Bontoc’s home but it ain’t mine no more

March FIanza

Before delivering his formal speech, he mentioned something about missing his hometown and how he becomes homesick at times. Taking it from Neil Diamond’s hit song “I am… I said”, District Engr Emmanuel W. Diaz quoted a revised part of the song that goes: “Pangasinan is fine but it ain’t home, Bontoc’s home but it ain’t mine no more…”

Four years ago, our paths crossed and Noel told me he was appointed as District Engineer of Pangasinan and holds office in Rosales. Fast forward to last week, Noel as I used to call him, minus the “engr” or “sir” or “boss” titles, was the guest speaker during the 48th Foundation Day of Mountain Province.

And so it came to my mind, DE Diaz standing reservedly in front of his kailians and delivering a well-researched speech is not the typical Noel that I used to see in maong jacket, and me, no longer his “glassmate”. That was then when now US expats Conrad Marzan, Richard Arandia, Tom Castro and Brazil migrant Jess “banjoman” Solota and I used to visit Bontoc, courtesy of Mayor and Mrs Diaz and their sons who were also in to music and wine, minus the “W”.

The last time I had spirits with Engr. Emmanuel W. Diaz was sometime in 1988-89 in Bontoc when his papa was mayor of the capital town. Normally, college kids who are in and out of school encounter the same exploits. Thus, when mayor Diaz invited us to the Bontoc fiesta, there was nothing more to do other than bar-hopped the liquor stores that lined one edge of the main road until we reached the folk and country bar that stood beside the Chico River under the bridge that led to Samoki.

            

I think, the more appropriate tune is that 1965 song by John Lennon that goes: “There are places I remember, all my life, though some have changed. Some forever not for better, some have gone and some remain. All these places had their moments, with lovers and friendsI still can recall. Some are dead and some are living, in my life I've loved them all.”

Although there is nothing permanent in this world because things really change, I feel that this applies only to some, but not for all. As I have been saying, like any other guy who looks for something to write about, I elicited stories from rookie policemen and army soldiers. Today, I remain a newspaperman while they are now generals and have even retired.

For Baguio-based newsmen, they cover almost everything from their news sources such as the DepEd, DENR, DAR, DA, LGUs, etc. Today, they remain as such while their news sources have been promoted to school superintendents, agency directors, or have become mayors and governors from being barangay kagawads and town councilors.

Engr. Diaz who is at the moment the only Igorot DPWH engineer CESO eligible, was assigned to head the third engineering district (DEO3-Pangasinan) that serves legislative districts 5 and 6, covering 19 municipalities and one city in Eastern Pangasinan. As such, he told me that his job is not as easy as eating peanuts. 

The problems that his district are trying to address are the worsening traffic problem and the more pronounced flooding which are the focus of the DPWH. These are tied to a more common problem which is the encroachment of the Right of Way (ROW) on both national roads and easement of rivers and creeks. These are the main causes of delay in the implementation of projects because negotiations in the removal of encroachments takes too much time.

Paired with the encroachment on ROW is the fact that the DPWH will have to cut at least 2, 000 trees to give way for road widening which is the only solution to solving the traffic situation. In exchange, the DPWH and the DENR planted a total of more than 220,000 trees in several watersheds to replace those that will soon be removed.

It is a “damn if you do, damn if you don’t” situation. As a young boy, Engr. Diaz exactly knows the importance of trees saying he “grew up in the mountains hugging trees almost everyday so I have a special attachment to trees. But I have a mandate to fulfill as a DPWH engineer”.

On the other hand, they are being watched and opposed by environmentalists who are against the cutting of the trees. But he spends hours to explain their situation and that from this time onwards, the amount of carbon sequestered from the 220,000 growing trees planted by the DPWH and DENR within District 3 will be 1,000 times more than the amount sequestered by 2,000 old and dying trees.

When I asked my old friend if he has intentions of entering politics in the future, he said that he thinks he can serve the public better as a technocrat. “Besides I want to see where my destiny leads me in my career as a civil servant, although of course I wish I would be given the chance to fulfill my boyhood dream to be part of the development of Mountain Province.”

His answer lies between the lines. Lastly, he hopes we can find time to kill a bottle to make up for lost time. That, I will not miss. See you soon Noel, I mean DE Diaz.