Playing with Fire
Belen’s Xmas bonus for employees
By Gonzalo Duque
DAGUPENOS have had a meaningful Christmas.
Especially City Hall employees who earlier were fearing non-payment of their salaries or outright dismissal from service due to bankruptcy left by the past administration.
What happened was—Mayor Belen Fernandez, displaying skill and intelligence was able to re-align the city budget and succeeded in paying the salaries of our lowly employees.
We heard more benefits are forthcoming.
Ganyan karunong at kabait ang mayora.
So, in turn, what will you, lucky employees, do?
If you ask us, simple ang suhestion natin lang.
Work harder and well, shun politics, and everything will fall in place.
Is this too much to ask?
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Our meeting last Friday with stalwarts of the National Commission of Culture and Arts resulted in a decision to research, unearth and discover historical sites like old court buildings, unique places like where McArthur landed, the house where Leonor Rivera lived, places that Rizal visited, etc. museums, and others that would enrich our knowledge of the past.
This initiative is under Councilor Jigs Seen’s committee, which should be congratulated because in the hierarchy of importance, the history committee is on par with finance.
Its affiliate, which is tourism, is its marketing arm.
Dagupenos may not know it but they have produced two great souls in the field of art and culture—National Artists Victor Edades and Salvador Bernal.
In this connection, we are humbled by our appointment by Mayor Fernandez to head the commission (on history, culture and arts).
We are inviting interested parties—educators, historians, artists, writers, poets—to make their mark in enriching the city’s sense of history.
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Bakit kaya tayo lagging nakukursunadahan sa history body? Hindi naman tayo mukhang gorang?
But it’s to our liking and gusto.
We are so very grateful that this Dagupan history job is entrusted to us, as it jibes with what we have done in the province.
In the province, the history book that a special committee has just completed is ready for release—it’s just undergoing fine-tuning.
The central thrust is to integrate local history with the DepEd’s curriculum.
There’s no doubt that if we have the capacity to appreciate our past, then our minds are clear on where we are going.
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Incidentally, Dr. Macky Samson, president of UL, casually observed that we shall have more meaningful fiesta celebrations if we have a sense of history, for then activities will stress on relevant and empowering activities instead of meaningless frivolities that emphasize on the materialistic.
We’d be having citizens who will appreciate the arts.
Let’s welcome this initiative.
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Brod Cesar recently found out that a recent vehicular accident that almost cost his life, which left him dazed and partially unconscious, showed that there are bad and good cops.
Grateful that he survived the accident when his Camry emerged a total wreck last December 13, a Friday.
Good thing, his Piaget, a very expensive watch, and cash, were intact.
He is now looking for the good policemen who saved him. A big reward awaits them, if we know the brod.
We told him he should not hesitate to give something meaningful and substantial to the poor.
We understand he has been into a scholarship program and has donated a building for the West Central Elem School in Dagupan City where he graduated valedictorian in the early 60’s.
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