Think about it
Noel E. Verzosa writes from Las Vegas
By Jun Velasco
“Education is not received. It is achieved,” E.C. Mckenzie
A RED-LETTER year. Six Pangasinenses – all graduates of the University of Pangasinan-Phinma College of Nursing — have every reason to blow their horns for landing in the Top Ten of the recent boards.
They captured the 5th, 8th and 9th slots.
That’s a multiple whammy!
Among the Nursing Board’s new heroes: Alexis John Solomon Castro, No. 5; Camille Agustin Billote, No.8; and Kate Lowin Aben Cardona, Tharah santos Estrada and Alben Balen Fernandez, No. 9.
We told Comptroller Gloria Tutanes the feat should put the university in the records, but she demurred and simply said “luck was on our side and lavishly thank God for it.”
The following must be in Cloud 9. Dean of the College of Nursing, Ms. Maria Teresa Fajardo, president Chito Salazar and Chief Operating Officer Mark Makabenta and the entire Upang-Phinma establishment.
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Stung by a recent negative dispatch unfairly linking him to the PDAF scam, Congressman Pol Bataoil tried to beg off when the Publishers Association of the Philippines thru its North Philippines representative Roland Colobong announced his inclusion in the Top Ten Congressmen in the country.
The self-effacing legislator had stoutly denied any irregularity in the use of the P4 million fund for Muslims in Mindanao.
Even during his PNP stint, Bataoil’s record was an open book. We advise him to receive the PAPI Award he richly deserves. Congratulations!
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Below is a letter from an esteemed friend, Noel E. Verzosa, son of a former well-loved education official Mrs. Pacencia Verzosa of San Fabian town.
Noel, now based in Las Vegas, obviously has no love lost for Senator Bongbong Marcos whom he calls Prince Ferdinand. Here’s his unexpurgated letter sent via-email:
“Hi Jun,
In your column of June 15, you wrote glowingly of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr you stopped short of endorsing him. It seems to me that there is a nascent movement, here in the States as well as in the Philippines, to launch the candidacy of Prince Ferdinand for the presidency. Let me remind those who are paving the way for Prince Ferdinand to reclaim Camelot: he was not an innocent babe when Queen Imelda was looting the treasury, treating the Central Bank as her own personal ATM. He was already a young man who knew what was going on. To claim otherwise is an insult to the intelligence of every Filipino. Granted he was only five when the imperial presidency began in 1965, he was a grown man of twenty-nine when it ended in 1986. If he was not complicit in the systematic looting of the public coffers, he must have known about it. At some point, he must have wondered where all the money to finance such a lavish lifestyle was coming from. He and his siblings were living off that ill-gotten wealth. What is so incomprehensible about the current political tableau in the Philippines is the fact that Binay, Marcos Jr., and Duterte are atop the popularity polls. Jejomar and family have so much unexplained wealth, they could only have stolen most of it. Prince Ferdinand is the son of the profligate Imelda who made a science out of stealing from the treasury. Digo’s “shoot first, aim later” brand of law enforcement should scare the bejesus out any thinking Filipino and conventional wisdom says he has more than a fifty-fifty chance. Raul Rocco must be turning in his grave, saying “Ang bayan kung sawi.”
Thank you. Please give my regards to Ermin Jr.
Noel Erfe Verzosa
Las Vegas, NV
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Noel’s peeve of Marcos reminds us of our date in 1980 with Dallas (Texas) – based kababayans who exploded bombshells against the then overstaying President. Our Fil-Am hosts calmed down only when they learned we were an ex-political detainee of Martial Law.
Our column item merely reflected the festive air we saw in that all-Ilocano gathering composed of northern Luzon folk brimming with the old glory.
While we wholeheartedly agree with Noel, we could only wish many young people today have no idea of the dark days we used to denounce. Modern days’ internet and social media do not relish the demo and mass actions that were so prevalent in our time.
Ay, we had two seat-mates who found Bongbong a matinee idol. We merely wrote about this in that column with a parting shot “for good or ill” of the country.
That was nice and thoughtful of you, Noel. Kumusta rad tan ed Las Vegas, pare.
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