There is a reason

 “If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.”

—William Tecumseh Sherman

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WHEN politicians suddenly engage in feeding and gift-giving activities without any reason, there is a reason.

When they start to smile like Mickey Mouse at anyone they meet in the coffeeshops, barbershops, beauty parlors, public markets, malls, and other public places, there is more than meets the eye.

When they begin to shake our hands even if we did not win in any singing contest and visit our houses while we are watching our favorite soap opera on prime time, that means they need us to remember them during the election.

The next election will be on May 9, 2022, or 15 months away, but some political wannabes angling for higher or new positions have ignored the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and are now visible in many barangays and public places. 

With or without a pandemic, politicians care for themselves first, their political existence and gains, and how to transform them into votes during election day.

They want to be recognized and remembered for purposes of name-recall.

 

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For the meantime, they, most particularly, want to be known as “givers” or “someone who cares for the downtrodden”, an archaic political strategy that is still very much relevant and being accepted by gullible voters until today.

Politicians are the biggest whales in the ocean. They are also opportunists by nature.

If they want something from us, our approval and votes, they will throw their weight around and go ashore near public visibility.

If they don’t need anything, they don’t give a hoot and sometimes we see them only in the next election when they start to again tantalize and mesmerize us.

With the proposed redistricting of Iloilo City as a highly urbanized metropolis nearing its final approval after hurdling the third and final reading in the House of Representatives on February 2, there is a good chance that the House Bill 8477, introduced Iloilo City Lone District Rep. Julienne Baronda, will become a law.

Under the bill, Iloilo City will be divided into two congressional districts: one will be composed of Jaro, Lapaz, and Mandurriao districts while the other legislative district will have the City Proper, Molo, Arevalo, and Lapuz districts. 

 

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If the bill will make it in the Senate and signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte soon, Iloilo City residents will need to elect two sets of Sangguniang Panlungsod councilors and, the most valuable and No. 1 target of some eager-beaver local aspirants, two representatives in the Lower House.

If luck would have it, the Ilonggos will elect two representatives in 2022 and, thus, help spiral the development of Iloilo City in terms of social and infrastructure projects as enumerated by Senator Franklin Drilon.

Iloilo City will also have a “louder voice” in Congress, according to the lady legislator.

Mayor Jerry Treñas has been “fully” supportive of the proposed redistricting even during his term as congressman,

Citing that Cebu, Marikina, and Makati, among others, were also divided into two congregations disitricts, the mayor had said: “As a congressman for nine years, I have seen how a congressperson can help out in the development of our city.” 

Thus it’s understandable why many potential congressional aspirants have started painting the town red, so to speak, amid the pandemic, sending razor-sharp signals that they may be interested to join the  fray in 2022.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

 

Mayor who knows how to accept error

“Honest error is to be pitied, not ridiculed.”

—Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield

By Alex P. Vidal

A good leader knows how to acknowledge a mistake and is not ashamed to admit it.

His finest moment is also defined by how he corrects his error and how he is able to reverse the fiasco without showing any morsel of arrogance to camouflage the slip-up. 

“Sometimes we make correct decisions, sometimes we make wrong decisions,” Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas admitted, referring to his recent unpopular decision April 21 to lift the ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages in Iloilo City through an executive order despite the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Apparently acknowledging that “the buck stops here” (popularized by U.S. President Harry S. Truman), the city mayor, realizing his “mistake”, issued a new EO "reimposing the express prohibition on the sale and consumption of liquor within the city” the next day.

The EO No. 066-A stated: "Effective immediately, the sale and consumption of any form of liquor, alcoholic beverages, or any alcoholic drink containing specific percentage of alcohol by volume or weight, which may be in the form of whisky, brandy, gin, rum, cordial, liquor, cocktail, wine, champagne, vermouth, basi, tuba, saki, ale, stout, and the like shall be absolutely prohibited, unless expressly lifted. Establishments, convenience stores, groceries, sari-sari stores, and other similar businesses who shall violate the prohibition on the sale of liquor, whether directly or indirectly, shall entitle the city government to mete out the appropriate penalties provided under the Iloilo City Tax Code."

Treñas later told reporters: "Abi ko didto malang sila sa ila sulod balay mainom-inom para mapabilin nga malinong kag matawhay ang syudad, pero I got a report nga kadamo sang insidente natabo. I found it very necessary nga ibalik naton ang ban. I am tasking our punong baragays and the BPLO (Business Permits and Licensing Office) to strictly implement this.”

If he was oozing with pride or intoxicated with arrogance, Treñas would just ignore the backlash of his ill-fated decision to lift the liquor ban.

It showed that the city mayor gamely welcomed the criticism from the media and other sectors that cried foul and lambasted the lifting order.

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Mao Zedong also realized his mistake in his disastrous attempt of the

“The Great Leap Forward” in 1958 bto rapidly industrialize China.

The communist leader banned all private holdings and created communes where peasants who no longer owned their own land would live together in a field and would be forced to work steel instead of farming. 

As Mao tried to improve farming through a number of misguided techniques set forth by Trofim Lysenko, each farm would be given a steel furnace and often every peasant in the commune was forced to work long hours. 

The techniques decreased grain production but local leaders were under so much pressure that they actually falsely reported large increases in grain production in order to please their superiors. Unfortunately, these numbers were used to determine how much grain was sent to the capital to be used for export, the false numbers meant little if any grain was left to feed the peasants.

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These and other polices of the Great Leap Forward are believed to be responsible for the Chinese Famine which resulted in the deaths of millions of Chinese. And 30 to 40 percent of all houses were also destroyed as part of the Great Leap Forward as the materials were needed for their efforts to industrialize. 

