CALIFORNIA DREAMING

Former Gov. Belac talks about Kalinga
Benito ‘Jong” Molintas Jr

SAN JACINTO CITY, California -- Former Kalinga Gov. Dominador Belac visited us here in San Jacinto City last Aug. 26. My cousin urged me to go along with them to the Buffet Resto for lunch with the veteran politician.

Belac was accompanied by his wife and my uncle Bobot Molintas’ couple friends Mr. and Mrs. Roberto Amiling of San Diego together with Ellen Boguen who hails from western Mountain Province but earlier migrated in Kalinga. All of us rushed for the meeting and the meal was so fruitful when he shared a lot of issues: politically and socially in Kalinga.

I was so happy when the group gave me space to ask a lot of questions from the former governor whom they say, gave way to the incumbent governor’s husband of Kalinga before the latter was shot.

His untiring smile reflected his personal warmth -- not a political aura, but something wise and elderly otherwise he wouldn’t have been called “Ama ti Ili.” His wife attracted me when she started conversing with some issues happening in the province too. My questions and answers:
Jong: Sir, I just want to ask a candid question, will you run for governor come 2010?
Belac: Jong, that question was asked many times even when we were in Canada, a woman said a politician’s final decision will be known when few days before the campaign arises, but I strongly say and prove to the people that I won’t be running. You know one of the worst situations, which I hate so much is gossip. Certainly politics is coupled with that, but what I learned was, if you entertain gossip, you will become inactive.
Jong: Sir, are you breeding anyone of your progenies for the political world?
Belac: Froilan, my son won in the lower position and with his intelligence and skills will certainly help the people of Kalinga. Sometimes, we are running or plunging to political life just to cling on to power for self aggrandizement, but in a positive outlook we should also view some of the things, which politicians did for our place.
Jong: With many accomplishments for Kalinga during your incumbency, which among those is the most treasured surely you will claim that it was your achievement during your time?
Belac: It is the mini hydro, which I want to brag about.
Jong: I salute you for this because those times when I was going to Tinglayan (town of Kalinga) to observe a play (The Sleeping beauty) of their theater group, I observed that they didn’t have electric power yet. Good for hey were connected to MOPRECO (Mountain Province Electric Cooperative) even if it is located outside Kalinga. We hope that your successor and other politicians and officials will continue your good plans. Kalinga is known for tribal wars, killings, and a lot of negative forces detrimental to human life. This was the main reason why we left Tabuk after the death of my dad.
Belac: Indeed, that is why I am anti-bodong system.
Jong: Sir, what about this?
Belac: The Kalinga people must start accepting 100 percent the government law. It is because this bodong system in one way advocates tribalism. This emboldens people and they are not afraid of anyone else since they have their backbone or they cling to their fellow tribesmates when problems arise.
It is already a bad image, which we are embracing, like innocent people are being killed because of the doing of a fellow-tribesman. The education of the youth is being sacrificed. AS things stand now, they must go home to their places, if they know they have a tribal war with other communities.
You know Jong, I have my own listing in Kalinga that I have 127 relative killed because of this. I strongly say that I am not really in favor of this. Why won’t we realize that the nearby provinces like Mountain Province is expunging this culture.
They submit guilty people in the courts. Those who committed crimes are the ones to suffer the consequences, if not their family members. Look at Benguet, obviously it one of the leading provinces in the Cordillera because they don’t have this kind of culture or they are being liberated and they are embracing the technology of the present epoch.
Jong: Thank you so much with the fruitful sharing and we hope that with Tabuk as a new city of the Cordillera, it is a challenge to all people in the province to make Kalinga a better place to live in.
(At the outset of our political sharing, we were all closing our fingers that the present government of Kalinga would hopefully realize to push more or advocate peace and unity. That, he mentioned all those leaders who won, I was again happy when I came to know that a friend -- former mayor of Tinglayan, Johnny Abay won as board member. My Kodus!)
Jong: Sir, what is your message for Kalinga folks who are in United States?
Belac: This is very important. We should encourage each and every person who has Kalinga roots or blood to sponsor the education of indigent and qualified youth. In this way, when we also encourage them to be global leaders, meaning also working abroad after finishing a degree, it will be the starting point of building a better Kalinga province. I am not in favor of you guys giving cash. The reason behind, which we experienced, was that, slots were not given to those indigents and qualified, but for the relatives of fellow politicians.
Jong: I can’t just imagine that those hard-earned money abroad were being spent for people they think were qualified or indigents.
Belac: That is one reason why the benefactors must screen very well and give that acknowledgement to the beneficiary. Like what the 1964 STS batch were doing. With their intact, support, and unity, the batch was able to push the education of three folks who graduated from high school (batch of my Aunt Marilou Tumaliuan)
Jong: Going back to Tinglayan, which is in connection to this issue, I was reminded how the people in Central Tinglayan were so cooperative and united. Most of the STS students were beneficiaries of Germans, which was initiated by the one of the outstanding barangay captains of the Philippines. I call him, Uncle Chupper. His strong-willed personality and personal rapport brought Central Tinglayan a place which we call it one of the promising lands of Kalinga. More so that they are being visited by tourists because of the innate beauty of Mt. Chinayao, the Sleeping Beauty.
Belac: Yes indeed, we need to develop Kalinga as a promising land. People from Mountain Province migrated to the province because of the richness of the land. But the province is not developing fast due to problems like tribal wars.
(And now my postscript. Indeed, I challenge each of my fellow Kalingas (I was born there) to realize that there are cultures, which we need to preserve and some cultures that we need to expunge. We try to start within ourselves for the benefit of all. Likewise, my dare to the present political leaders of this province --- make communities more peaceful.
My dad used his horse to travel at midnight from Calanan to Bulanao in the olden days which is an opposite of the present times which is fraught with danger. With peaceful communities, we can sleep well at night and freely travel and visit our relatives with no fear along the way or while we are staying in this promising land – Kalinga.)