By Farah G. Decano

 

 THE impasse between Mayor Belen Fernandez and the majority bloc of the Sangguniang Panlungsod is taking its toll on the qualified scholars of Dagupan City. Politicking is definitely causing this distress, not only amongst the students but also on their parents.  Some were forced to borrow money from loan predators in order to avoid delay in their academic progress while some chose not to enroll while this brouhaha remains unresolved.

I have been hearing of this scholarship issue for months already. I pity the young whose time and resources are wasted in this turmoil. The fact that the human right to education is readily allowed to be disadvantaged for this long bespeaks of the priorities that our city leaders have.  Who will benefit from this? What for? In the Gen Z parlance, “Anong ipinaglalaban ninyo?”

Gone are the days when elected leaders sit down and work together right after every election. Now, it seems that Mayor Belen will have difficulty surpassing her past achievements.  Based on Mayor Belen’s city leadership records, she was able to steer the city to great heights from 2013 to 2019.  Dagupan then bagged the Seal of Good Governance Awards of the DILG several times, the Child-Friendly City award and back-to-back Regional Championship in school sports. With an unsupportive local sanggunian these days, Mayor Belen may need a miracle to duplicate her past feat.

What could end this deadlock? Who could probably broker the end of this face-off? We have elected city leaders whose mettle have been proven in office.  Sayang naman, if the pursuit of 2025 elections keeps them from working together.

Representative Jose De Venecia Jr, during his first stint as Speaker of the House, was able to foster unity among rival factions. He formed the famous rainbow coalition that supported the presidency of Fidel V. Ramos, who merely won by a plurality of votes back then.  This achievement was for the books. How did he massage political egos of various sizes, many of which could rival those of the gods of Olympus? It is without doubt that the skillful negotiating skills of the Speaker ushered the Ramos administration as among best in the Philippines.

I have every reason to expect that his son, Representative Christopher De Venecia, can perform a miracle on this ongoing stalemate. In the 2022 elections, I remember that the Mayor Belen, her sympathetic minority faction as well as the majority bloc supported him.  With two parents as previous influential leaders of the Fourth District, and two terms tucked in his belt, there is no way he cannot wield the famous de Venecia magic on these warring politicos.

The young Congressman de Venecia is famous for his love for the arts, heritage and tourism. He has the knack of transforming things and places into somethings that are visually pleasing.  We urge him to take on a different art form – negotiation– that which his father was known for. He must intervene for the sake of the students and the future of Dagupan City before everything gets ugly, literally and figuratively.

It will definitely get ugly if this situation is left to the marines. With a simple supplemental budget – that promotes the youth’s right to education -undergoing so much difficulty, the proposed 2023 Annual Budget – that includes flood remedies among others – is in the danger of suffering a more grueling fate.

The time put off to enact the proposed 2023 Annual Budget would mean less time preparing for the rainy season. As of the moment, some parts of the city remain inundated. It is a possibility that the city will be increasingly unsightly and unpleasant for tourists and businesses.  A future “un-artsy” city.

Not, if Congressman Toff can help resolve the ongoing standoff.

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