Even as Mao knew his people were starving, he continued to export grain in order to save face and some even claim he knew millions would die through his program but he thought it was a worthwhile sacrifice. The economy also failed as the period of the Great Leap (1958 – 1961) was the only time between 1953 and 1973 that the economy regressed. Officials who had lied about harvests were publicly executed and Mao took a backseat to government affairs for several years.  Liu Shaoqi said in 1962 that 30 percent of the economic crisis and famine was the result of nature and 70 percent human error.

President John F. Kennedy also realized he was wrong when he pushed with the disastrous Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba on April 15, 1961, where a squadron of eight B-26 bombers piloted by Cuban exiles roared down a Nicaraguan airstrip on a secret mission. 

Kennedy and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) hoped the Bay of Pigs Invasion would result in the overthrow of Cuban leader Fidel Castro. 

But the operation that unfolded over the next five days became one of the greatest military fiascoes in American history.

Like Mao and Kennedy, Treñas accepted he erred like a sportsman who lost a game and won his succeeding matches.

At the end of the day, it’s the winning of the matches that the people will remember, not the lone defeat which was immediately “avenged” or redeemed.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Treñas may be ready to become president

“A noble leader answers not to the trumpet calls of self promotion, but to the hushed whispers of necessity.” 

—Mollie Mart

By Alex P. Vidal

THE true test of a good leader is shown by how he handles a big crisis, how he leads his people, how he absorbs their pain, how he finds a solution to shield them from imminent danger, and how far can he go to lift them from despondency.  

In the ongoing struggle of the Ilonggos in Iloilo City against SARS-CoV-2 or novel COVID-19, Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas has, so far, proven his leadership. 

From day one until it became apparent that the coronavirus problem would blossom into a grotesque bedlam, Treñas was in the front seat steering the wheel and marshaling the city hall’s forces and might to ensure that the residents of Iloilo City wouldn’t be neglected and forsaken.

And when he felt that the national government, in spite of the much-ballyhooed P275 billion emergency funds in the 2020 General Appropriations Act to be used to deal with the calamity, appeared to be dilly-dallying its assistance to the Ilonggos, he lit the candle instead of cursing the darkness.

Treñas appears to be more effective, credible, reliable and trusted compared to the national leadership in many aspects.

If he were the one handling the crisis on a national level, things would probably be different. 

There would be less politicking, less muckraking, less red tape, and people wouldn’t be complaining of discrimination in the distribution of goods and screaming unprintable at the national government.

With his impressive performance in handling the difficult situation,  Treñas can be ready to become our next president.

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Let’s review what he has done. 

Most recently, the city mayor tapped three pandesal companies, the Uygongco Flour Mill, Carlos Uy Corporation, and Angelina Bakeshop, to produce the popular bread so no one would go hungry while the city is under an enhanced community quarantine.

He hailed the three home-grown companies for their “sense of bayanihan.” 

The city promised to deliver around 43,000 pieces of “Ilonggo pandesal” to the residents of Iloilo City daily.

Treñas had earlier imposed a preventive enhanced community quarantine, established a community kitchens around the city to feed the constituents of each barangay, and made a plea for mass testing in Iloilo now being backed with financial support from rich local traders.   

Without waiting for help from the national government, Treñas established Iloilo City College as a temporary dorm for health care workers and other health workers helping curb the spread of COVID-19. He made sure that shuttle services were made available to the Ilonggo frontliners to transport them to their work places. 

Treñas also earned praises from various sectors when he helped amend the existing “anti-discrimination ordinance” to include a provision that forbids businesses from ostracizing individuals due to their jobs with the help of the city council led by Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon.

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On March 20, Treñas imposed an enhanced community quarantine in Iloilo City through Executive Order 55-2020 as a preventive measure against the spread of the virus that has killed more than a million people around the world.

While there were chaos and confusion in other provinces and cities around the country, Treñas made these other accomplishments:

—collaboration with Iloilo Gov. Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. in calling on Cebu Pacific Airlines to suspend its direct flights from the Iloilo International Airport to Hong Kong, and vice versa, when the pandemic was killing more people in Wuhan and fast spreading China.

—tapping the scientists and medical professionals from the University of the Philippines Visayas alumni community to establish a local test center at the West Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao district accredited by the Department of Health (DoH) which

Allotted 5,000 test kits together with The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

—receiving P15 million worth of donations in kind, from sacks of rice to canned goods and other food packs, all of which have been funneled to the city’s community kitchens and barangays for distribution. 

He may be doing more to help the Ilonggos even if the national government has extended the lockdown until April 30.  

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Ilonggos unite vs COVID-19

“One of the primary purposes of civilization - and certainly its primary strength - is the guarantee that family life can flourish in unity, peace, and order.”

—Robert Kennedy

By Alex P. Vidal

BY being always available and visible in the public, Iloilo officials led by Iloilo Governor Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. and Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas are sending a buoyant message to the Ilonggos that “we are on top of the situation and with your help and cooperation, we can surmount this crisis.”

It’s in times of crisis and calamities that the leadership and worthiness of our leaders are scrutinized and best tested.

Novel coronavirus or COVID-19 has laid low the Ilonggo populace, just like other places all over the globe, by an enemy too small to be seen.

There seems to be a a sudden resignation and fatalism in the air even as despair unrelieved by even glimmers of hope befouls social media and traditional media alike.

All of a sudden, the scourge of the coronavirus strikes many of Ilonggos as well as people caught flat-footed around the world as something supernatural. 

For the Ilonggos, however, the show of unity is heart-warming and unparalleled. 

They know when and how to turn despair into hope by cooperating with the authorities and cajoling others to toe the line using the social media and person-to-person persuasion.

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The good thing about the fear and confusion that cascaded in the hearts of many people is that the Ilonggos are now united against the common enemy.

There have been no opposition; no bellyaching; no protest, and nobody criticized or opposed our local officials who sent out stern executive orders (EOs) limiting the movements of warm bodies in the borders.

When Treñas ordered the temporary closure of the famed Iloilo Esplanade in the Iloilo River, nobody complained and everybody cooperated. 

