, too, must have observed that they are only good in the morning session. In the afternoon, many would stage a French leave or skip through the backdoor. Some would wear sunglasses and sit at the back to sleep and rejoin the group after it’s finished.
But this one which deals with Pangasinan history had everyone on his or her toes, speaking out with passion reliving the days of greatness of the province and the various towns.
As we said earlier, the local committee will start to work to produce the province’s history and a town-by-town history and later make these a part of the education curriculum. We believe that the province can’t stage a big leap forward if it doesn’t know its past.
In this connection, we congratulate the leadership of Mayor Ric Camacho and his ever-supportive “ninong” – tycoon Cezar Quiambao – for embarking on a comprehensive preparation for the town’s centennial year in 2014.
Knowing Cezar, expect a very meaningful and probably star-studded 400th year.
It’s really ennobling to know that many of our leaders are stressing a study of the past, an attitude which recalls our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal’s immortal words, “ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanaggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.”
Salamat ed sicayin amin. Kaya, manong gobernador, agpakayo nakekesawan ya mangitulak ed ayan pinabpablin grupo ta agay lay anos tan liket dan intanduyor so liderato yo through a study of our past.
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We describe it as plain junket, or to put it more bluntly, premature political campaigning.
You know what we are referring to – Mayor Benjie Lim’s acting like the Pied Piper of Hamelin with the 32 barangay captains marching behind him like rats.
We’re not saying the mayor would eventually lead the rats to the river, as what the Pied Piper did in that classic novel and comic book. What gets our goat is that the money spent for their trip in – is it Singapore? – was the barangays’ allotment for development projects. We don’t know if the expensive trip is considered a development project like it was lakbay aral.
There’d be no problem if the money used was Mayor Lim’s personal funds, but then, was the trip necessary?
Okay, we don’t want to be a killjoy, but the next scenario could be like this and medyo segurado tayo rito, hindi patatalo si Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez and, who knows, she might take the kapitanes to Russia too, ay apple juice, Joseph! Masamit so man-Kaitan ha Jake?
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We overheard Art Tangco, Dagupan Boy Councilor in 1962 and 1963 just like Jun Velasco, scratching his head while enjoying his sumptuous lunch at Ninoy Siapno’s Pinkies restaurant last Thursday. He mumbled a line to which Immigration Dagupan chief Bert Garcia nodded, that this your favorite columnist is doing a seesaw of support for Benjie or Belen.
We say to that comment – talagan ontay medya, walang panapanigan, yong tama lang. Di ba, Art?
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