Think about it
At PSU’s President Buted’s installation
By Jun Velasco
“What a man is survives him. It can never be buried.” -J.R. Miller
Dexter Buted’s installation as president of Pangasinan State University last Thursday underscores a universal axiom that poverty is not a hindrance to a person’s success.
At the investiture rites at the Stadia, we had brief exchanges with Senator Chiz Escudero, CHED Commissioner Alex Brillantes, former Rep. Mark Cojuangco, “Kingmaker” Sendong So, PSU Vice President Vir Barongan, Regent Ramon Bautista, and PSU Director Adonis Bautista.
The post-luncheon event had a gala atmosphere with pleasant exchanges among education officials in the north. We recalled to Chiz our “partnerships” with his late father, former Agriculture Minister Sonny Escudero when we were president of the Pangasinan Press and Radio Club.
“He is now in a better place,” quipped Chiz who an hour earlier faced the local media at the Star Plaza.
Commissioner Brillantes and us recalled our meeting at UP Diliman at a graduation rite with Gawad kalinga czar Tony Meloto as guest of honor and speaker. We were then seated between former Senator Kit Tatad and Vice President Jojo Binay whose son, Mayor Junjun and our youngest son Youssef were members of the graduation class.
An ebullient Mark Cojuangco guided us to President Buted whom we mistook to be a visiting movie star.
Only 42, Dr. Buted’s ascent to the PSU presidency is a testimony to his tough but glorious rise. He came from a farming family in Batangas.
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At the presscon with the articulate husband of beauteous Heart Evangelista, we asked about what we saw in the social media about the Philippines-inspired people power that toppled Prime Minister Rajib Razak from the seat of power.
Crux of the Malaysians’ collective anger was Razak’s alleged millions of dollars “bribe” for certain Philippine officials to force the approval of the BBL Law. It’s a treasonous act, we said, but Chiz eluded the issue.
Are we opening a Pandora’s Box?
If what appeared in the internet is so true, there’s a lot of explaining to do by Philippine officials to the Filipino people.
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The Muslims in Pangasinan should do more than slam their members who are in the illicit drug business, which is just a mere knee-jerk reaction to the stench it has besmirched their ranks.
They should close ranks after a chastening exercise, i.e., discipline some errant members and embark on legitimate livelihood projects.
Pangasinan Muslims Assembly (PMA) president Guia Macmod is also advised to use the proverbial whip to promote Muslims-Christians cooperation in the province. We are a first-hand witness to the ongoing collaboration between them and the provincial government under Governor Spines which is too costly to ignore.
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NOTES: Old pal, former Vice Mayor Sonny Enrique died last Monday. He was 68, leaving a bereaved family – wife Lorna; children Rochelle, Sohanna Marie, Lloyd Ange and Glenler, in-laws, and grandchildren… We also condole with well-known cousin Crispina Martinez Belen for the passing of hubby writer, film director-producer Nards Belen last June 9… May they rest in peace. Internment for Sonny’s remains will be on September 16 at 8 a.m.
Birthday greetings to Dr. Vicky Siapno-Tada on Sept. 9, and sister Susan V. Tuano on Sept. 10. Their age? A diplomat says never tell a woman’s age…More than 1,000 well-wishers trooped to the Malued Elementary School to felicitate Vicky… At Susan’s birthday bash at Star Plaza, hubby Per Tuano and Malued Elementary School OIC principal Acela Callejo and her son emerged as best singers.
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