The city currently has 16 patients under investigation (PUIs) and 1,097 persons under monitoring (PUMs) for COVID-19.

When the people are facing a cloud of uncertainty and confusion, they need leaders who are intrepid, decisive, firm, and who can assure them everything is being handled efficiently and professionally and that the government is ready to confront the crisis using its full authority, resources, and technical capabilities and otherwise.

Health experts and members of the disaster and coordinating council, the police and the military will work alongside the chief local executives to assuage the nervous public and help the people prepare for the next episode while everyone shakes in their pants but are optimistic there will be light at the end of the tunnel because their leaders are in the forefront helping contain the conflagration.

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KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Instead of spending lots of money on a new desk for our office, let us invest in some salvaged wood and paying a carpenter to make us one to measure--it will have the added advantage of fitting the space exactly.

THE USE OF HAVING TWO EYES. If we look at our room with one eye only, we will find that it looks much flatter than it does with two eyes. With two eyes we can see that the chair is n front of the desk, that the wastebasket is round and that the closet looks deep. Our eyes are set from about two to two and a half inches from each other--measuring from center to center.

WHY WE HAVE EYEBROWS. Our eyebrows serve a good and useful purpose. If we had no eyebrows, the drops of sweat that form on our foreheads when we get warm would run into our eyes.

 (The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Dinagyang’s real ‘problem’

“Paranoia is just another word for ignorance.”

—Hunter S. Thompson

By Alex P. Vidal

THERE’S nothing to worry actually.

The Dinagyang Festival 2020 is in the safe hands.

So far, it has been managed magnificently by the Iloilo City Festivals Foundation, Inc. (ICFFI), which was constituted under the Treñas administration last year.

The Department of Tourism (DoT), headed by Regional Director, Atty. Helen C. Catalbas in the regional office, and Iloilo City Hall Tourism Office headed by Junel Ann Divinagracia, have been on top of the situation in as far as promotion of the mammoth religious and cultural festival is concerned.

What is the problem? 

Nothing except the paranoia and over acting (OA) of some city officials and the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).

Their “fear” of a terroristic attack during the street celebration was actually a copycat of the same weird reaction by the authorities who handled the security of Pope Francis’ visit in Manila in 2015 and the Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo.

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Iloilo City, historically, has never been a target of extremists or hardline terrorists.

Not even a disturbance or interference from the right and the left militants. 

Ditto for the Dinagyang Festival which is a non-political affair.

Ilonggos are religious and peaceful; no terrorist—real or imagined—will waste his time to terrorize the Ilonggos during this solemn but festive occasion for no reason at all.

Ilonggos neither harm nor incite violence and aggression against any group that is identified to be engaged in religious and political violence and terrorism.

It is their uncanny and thought-provoking reactions that make other people think from other regions that there’s a real and present danger and threat in the celebration of the Dinagyang Festival.

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The decision to jam the telecommunication lines during the highlight of the Dinagyang Festival on the final day was the combined handiwork of the paranoid ICPO and the City Council.

They swallowed hook, line, and sinker the police “intelligence” report that terrorists might sabotage the festival.

Which terrorist?

Who are these terrorists?

Its mere figment of their imagination.

Troublemakers like the drunken revelers, gang members, sex offenders, muggers, snatchers who mix the crowd aren’t terrorists.

They can be dealt with accordingly by manual police force.

These street rascals don’t operate time bombs and laser-laced gadgets that would totally disrupt and destroy the Dinagyang celebration.

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Meanwhile, heading the set of ICFFI interim officers that are doing a yeoman’s job for the success of Dinagyang Festival 2020 are businessman Rogelio Florete as chairperson; vice chairperson Felipe Uygongco; president Jobert Peñaflorida; vice president Ronald Raymond Sebastian; treasurer Roland Uy; PRO Judgee Peña.

ICFFI members are the following: John Alexander Que; Allan Ryan Tan; Phillip Chua; Joemarie Layson; Atty. Eugenio Hautea; Molly Grande; Ivy Gurrea; Angel de Leon, Jr.; and Honorato Espinosa.

Our Dinagyang Festival 2020 is penciled to mount unprecedented heights under the able and pro-active role these people have been doing for the occasion these past months.

Proud Ilonggos

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him."
--Abraham Lincoln

By Alex P. Vidal

ASIDE from the excellent performances of Iloilo athletes now competing in the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) hosted by the Philippines, there is another reason why Ilonggos are so proud and should be prouder nowadays.
Iloilo City has been adjudged as the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Clean Tourist City Awardee.
The announcement of Iloilo City's winning of the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Award came a week before Ilonggo athletes helped the host country amass gold, silver, and bronze medals in the biennial meet to lead in the medal tally.
There are more positive stories about Iloilo and the Ilonggos in sports, entertainment, art, cooking, economy, which make up for the toxic politics and bad weather condition that every now and then threaten to sabotage the happiness and peace of mind of Ilonggos who are mostly proud of their heritage, culture, talents, and achievements.

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It was reported that after being evaluated as one of the cleanest urban centers and top tourist destinations not just in the Philippines, but also in the Southeast Asian Region, the "City of Love" recently bagged the highly touted ASEAN Award.
Iloilo City has gone a long way from being slandered as "the most shabulized city in the Philippines" to being recognized for its initiative in the improvement and beautification of public areas and urban spaces, its conservation for the environment and natural attractions, and maintaining the cleanliness and sanitation.
The evaluating team reportedly gave Iloilo City a successful grade after having complied with the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Standard’s seven indicators namely: 1. Environmental management, 2. Cleanliness, 3. Waste Management, 4. Awareness-Building about Environmental Protection and Cleanliness, 5. Green Spaces, 6. Health Safety, Urban Safety, and Security; and 7. Tourism Infrastructure and Facilities.
Reports said the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Award is a recognition to encourage ASEAN nation-members to be competitive in their tourism and marketing sectors to create jobs and push economic growth, granted Iloilo City with a badge of excellence with a validity of three years, from 2020 to 2022.

