Lang-ay 2011 diary

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- It must be good sense on the part of the management and board of directors of Beneco to loan one of its vans to a group of newsmen so that they may be able to perform their duties as news correspondents and opinion writers.

I know that the electric company is very much aware that allowing such is not only part of its CSR (corporate social responsibility), but it also knows the importance of its relationship with working journalists in as far as its participation in the day to day affairs of the people that both parties gain power from is concerned.

In our two-day trip to Bontoc and back, the newsmen passengers of Noel Canimo of Beneco found him very accommodating, just like a majority of the company’s workforce.

But wait. Please do not rush to conclusions that I am saying all these about Beneco just because it now has a newsman-lawyer as head of the Human Resources Department in the person of Delmar Carino.

That’s not that. Beneco’s men and women had very good work attitude even before Delmar came. Of course, with Delmar there, things will be as good or even better.

On the part of the newsmen, we will miss him because we know that he has a load of work in front of him. At the same time, we welcome the new development because we will have one less kakumpetensya in the world of news reporting. Hehehe!
***
On our way to Bontoc, I saw that the view deck along Halsema in Atok that sits at the highest point of the Philippine Highway System still blocked the view of the majestic mountains in the East. I remember writing about this in previous articles.

I am not saying that my observation fell on the deaf ears of the DPWH or DOT or the provincial government or themunicipyu or whatever agency was responsible in building the view deck. Instead, I admit having such a soft and small voice that in their enormous world they certainly would not mind me at all.

Adding insult to injury, things became worst as sari-sari stores were even allowed to stand by the view deck, thus, all the view is gone behind the people who wish to have their pictures taken because the view deck and the stores are there.
***
In Abatan, we chanced upon Beneco director Gaspar Leung who treated us to large bowls of halo-halo and egg pie. In that brief encounter, Direk Gaspar said the mini hydro-electric facility that is expected to produce at least 3MW when completed will boost Beneco’s operation and improve to the fullest its mandate in rural electrification.

The electric facility will be built near the vicinity of Man-asok bridge at Manhoyohoy that is part of Agno River. The mestizo Chinese-Kankanaey director promised the travelling newsmen a press conference on the development of the project next week and a possible trip to the site sometime next month.
***
Along the highway to Sabangan we noticed houses painted with the favorite orange color of DPWH. The tarpaulin streamers in front of the core houses showed that the relocation project is the result of cooperation work by local and foreign agencies but we failed to see the logo of DPWH.

The relocation houses are for the victims of the landslide in Tadian and parts of Mountain Province caused by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng in 2009.

And so one guy was quick to comment that maybe the DPWH logo was no longer printed in the streamer because despite the millions of pesos they spend on necessary and unnecessary public works, the only contribution they could provide for the relocation houses was the paint color orange.
***
Next, we dropped by the DENR-CENRO Sabangan office and found Cenro Max Macli-ing all by his lonesome. By the looks of it, he misses the coffee and company of friends at Luisa’s Café while his partner Penro Manny Pogeyed is enjoying his training somewhere in Clark, Pampanga. Of course, for Penro Manny there are other enjoyable things in Clark, not just the training.

Looking out his office window, we saw a river that I suspected to be dry in two to three weeks. Cenro Max informed us that Bayudan River, a tributary to Chico River, is drying up due to the effects of global warming.

He said that for three years now, Bayudan River’s appearance in the month of April has been dry, in contrast to its character in the same month in previous years as a big and swollen river
***
At the Churya-a Hotel, Ms. Nieves Dacyon, president of the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College said, student performance has improved since she stepped in as head of the school. According to records, the school’s passing rate is now higher than the national rate in BS Criminology, CE, and other courses.

She said the school’s income has greatly improved since she became president in 2005, from an income of around P16 M to P34 M in 2010. The school has not failed in looking after funds even as its revenue generation increased to P151 M in 2010.

MPSPC is now ready to offer new courses under an Open University concept in Indigenous Peoples education, IP Agriculture, Anthropology, Teacher Education major in IP and Rural Development, Ms. Dacyon said.
***
Before dark, we had to leave for the Capitol upon invitation of Gov. Leonard Mayaen who served us our first meal in Bontoc.

Notwithstanding the brandy that was served, I knew that the newsmen as his first guests to arrive felt warm and very much welcome to the 44th celebration of the founding anniversary of Mountain Province because of the physical presence of Gov. Mayaen, Mt. Prov. newspaper publisher Greg Taguiba and information officer Angel Baybay.

The province’s anniversary that was the main event was complimented by a colorful Lang-ay parade and street dancing the next day. According to observers, the Lang-ay was a far better cultural presentation in comparison to Baguio’s Panagbenga. -marchfianza777@yahoo.com