Think about it
Bongbong Marcos at close range
By Jun Velasco
“Wisdom is obtained by reading the mind of God.” – Wallace D. Wattles
FREEDOM Day in Dagupan was enlivened, as usual, by DepEd’s young dancers and choirs. We just said that important events like recalling our heroes’ exploits would be impossible without our school personages.
Guest of Honor Dr. Pingkoy Duque was ably represented by our friend Dr. Li Rivera, former UPang president. His speech delivered in vintage Bulakeño was a call to self-reliance, a testimonial to our maturity as a nation.
As usual, the city under workaholic and indefatigable Mayor Belen Fernandez was in high patriotic spirit.
Mabuhay ang bagong Dagupan! Mabuhay ang Malayang Pilipinas!
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We thank US-based provincemate, Dan E. Nino, our partner in Joe D V’s Landoil media bureau – with the late Manny Cornel and Teddy Tarlit – for inviting us and Samahang Ilocano International founding chairman Atty. Julius Magno at an all-Ilocano shindig in his Los Angeles residence on June 18, a day before National Hero Jose Rizal’s birthday.
We were assigned to say something on “what if Rizal were still alive today?”
It was for this reason that we politely begged off from Dagupan City’s Rizal Day event committee composed of the school’s division principals Lidy Quitlong-Antonio (Mangin), Valentina Hortaleza (Caranglaan), and Jing Cajayon (Pogo Lasip) who came to the house on different dates to extend the invitation.
We recommended former Malacanang press executive and well-known historian, music composer and journalist Mel Jovellanos (better known as author of a Tagalog-Pangasinan Dictionary, and other dictionaries), now a mainstay in Pozorrubio town having been a former councilor and municipal administrator and again a candidate for councilor there under mayoral bet Raul Lambino’s ticket.
Mel was a UST College of Letters classmate of former Senator Kit Tatad, who were later reunited in the press staff of former President Marcos.
(Flash! At press time, Atty. Magno called up to say that our L.A. schedule was reset to August 15. Which means we should be at the City’s Rizal Day event, on June 19.
T.Y, Julius for the new schedule. We sincerely want to interact with our fellow Dagupeños, especially Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, whose Balon Dagupan should have a ring of Rizaliana’s patriotic values.)
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Thanks to former Vice Gov. Aida Aspiras for inviting us to hobnob with Senator Bongbong Marcos the other Saturday at La Vista along Katipunan Ave., QC.
It was an all-Ilocano gathering led by Bongbong and wife Liza Araneta, Vic Millora and Bert Lumauig; non-Ilocano Marcos loyalists were present though the likes of Kit Tatad and former NEDA chief Gerry Sicat.
The entire assemblage — about 400 Ilocanos – were all enthusiastic in pushing Bongbong to “go for the kill” in the 2016 presidential race, but Ferdinand’s junior was admirably in control of his emotions, not to be stampeded into pulling the trigger amid cries of “go-go-go Bongbong!”
If you ask us, Bongbong’s display of restraint was a mark of political excellence and mature leadership, a departure from the common run of presidentiables who would succumb to public clamor only to land in the muck later.
We noticed from the entire proceedings that big groups who have shown their loyalty to the Marcoses were just waiting for the firing shot.
Cesar Carpio and Robert Meimban who shot the more incisive questions in the open forum noticed that the two most likeable among the presidentiables were Bongbong and Grace Poe, conjuring thoughts – for good or ill – of a Marcos comeback.
Let’s watch and see.
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Here’s an affectionate salute to the DepEd, especially its local officials – superintendents, supervisors, principals, faculty and all.
They are the “most abused” “errand boys and girls,” but they have a way with mastering the art of grace under pressure.
What probably is keeping them inspired is their preoccupation with ideals imbibed from their immersion in the books and stories about the heroes they teach to young children.
This brings us to a Bayambang recent event where a favorite son, Cesar T. Quiambao, zealously urged graduates of a vocational training course in his school to take education as a “must” in scaling success in life.
As completion speaker, he said the diploma is useless unless what one learns is used for a productive and meaningful life.
The other anti-thesis of this “education as preparation for a better life” creed is the intrusion of negative and destructive thoughts that prevent a person from becoming better and productive. Speaking of values. That’s what probably makes our teachers endure their tough work … with grace.
Let’s congratulate them.
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