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WHILE the Iloilo City Hall wallowed in the darkeness after the "switch-off" or power black out on November 28, the Iloilo Provincial Capitol glimmered after an official switch-on of colorful LED lights to officially kick off the Christmas season on December 2.
In any modern Christian world, Yuletide season is the season with the most demand for more lights used for Christmas trees, decorations, plazas, arks to welcome visitors and other public places.
If the City Hall doesn't have a problem with the Panay Electric Company (PECO), it may request the power firm for a special assistance to help them keep their steady or uninterrupted electric supply in this important season.
Setting aside a special fund to defray the expenses that may be incurred in maintaining colorful and state-of-the-art lights should be tolerated by any local government unit (LGU) at least only for the spirit of Christmas which will last only until first week of January.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

City Hall blackout

"In life, you can blame a lot of people and you can wallow in self-pity, or you can pick yourself up and say, 'Listen, I have to be responsible for myself.'"
--Howard Schultz

By Alex P. Vidal

ILONGGOS waited on tenterhooks whether City Hall would pin the blame of the blackout to the Panay Electric Company (PECO) noontime on Thursday (November 28) that rendered all services inutile in the seven-storey building.
'Tis the season for PECO bashing, thus even if the Christmas lights in a barangay hall will conk out, many critics will immediately cast a malicious look at the controversial power company.
The power outage, by the way, prompted Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo "Jerry" Treñas to call it a night for City Hall workers starting at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Operations in the city government rested two hours before five o'clock in the afternoon,
In his Facebook page, the city mayor announced: “To all the employees, grab this opportunity to rest and be prepared for tomorrow. We have decided to dismiss you for today’s duty because you can’t work efficiently without electric access for your computers and air conditions."
It was the first major power interruption since Treñas regained the City Hall after the May 2019 elections.
And it jolted the city government.

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So far, PECO "wasn't the culprit" since there was no announcement or official explanation that followed when employees started to pack up and went home.
PECO's enemies are only waiting to see the power firm slip on the banana peel so it can pulverize PECO in another propaganda joust.
The blackout would have been nipped in the bud if the standby generators were in good condition.
The new City Hall, a state-of-art building, was only fully utilized during the time of former Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, but has been giving officials and employees nightmares.
If the blackout was caused by PECO, two things would have entered the people's imagination: either it was done to send a curt message to City Hall, which chided PECO for the obstructing poles and spaghetti wires in the streets and gave the power company until December 31 to remove them, or to remind City Hall of its purported unpaid bills.

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INSTEAD of blaming the media for the 30th SEA Games hosting catastrophe, the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) led by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, should be thankful that many of PHISGOC's shortcomings and apparent mismanagement have been reported so that they will be able to identify the areas where they need to work double time and fast track other minor delays before the official opening ceremony on November 30, 2019.
With or without the media, the alleged anomalies and mismanagement will not be swept under the rug.
Sooner or later, there will be questions; and from these questions will surface the itch from interested parties to call for an inquiry or investigation.
Again, this is how democracy works. We can curtail the press; we can't hide things that demand public accountability especially how the taxpayers' funds were handled and spent.
Media did not create the scandal. Media is there only to report what is going on and bring the event to the people.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Pig-less Christmas

"I feel I would love to close down for a number of years in some way and just be in the country making pork pies and chutneys and never have to poke my head out of the parapet."
--Stephen Fry

By Alex P. Vidal

IT looks like Ilonggos will celebrate the Yuletide Season next month without pork, or any product associated with the swine industry, on their table during important gatherings where food is served.
This was after both the City Hall and Capitol have officially banned the pigs positive for African Swine Fever (ASF) from entering the City and Province of Iloilo.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas issued Executive Order No. 99-A-2019 on Oct. 9, 2019, “totally bans live pigs, hog carcasses, pork and pork products and by-products originating from, and/or processed in localities in the Philippines identified by the Department of Agriculture positive for African Swine Fever (ASF) from entering the City of Iloilo for a period of 90 days and a total ban of the same from countries identified positive for ASF.”
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., on the other hand, also issued Executive Order No. 159-A enforcing a temporary ban on swine, pork, pork products and by-products from all areas in Luzon, including its island provinces for 90 days.
Although there were no major or earth-shaking reports of ASF-related damage in Iloilo's swine industry, Treñas and Defensor probably wanted to be sure the multi-billion swine industry in that part of the country is safe and protected.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, as the saying goes.

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The word "pig" is usually used to refer to immature swine, while hog is used for refer to mature swine.
Usually, however, if we only refer to one animal we would call it either a gilt (female prior to having first litter), barrow (castrated male), or a boar (uncastrated male).
Pig, hog and boar essentially describe the same animal, but there are some distinctions.
A boar is an uncastrated male domestic pig of any gender, but it also means a domestic wild pig of any gender.
A hog often means a domestic pig that weighs more than 120 lbs. (54 kilograms). Pigs are also called swine.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads: Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them.

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Too bad that the ASF panic in Iloilo and other parts of the country came just when the Christian world is about to enter the "most wonderful time of the year" where the food we prepare is always with pork.
ASF is actually caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV) that infects domestic pigs, warthogs, and bushpigs. 

Transmission occurs through direct contact between healthy and sick animals, or indirect contact through infected feed, as well as through biological vectors (soft ticks).
The disease is reportedly endemic in the southern hemisphere of Africa, as well as on the Iberian Peninsula and in Sardinia.
Sporadic outbreaks have reportedly occurred in other European countries (Belgium in 1985, Netherlands in 1986) and outside of Europe (the Caribbean, Brazil).

