Truth in news / Benguet youth scholarships

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza

Aside from the fresh information that readers get, newspapers after having served their purpose, can be very useful in the car painter’s shop, the woodcarver’s haven and the fish market as these can wrap a half dozen tinapa.

Also, aside from being kept for documentary evidence, newspapers that are kept for future readings become useful the second time around, especially if they remind you of things in the past, or when you find something new from that old newspaper.

I have experienced this many times before – finding new and truthful information from reading old newspapers. But being into it lately was different from the past because the information I read from an old newspaper printed maybe many months ago was not true. Daan la ngaruden a dyaryo, haan py nga agpayso.

I have read the works of Baguio’s news elders Steve Hamada, Ben Rillera, Ramon Dacawi, Peppot Ilagan and Eli Refuerzo to name a few, and they wrote the truth. Maybe the only times that they lied was when they were talking and telling jokes on their best friends.

Last week I came across a news item about the Asin Hydro in a torn-out page of a local daily printed many months ago. Apparently, the paper has been torn, rolled and crumpled for use as a fire starter and so unfortunately, its title has been torn away and so with the other pages and paragraphs.

What I read jolted me. The news article mentioned something about a house that the previous operators of the Asin swimming pool managed as part of the area. To correct the news item, it was only during the watch of Mayor Bernie Vergara that a building was constructed beside the pool.

I know that as a fact because aside from accompanying my Lolo in visiting the old man Bado Dangwa and other relatives in the area, the Asin swimming pool was our weekend tambayan since I was in grade school. There never was any structure near Halsema’s pool except for the old house of the Claro family.

I texted Roger about the article who in turn asked Mayor Domogan about it. Surprisingly, the mayor’s answer was “hanku basbasaen dyta nga dyaryo.”

Another fact that the previous administration does not want to tell the public was the truth that the Asin Hydro was not gaining any income after the management contract lapsed years ago, contrary to news articles that it was making money. Even Mayor Domogan admitted that it was not.

Our newsmakers and news sources seem to be afraid of telling the truth about many issues that are gripping the city today. One of it is the truth about the water level at the Busol forest.

Government knows that there are properties that have been recognized by the American colonizers that is why they issued titles to segregate them from the forest proclamation. But those who now gain income from the business that Busol provides do not tell this to the public.

They choose to hide that fact otherwise the world will find out that they are the bigger squatters in the forest. They know that but have they ever tried to dialogue with the title holders and landowners who have more legitimate stake over what they own and who also want to protect Busol? I have not seen that in the past.

In one of the press conferences recently held, the panelists were quick to put the blame for the dwindling water supply on the settlers inside Busol, although I have read studies and researches based on interviews saying that there are no hard facts to back up their assumption.

Truth is that the depletion of water supply is caused by the unstoppable increase in city population which translates to an increase in the number of water consumers. In fact this reminds us that it is time, government stops accepting Townsite Sale Applications because water supply is not increasing.

The other forest reservations are Camp John Hay reservation, the Forbes Park parcel reservations, Sto Tomas forest and watershed reservation, and Crystal Cave watershed reservation. All these areas are occupied by residential houses and business establishments.

In fact occupancy within these forest reservations was legitimized when barangays were created out of these “informal settlements.” In the case of the Crystal cave watershed, foresters from the DENR recognize the sad truth that it is already gone as the lands have already been awarded to its occupants by the politicians that ruled the city.

Another reason for the depletion of water supply in the city is the fact that almost all open spaces have already been cemented. According to a BWD engineer, rainwater no longer seeps into the soil to recharge our water supply, instead, water runs to the canals and rivers and go straight to the sea.

It is understandable why people are afraid of the truth. But why bother to tell the truth if nothing would be personally gained by doing so, anyway.
***
The office of Benguet Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the Cordillera Region has announced that limited scholarship slots for out-of-school-youth and individuals who are residents in the Province of Benguet are now available.

The Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) is offered to interested and qualified individuals on a first-come, first serve basis.

Based on an approved qualification map for the program in Benguet, the following are the technical-vocational education and training (TVET) courses with the corresponding training hours.

Commercial cooking National Certification (NC) II, 436 training hours or 55 training days; Heavy Equipment Optr (HEO) Bulldozer NC II, 156 training hours or 20 training days; Household Service NC II, 216 training hours or 27 training days; Slaughtering NC II, 280 training hours or 35 training days; and Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) NC II, 268 training hours or 34 training days.

Interested persons may submit their intention to avail of any of the slots to Paterno Gonzalo of the office of Congressman Cosalan located beside the open gym at the Benguet Capitol. – marchfianza777@yahoo.com