BEHIND THE SCENES

Welcoming GMA / 2 Pinoys to UN posts
ALFRED P. DIZON

As Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo headed out of Baguio Cathedral from a pontifical mass here Wednesday, a group of protesters gave her another surprise rally saying they did this to “prove wrong the administration’s claim that the Cordillera was behind her.” Members of Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students and Progressive Igorots for Social Action said they blocked and rattled the presidential convoy on its way to the Mansion House dinner by chanting anti-administration slogans while holding placards.

The militants said police were not able to stop them as they were scattered and unexpected, so they were allowed to proceed down Session Road. Last March 18, they said they surprised Arroyo in a lightning rally in front of the Mansion. With that experience, they said police heightened security in the Mansion vicinity, not knowing that a protest was waiting for Arroyo right outside the Cathedral. John Voltaire Dalangin, Anakbayan deputy secretary general of Metro-Baguio said this was their way of “condemning Arroyo’s lack of concrete actions to solve the crises in basic commodities like oil and rice, and in services like electricity. “

Earlier inside the Cathedral, members of Youth for Accountability and Truth Now (Youth ACT Now) wore t-shirts bearing “Ang masama ay masama” with a cutely-rendered devil face. “They could only claim the support of local officials, not the people of Baguio,” said John Panem of the National Union of Students of the Philippines.

Pardon me, but contrary to what the militants say, there still are Gloria supporters in Baguio and people know them when they open their mouth. Otherwise, if there are no such supporters, it would be a boring city. Among the media, just review the articles these columnists wrote in the not-so-distant past proclaiming her capability and integrity to high heavens. This breed could also be found among organizations notorious for their unabashed, professed, public admiration for the chief executive just to get funds from her. We are not blaming the militants if they are aggressive in proclaiming their opposition to her and the administration.

They have their right to free expression and this Banana Republic is supposed to be a democratic country. With the series of corruption charges hounding the government, people are upset, angry and given the right circumstances, may show their disenchantment through other forms. Although the way I look at it, People Power is a thing of the past. I’m not saying all since there are a lot of Malacanang lapdogs who are laughing their way to the banks.
***
City officials call it the “reverse coding scheme,” yet another noble plan in their quest for cleaner air, says a City Hall press release. “We are opening discussions with Baguio’s 300,000 residents to opt for a four-day ‘carless day,’” said Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr., who led some 3,000 City Hall officials and employees and personnel of national government agencies in launching the “Walk Baguio Walk” campaign at the Athletic Bowl last Monday June 2. The mayor, the report said, walked the 2-km stretch from the Athletic Bowl to City Hall, along with city councilors Antonio Tabora and Isabelo Cosalan and other city executives.

As envisioned, city folk would use their cars for one working day and walk to their offices and workplaces for the remaining four days. This is part of the nationwide campaign for the environment, Baguio Regreening Movement chairman and city councilor Erdolfo Balajadia was quoted as saying. “If we don’t start and move to free the air, we might wake up someday without it anymore,” he warned.

For three years, Baguio’s number coding scheme was portrayed as having played a major role in “cleansing” the city’s central business district of pollutants from vehicles despite protests from public utility jeep operators who could not be exempted during holidays. When such a coding scheme would be repealed, Bautista said Baguio could begin discussing the “reverse coding” strategy. Once this alternative scheme is in place, Bautista said parking areas for vehicles would be designated outside the business district.

“From there, everyone will start walking. There is no other place in the Philippines, except Baguio, where walking is best.” Aside from the “Baguio Walk Baguio” campaign, city officials are also studying the possible closure of Session Road, the city’s main business thoroughfare, to vehicular traffic. In 2001, a World Bank study tagged Baguio as the “most polluted city” among five cities in the country, based on samples of total suspended particles collected from Session Road. City officials reacted negatively to the report, even castigating journalists but later thanking them for the “eye opener.”

Bautista said they are now studying how to close Session Road to vehicles and make it a promenade area even just on weekends. Lately, a local environmental group suggested bringing back Baguio to circa 1950s by returning horses on the streets, instead of smoke-emitting vehicles. No problem with all these. As to the latest proposal, we hope people wouldn’t complain about smelly horse dung strewn around the city’s main thoroughfare. Making Session Road vehicle free? Everybody is entitled to dream. As we said earlier, this is a free country. Maybe, through compulsory walking, I could be cured of the pesky rayuma which rears its ugly head every now and then. Good luck!
***
Kapam­pangan diplomat and former journalist Elmer Cato has been elected vice chairman of the Fourth Committee of the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Ambassador Hilario Davide Jr., Philippine permanent representative to the United Nations, was quoted as saying Cato is now the Second Secretary at the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York. He was elected along with another Filipino diplomat, Second Secretary Patrick Chuasoto, to positions in two of the six main committees of the General Assembly.

Cato was elected vice chairman of the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) while Chuasoto was chosen as rapporteur of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary). I’m proud to say Cato was a co-writer of mine when we were then with the Philippine News and Features in the 80’s. Congratulations pards, err – Your Honor!