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With around 1 billion individuals alive at any time, the domestic pig is reportedly among the most populous large mammals in the world today.
Pigs are omnivores and can reportedly consume a wide range of food.
They are biologically similar to humans and are thus frequently used also for human medical research.
The effect on a swine herd can reportedly vary depending on the strain, from near 100% mortality to cases of low-virulence isolates that can be difficult to diagnose.
When an outbreak occurs in any region or country, the financial and physical implications can be devastating to the swine industry and those related to it.
During outbreaks in Malta and the Dominican Republic, for example, the swine herds of the entire countries were completely depopulated.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Why Ilonggos won't oppose redistricting bill

"Good things happen when you get your priorities straight."
--Scott Caan

By Alex P. Vidal

THE proposed House bill dividing Iloilo City into two legislative districts re-filed recently by Iloilo City lone district Rep. Julienne "Jamjam" Baronda will never encounter any drastic opposition from the Ilonggos.
We predict that it will even be passed smoothly in the Lower House and eventually signed into law by the President.
The proposed bill is harmless and its intention, according to the proponents, is to bring more benefits and progress for the Ilonggo populace.
As long as it is not a controversial bill that will have a negative impact on the people's economic well-being, Ilonggos will not complain; they will not stand in the way to stymie what can't hurt them.

-o0o-

Many Ilonggos, in fact, don't even give too much attention to the news about the redistricting bill. They leave the matter to the politicians.
Most of them believe the issue isn't really earthshaking that would warrant their full scrutiny.
In the back of their minds, they have elected their public officials and they shall be the ones to worry whether the proposed bill is beneficial to the electorate.
Amid the economic hardships, Ilonggos worry first for their families before anything else.
They are busy making both ends meet; they care most for their next meal on the table; they are focused on the welfare of their children and livelihood, and how to eke out a living to ensure their monthly bills and other financial obligations are settled on time.

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It will be the local politicians, not the common tao, who are head-over-heels over the proposed redistricting bill.
At least their will be a light at the end of the tunnel for their political future after they have been sledge-hammered and ousted in the previous elections.
Local politicians with burning desires to win a seat in the House of Representatives will definitely back the proposed redistricting bill.
They are aware that once a dominant political group has taken over like the Trenas-Baronda-Ganzon triumvirate, it will be very hard for them to squeeze in when the next election beckons if it remains a lone congressional district.
With two legislative districts, their hopes of going to Congress without swimming into the deep blue sea for a head-on collision with the Titanic, will be avoided.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Tourism to the rescue

"The thing about tourism is that the reality of a place is quite different from the mythology of it."
--Martin Parr

By Alex P. Vidal

POLITICS and all other depressing news should now take a backseat for a positive event.
The best way to promote the assets, world-class facilities, and infrastructure and highlight the potentials of Iloilo City and Province is to listen to what the Department of Tourism (DOT) will say on this subject matter.
The best way coax investors and pump lifeblood in Iloilo's economy is to support the DOT programs especially if they will benefit the entire region and create a myriad of opportunities for the Ilonggos.
We can always count on the DOT to sprinkle dynamism and fresh air and change the tune of local discussions from political muckraking to tourism and economic breakthroughs.
Thus we laud the DOT Western Visayas headed by Director Helen J. Catalbas and the Tourism Board for the launching October 9 of the Iloilo City Meetings, Incentive Travels, Conferences/Conventions, Exhibitions/Events (MICE) Campaign with the tagline “Meet you in Iloilo" at the Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo Business Park, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

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The event reportedly aims to position Iloilo as MICE destination and will gather top associations and corporations in the Philippines, travel managers and event organizers to see for themselves what Iloilo has to offer.
As quoted in a recent report, Catalbas explained: “The Iloilo City MICE Campaign will not be possible without the support from the Tourism Promotions Board, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), MICE Alliance members and other partners. The unity of tourism stakeholders in positioning Iloilo City as MICE destination is an overwhelming factor to promote inclusive growth."
The report added: "In sync with the promotion of Iloilo as MICE destination, DOT VI strongly encourages tourism enterprises to be DOT-Accredited MICE organizer or facility/venue to ensure quality services are being offered to clients and visitors."


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We hope Iloilo City lone district Representative Julienne "Jamjam" Baronda was able to hold a public consultation before she reportedly filed House Bill 3074 or An Act Reapportioning the Lone Legislative District and the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Iloilo.
Under the bill, which was co-authored by two other Iloilo solons, Rep. Raul Tupas (5th district, Iloilo) and Rep. Michael Gorriceta (2nd district, Iloilo), the First Legislative Distrist will be composed of Jaro, La Paz, and Mandurriao while the Second Legislative District will be composed of City Proper, Molo, Arevalo and Lapuz.
In any major legislation involving the district and the welfare of the people, a public hearing is necessary; all the stakeholders must have an active participation and voice in the pre-filing level before a bill of such importance and magnitude is introduced in congress.
In the public consultation, the people will have to hear the pros and cons and the opportunity to further study and strengthen the proposed legislation will be guaranteed.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

A game-changing SC verdict

“And here is the prime condition of success, the great secret. Concentrate your energy, thoughts and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged in. Having begun in one line, resolve to fight it out on that line; to lead in it. Adopt every improvement, have the best machinery and know the most about it.”
--Larry Page

By Alex P. Vidal

AFTER a stunning 44-0-vote loss in the "Kangaroo Court" called the House Committee on Legislative Franchise on September 11, 2019, the Panay Electric Company (PECO) bounced back with news of a heavy victory in the Supreme Court (SC) decided on August 14, 2019.
SC's decision to shoot down MORE Power Electric Corp's (MORE Power) prayer for Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and writ of preliminary injunction against the decision of Mandaluyong RTC Branch 209 declaring as "void" and "unconstitutional" provisions of Republic Act (RA) 11212, which granted Enrique Razon's power company the congressional franchise to distribute electricity in Iloilo City, was a victory more thrilling than the agony of the House committee on legislative franchise debacle.
It was like Rome, under consuls Paulius and Varro, which lost to Hannibal's army of Carthage in the Battle of Cannae, a major battle of the Second Punic War in Apulia in 216 BC, but scored big when it defeated Greece in the Battle of Corinth in 146 BC.

