“It has been said…” but it was not done
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
“IT has been said, and it will be done.” That was my reading of the thoughts of my beloved town Mangaldan’s chief executive Bonafe de Vera Parayno on the return of Pangasinan’s biggest, oldest and the most prestigious one-day bikefest in the province popularly known as “Werweran ed Mangaldan” after talking to her about it last January 24. She assured and promised me before the last elections that the popular cycling road battle that was temporally shelved in the last nine years due to financial constraints, will definitely be revived on March 12.
I thought wrong when I wrote here in our February 5-11 issue of Sunday PUNCH that the much ballyhooed one-day bicycle bikefest will again be held annually in conjunction with the celebration of my town (Mangaldan) fiesta. The tradition that was started on March 7, 1974 was the initiative then of the late mayor, the undefeated Atty. Macario Ydia. His successors like the late Atty. Benigno Gubatan, Dr. Pedrito Presto, Dr. Consorcia Golea, Tito Sarzaba, Herminio Romero and Berex Abalos consciously supported and promoted the conduction of the town’s well-known one-day cycling road race. Because of them, the country had well-known cycling pillars become Tour champs like the late Manuel Reynante, Domingo Quilban, Paquito Rivas, Santy Barnachea, Arnel Quirimit, Irish Valenzuela, Mangaldanons Samson Cariño, Ruben Carino, El Josua Carino (and this writer) to name some.
Unfortunately, as records show, it was discontinued during the first term of Mayor Bona starting in 2014. She was defeated in 2019 by Marilyn Lambino but luckily regained the mayorship of Mangaldan last year by landslide. Yes, “expect the unexpected,” as the saying goes because Mayor Bona again cancelled the annual well-liked bikefest for the second time with the same flimsy alibi ‘financial constraint’. That was really upsetting to me and the town’s cyclists including cycling avid buffs.
Yes, she turned back on her words. She obviously has no appreciation of the history of Mangaldan cycling that saw four of her town mates (the Carinos all from Barangay Landas and myself from Barangay Buenlag) delivered an incomparable national accolade still unequaled, so far, by any town or city in the country – producing four national Tour champions.
Yes, she has shown she has no word of honor. For this, I firmly believe that as long as Bona is our town’s chief executive, this beloved municipality of mine will never produce another national Tour champion again, unlike during the time of her predecessors, especially the very sports-minded Atty. Ydia. While I concede that it’s her prerogative to cancel the event being the leader of the town but she should not have given my townmates and I the assurance that it will proceed after plans were set and shown to her. Her sudden change of mind personally affected my standing as a licensed organizer and director of cycling races especially here in the province since I personally extended the invitation to young contestants and they excitedly registered. It became difficult for me to explain to them that after some active promotion, the race that they looked forward to will no longer be held.
Even just telling them that it was our mayor that cancelled it last minute was difficult. I lost face because I believed her. “It has been said…” but it was not done. What a shame.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of ou Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” 2 THESSALONIANS 1: 8-9
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