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As long as franchise holder MORE Power can't provide its own assets to distribute electricity, nothing can prevent PECO to continue with its operations to serve the Ilonggo consumers even with absence of a franchise, which expired on January 18, 2019.
PECO is empowered by law and was given the authority by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to ensure uninterrupted electric service amid the legal furor.
Congress gave PECO’s rival, MORE Power, the authority through a 25-year franchise to distribute power in the city through RA 11212.
The caveat is Razon's company must secure its own facilities in order to run a power business instead of taking over through an expropriation PECO's assets.
PECO's "defeat" in the House Committee on Legislative Franchise can still be transformed into "victory" if PECO can eventually secure a fresh franchise in its next attempt (a bill can be filed a year after the recent denial, according to the law), while the Supreme Court setback for MORE Power could be the game changer that would finally provide light at the end of the tunnel for the lingering issue.

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U.N. UPDATE: NO TO HATE SPEECH. In the fast-growing digital age, hate speech can represent “a critical obstacle for LGBTI people” using online platforms, the UN’s top rights official told participants at a high-level segment on the matter on September 24.
“Unfortunately digital technologies have provided additional avenues for hate speech", UN rights chief, Michele Bachelet, told participants, which included organizers from the LGBTI Core Group, Ministers, senior officials, and members of the media.
The high-level discussion at the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly, aimed to address how different stakeholders can contribute to ending hate speech against LGBTI people on social media platforms and in traditional media, as well as ensure support for victims, when hateful words turn to violence.
The meeting stirred conversation around the right to free speech versus the license to hate, for which Ms.Bachelet offered an objective definition:
“Hate speech is any kind of communication, in speech, writing or behavior, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language, with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are”, she said, quoting the UN’s framework and plan of action for stamping out hate speech, introduced in June of this year.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Pimentel’s attack against PECO is inappropriate

“Fairness is not an attitude. It's a professional skill that must be developed and exercised.”
--Brit Hume

By Alex P. Vidal

IF they continue to treat the Panay Electric Company (PECO) like one of those Bilibid heinous crime inmates scandalously released by Faeldon and his corrupt cohorts, Ilonggos might be emboldened to rally behind the beleaguered power firm owned by the Cacho family.
They should refrain from treating PECO like a useless and hardened criminal.
PECO is a legitimate corporation manned by professionals with technical skills and managerial expertise on power distribution on a mammoth scale.
It’s not a sorority group or a fraternity organization that can just be disbanded easily.
Even if it is being stripped of its dignity and subjected to all kinds of insults and humiliation, PECO has continued to hang on for its dear life.
PECO wants to stay or continue with its service to the Ilonggos under the principle of free competition; it doesn’t demand to be given a special treatment through a sole or exclusive franchise like it used to enjoy. It does not agitate to kill or eliminate a competitor.
And it appears that with the Court of Appeals as PECO’s next hope to provide them a lease of life, PECO is like a cat with nine lives, not just a palooka who succumbs without giving a good fight.

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After anti-PECO advocates elbowed, sucker punched and kneed PECO on the chin, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises joined the fray and kicked PECO while already grimacing on the ground.
This is the type of overkill that makes the Ilonggos unite; the type of persecution that will hurt the Ilonggos who love the underdogs regardless of the issues surrounding the tumult.
Bullying PECO should be the last thing its enemies should do.
And irresponsible statements coming from Deputy Speaker Johnny Pimentel would be the perfect recipe to swing sympathies in favor of the much-maligned PECO.
PECO’s franchise expired on Jan. 18, 2019. Instead of renewing it, Congress gave PECO’s rival, MORE Power, the authority to distribute power in the city through RA 11212.

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We can understand if Iloilo City lone district Rep. Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda will speak against PECO since she is from Iloilo City; she fully understands the issue and is very much aware of the divided sentiments among the power consumers.
But Pimentel, who is from faraway Surigao del Sur in Mindanao, can’t say with absolute certainty about PECO’s alleged failure or lack of success in its nearly 100 years of serving the Ilonggos as the sole power distributor in Iloilo City 180 barangays.
“PECO has not been providing good service. Electricity distribution is not the same as other businesses like a gasoline station or sari-sari store. This is more of service to the public. You have the responsibility to protect consumers’ welfare. PECO failed,” Pimentel was quoted by local reports based on his recent interview over DyFM Bombo Radyo Iloilo.
“What we did was to protect the interest of the people. Hindi kami ang may gusto niyan. Ang may gusto niyan ang taongbayan. Gusto nila mas magandang serbisyo ng power company.”

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Listening to Pimental malign PECO is like listening to Limahong, a Chinese pirate and warlord who invaded the Philippines in 1574 and who never lived in Europe, denying “the Glory that was Greece and the Grandeur that was Rome.”
As a non-resident of Iloilo City, Pimentel’s remarks against PECO was uncalled for and conduct unbecoming.
As committee chair, the congressman from Mindanao isn’t supposed to take sides and pretend he speaks with full authority and knowledge on behalf of the consumers.
He should have taken the neutral ground and heard both sides of the coin in a fair and buttoned up hearing sans emotional and political distractions.
Grandstanding Pimental should apologize not only to PECO, but also to the Ilonggos for insulting their intelligence.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Corporate execs take 'token' jobs for Ilonggos

"The best executive is one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it."
--Theodore Roosevelt

By Alex P. Vidal

THE names of Dr. Rogelio Florete and Salvador Sarabia Jr. are associated with the corporate world; each holding executive positions in their respective business empires.
Florete is a media and jewelry mogul, while Sarabia is a former tourism undersecretary under the Arroyo administration whose family made a name in the optical and hotel industry.
They can steer the wheels and expand their business domains without having to belabor themselves in other areas outside the parameters of their corporate interests.
But they accepted the challenge from Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo "Jerry" Treñas to take an active role in the management of the city's tourism and business affairs without any emolument in return worth their time and expertise.
Florete is now the head of the Iloilo City Festivals Foundation, Inc. (ICFFI), a newly-formed foundation that will handle the staging of all festivals in the city, primarily the Dinagyang Festival.
Florete's new role outside his private corporate office requires him to mingle and have a tete-a-tete with ordinary people, something he rarely does in the past as a security-conscious and very private person.

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As in charge of the Dinagyang Festival's publicity committee, Florete recently met the Iloilo press together with Iloilo City Tourism Officer Junniel Divinagracia and publicty assistant Florence Hibionada.
Florete went down from the totem pole of his corporate cocoon to solicit the suggestions of media people on how to ensure the successful coverage of next year's brand-new edition of Dinagyang Festival.
Florete is supported by the foundation's interim officers who are also mostly corporate geniuses in their own right: Felipe Uygongco as vice chairperson; Atty. Jobert Peñaflorida as president, Dr. Ronald Raymond Sebastian as vice president, Roland Uy as treasurer, and Judgee Peña as public relations officer.
The gathering of stars in the business sector to help spruce up the city's festivals and other tourism programs is a major pull upward for the new City Hall administration.

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As the new director Iloilo City's MICE or meetings, incentives, travel, conferences, conventions, exhibitions, and events, Sarabia recently hogged headlines when he officially announced the major changes in next year's Dinagyang Festival.
Under the new festival, where Kasadyahan will be separated from the Dinagyang, revelers can now join in the "sadsad" merrymaking, according to Sarabia.
“It will be more vibrant because Dinagyang will now be more experiential, there will be a twist, more people involvement,” Sarabia, who is Treñas' executive assistant, explained.
The foundation headed by Florete will partner with the city government to handle the Dinagyang and Sarabia suggested that the celebration will be joined by private companies, non-government organizations, and other stakeholders that will form their own tribes.
Under the new plans, the street dancing will start at the Provincial Capitol and will end with a mass or any religious event at the Plaza Libertad.
They held stakeholders' consultation in July, where they gathered feedback on how the public would like to see next year’s Dinagyang Festival set on January 25-26.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

City hall's political vendetta

"In our age there is no such thing as 'keeping out of politics.' All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia."
--George Orwell

By Alex P. Vidal

NO matter how the Iloilo City Legal Office package, justify, and camouflage the "electioneering" case recently filed against three City Hall officials Danny Tan, Vincent de la Cruz, and Eireen Manikan, Ilonggos will still sneer at it as nothing but a political vendetta.
Ilonggos weren't born yesterday to believe hook, line, and sinker that casual employees Dennis Biñas, Julia Bitonga, Jena Jose, and Donephine Domingo weren't coaxed, coached, and guided by some powerful subalterns of Mayor Geronimo "Jerry" Treñas to sue the three officials suspected of siding with former mayor Jose "Joe III" Espinosa III in the May elections.
Only fools will agree that the casual workers filed the case on their own volition and resources, and without any help or influence from the big bosses in the mayor's office.

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Ilonggos will, of course, suspect that the four casual workers may have been dispatched by City Administrator Melchor Tan and briefed by City Legal Officer Edgardo Gil to formalize the cases for violation of the Election Code/Fair Election Act, Civil Service Law, and Republic Act No. 6713 (Code of Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees) against Tan, de la Cruz, and Manikan.
Administrator Tan is in charge of the hiring and appointment of casual employees, while Gil has been very vocal and sharply familiar with the case as if the four complainants are under his direct supervision.
The casual workers have singled out the three officials to be the ones who called them for a meeting at City Hall sometime in February, or three months before the elections, allegedly to compel them to support Espinosa III.
They considered the statement as a threat “since our employment is at the stake if we will not follow his instruction.”
They added in a statement: "We were likewise directed to recruit at least 10 persons to attend ‘Pag-ulikid’."
Many believed that Espinosa anchored his bid to keep his office through “Pag-ulikid sang Syudad”, a community outreach program that brought city government frontline services to the barangays.

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Since it appears to be crystal clear that City Hall may be behind the legal juggernaut against the three suspected Espinosa III backers now bearing the brunt of an apparent "witch hunt" under the Treñas administration, some Ilonggos may view this internal pandemonium to be an "obvious political persecution."
Granting that Tan, de la Cruz, and Manikan really rooted for Espinosa III in the recent polls, their "offense" should be understandable and even pardonable since, they too, were part of a system that demands adherence to the status quo.
It's not about personality, but more as jurisdiction and stability.
The reality is because most department heads or officials holding permanent positions in any government office normally develop a "good working relationship" (euphemism for affection or feeling of endearment) with whoever is the incumbent (appointed or elected) mayor, governor, director, secretary, or general manager, partisanship in incoming competition or election is hard to reject and avoid.
The relationship should be mutual and necessary; they, as top officials and administrators tasked with major obligations and responsibilities, must and need to treat each other as members of one family.
The relationship they develop shouldn't be considered as a political crime because it metamorphosed in the name public service, not because they hate someone who has just taken over the helm.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Shooting Judge Artuz from the hip

“If you can't see past my name, you can't see me.”
― DaShanne Stokes

By Alex P. Vidal

IF you aren't authorized, you can't solemnize.
Iloilo City Legal Officer Edgardo Gil's basis for calling as "fake" the marriages solemnized by "ex" Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 5 Judge Ofelia M.D. Artuz was the Supreme Court's purported order in 2017 that dismissed Artuz as a judge; thus "she wasn't authorized."
Gil, according to report, has named Artuz to be possibly behind the alleged fake weddings uncovered at the Iloilo City Local Civil Registrar’s Office (LCRO) that supposedly victimized more than a hundred couples since 2017 until 2018.
The city legal officer was so cocksure about Artuz's role that he made a categorical declaration about what had transpired when the alleged malfeasance was executed.
“Kun kaisa sa sagwa ginasolemnize, si Judge Artuz, gin-terminate na siya sa service as a judge sang August 29, 2017. Even if she is not authorized, sige pa siya gihapon solemnize sang marriage,” Gil was quoted in a report by Emme Rose Santiagudo in the Daily Guardian dated August 22, 2019.

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Because Gil already went ballistic against Artuz, we assume that the city legal office had already conducted a motu proprio investigation prior to its decision to endorse the issue for further probe to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Otherwise, Gil would be accused of pushing the cart ahead of the horse in as far as investigation of the issue is concerned.
Now that Gil has jumped the gun on Artuz, isn't it incumbent upon him to start filing the appropriate cases against the lady judge if he had enough evidence, instead of running for succor to the NBI?
By telling all and sundry they had already endorsed the matter to the NBI (Mayor Geronimo "Jerry" Treñas had earlier confirmed they were seeking the NBI's help), Gil innocuously was sending a message they have a weak case against Artuz; so that they needed the NBI to do the yeoman's job.

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Gil may have violated their profession's code of ethics by prejudging Artuz and by making a presumption that all the weddings she had solemnized, because she was "unauthorized", were fake and, thus, null and void.
According to LCRO Officer Romeon Juncae Manikan Jr., a law graduate, only the Supreme Court can declare whether a marriage is fake.
Assuming that Artuz could not anymore solemnize marriages immediately after her purported dismissal from the Supreme Court took effect, were the weddings she had solemnized before the Supreme Court ruling on her termination authorized and legal?
Better still, did she really continue to solemnize weddings even after her dismissal? If she appealed the dismissal, were all the weddings she had supposedly solemnized while her dismissal was under appeal, authorized and legal?
There are two schools of thought in this imbroglio, thus we want the truth to come out; we want wrongdoings to stop, but we must be objective and fair to all concerned.
Without any impartial investigation or without inviting Artuz to air her side first before going tongs and hammer against her in the media, they have already shot her from the hip and injured so many bystanders.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Iloilo loses two illustrious fathers in a depressing week

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived."
--George S. Patton

By Alex P. Vidal

AS Ilonggos in Western Visayas mourned the deaths of hundreds of children in separate areas from the dengue outbreak in June and July, the first week in the month of August has brought more grief and shock to Iloilo.
Sadness immediately hovered around the populace with the drowning of nearly 31 passengers of two pumpboats in the Guimaras and Iloilo strait on August 3.
As of this writing, the buck-passing and the "what ifs" rant among coast guard and wharf authorities went on as investigations commenced.
Then came the demise of former Iloilo City Mayor Mansueto "Mansing" Malabor on August 4 and former Iloilo Governor Simplicio "Sim" Griño on August 5.
The city and province of Iloilo lost two eminent fathers one day after another in a gloomy week obfuscated by horrors at sea otherwise known as "Black Saturday."

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Both Griño, 85, and Malabor, 88, were among the hitherto unheralded but immaculate local chief executives that emerged in the post-EDA Revolution era.
As a namby-pamby vice mayor in 1988, Malabor didn't achieve a rockstar popularity until he was ordered by then President Tita Cory's Executive Secretary and now Senator Franklin "Frank" Drilon to "stay put" (meaning he shouldn't leave the City Mayor's Office as OIC) in 1990 while Malacanang was finalizing the dotted lines for suspension of Mayor Rodolfo "Roding" Ganzon, who had declared war against the Aquino Government in dispute of the small town lottery (STL), among other local and national political and personal issues.
Malabor was exuberant and brimming with confidence, but refused to let the initial burst of political success go to his head.
He coyly obeyed Drilon's order but, at the same time, was careful not to annoy and antagonize the wounded political behemoth from Molo district, who was a colorful figure in the Senate in the late 60's before he was incarcerated by President Marcos during the Martial Law.

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When he was elected as city mayor in 1992 by trouncing Timoteo "Nene" Consing, Malabor zoomed to heights as a public servant until his last hours in the City Mayor's Office office in 2001 as a "graduating" chief local executive.
It was the year when the charismatic Griño exited from the Iloilo Provincial Governor's Office following a heart-rending defeat to then former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Commissioner Arthur Defensor Sr.
It was a gubernatorial contest that altogether wiped out the myth Griño had established when he brought down, in a stunning upset, Olive Lopez-Padilla, in the January 1988 elections.
The tell-tale "sign" (for believers of superstition) that he was going to lose a reelection bid came a week before the 1992 elections when Griño's vehicle, going home from the campaign trail, turned turtle in the highway. He suffered minor scratches and was declared out of danger.

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Back in 1988 when Griño gored the very popular Lopez-Padilla, who was supported by all the province's political giants associated with Tita Cory's political bandwagon led by the late then Rep. Albertito Lopez (2nd District, Iloilo), Griño was endorsed only by the late Rep. Narciso D. Monfort (4th District, Iloilo).
Griño's administration had been constantly rocked by scandals not because he was a crooked, but because many minions he helped employ in the capitol helped themselves in numerous deals tainted with anomaly.
To add misery, his No. 1 critic, then Board Member Perla Zulueta, made sure she had some of those "anomalies" (mostly committed by dishonest subalterns) placed under a microscopic scrutiny, which always landed in the prime time news and the front pages the following morning.
Despite his one-term as governor, Griño undeniably was one of the most honest Iloilo governors; soft-spoken; a family and religious man.
Admired by many national and religious leaders, Griño's integrity was intact when he retired from public service.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)