One fine summer/ Talks with Benguet Rep. Cosalan

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

The searing heat brings back thoughts of the summer of 1998 when we joined a media “safari” to Benguet towns passing through the Ambuklao-Bokod-Kabayan-Buguias-Halsema road artery.

It was a tour I remember since it was so hard to concentrate on the beautiful scenery with the late PTV8 Jun Willy, a race car driver at the wheel of a Blue Thunderbird which went so fast on the dirt road our privates went up to our stomachs as others ate our dust. 

We went to Kabayan where again, limnek manen ti maiduldulin when we rode a cable car or rather a tray made of steel bars at Anchokey from one mountain to another. The river below looked the size of a finger and while the tray was moving, strong gusts of wind swept it from side to side that we prayed to Kabunian that if ever we will get back alive, we would become better persons.

***

But such is life, it is still pretty much the same habits with the often occasional partaking of spirits at Luisa’s Restaurant, the undisputed media watering hole along Session Road in Baguio.

Tourists were still a few then in kabayan where the famed Mt. Pulag, the second highest peak in the country is located. We slept in a school nearby Bokod town where the late Peppot Ilagan, former editor of the Baguio-based Gold Ore which was later renamed City Digest made fun of us.

Since we were all tired from the trip and the spirits, most of us readily slept.

It was here that Peppot took out his old trusty tape recorder and recorded for posterity snores of each one and labeling them with his voice: “This is Jun Willy asleep” or Richard Valdez (now the station of manager of PTV 8 in Baguio) about to have a heart attack.”

The next day, Peppot rode a jeep, part of our caravan, which had a public address  system attached to it and played the tape. As it got nearer to us, we heard the horrible sounds of our snores some like a boar due for slaughter or a screeching jet plane much to the gleeful delight of Peppot.

On the way to Buguias, we viewed vegetable gardens vanishing from our view since it was getting late and the clouds were slowly creeping from the foot of the mountain below up to the sky. One could see farmers carrying vegetables to the road to be transported to urban centers.

***

At that time, there were a few houses and buildings along the road. At Barangay Abatan in Buguias, some of us jammed with a band. Now I hear, such pubs there have been replaced by so-called beautiful “saklot girls” who come from as far as the Visayas much to consternation of housewives who often catch their husbands in the places of hidden delight.

It was here where we heard a joke of two women in the area who were gathering potatoes from a farm. One of the women unearthed a rather huge potato and told her companion: “No makitkitak ngay daytoy ket malaglagip ko ni lakay ko (When I look at this I remember my husband.”

Her companion asked: “Kasta ba kadakkel na (Is that how large it is?). She shot back:”Haan, kastoy karugit na (No, this is how dirty it is). Somebody in the group said: “Ninayunan da pay kuma a iti tuloy na – Mabalin pay nga mulaan pechay (They should have added, ‘one can even pechay on it.)’”

I hope nobody would bash me like Gabriela for this joke. I wouldn’t like to be in presidential frontrunner Digong Duterte’s shoes for his statements over a rape victim. I’m happy enough with my peaceful life.

Anyway, we went back to Baguio for the usual spirits at Luisa’s where Peppot recounted and explained why my neighbor in this paper March Fianza went to the Convention Center late by three hours when we were about to start the safari.

Peppot said March was late since he waited for one of the first Tamaraw FX taxis to bring him to our starting point. Nobody contested his opinion.

What happened to the tape, we don’t know since nobody bothered to ask him about it. Peppot has since left for the great newsroom in the sky and once in a while, like this summer, we remember years gone by.     

***

I’m reminded of the 1998 tour since I attended a press conference Thursday at the El Cielito Inn in Baguio where I saw Benguet Rep. Ronald Cosalan who made the then media safari possible with March as point man.

Cosalan, also then the congressman wanted media to see Benguet towns so they could interview mayors and local folks and get ideas of how such rural areas could be developed like those on tourism.

***

At that time, some came up with stories on the dirt roads and if I remember right, I wrote an article on cable cars as viable alternative to transport vegetables and people in Benguet for the Philippine Daily Inquirer where I was with then.  

Halsema Highway, then considered the most dangerous road has changed since then with it concreted, like the roads we traversed during the trip due to fund allocations lobbied for by Cosalan. Former Rep. Samuel Dangwa had also allotted funds for road construction during his term.

***

During the press con, Cosalan was with Vice Gov. Nelson Dangwa and Board member Florence Tingbaoen. Cosalan is running for the same post with Dangwa for governor and Tingbaoen for vice governor under the administration’s Daang Matuwid Team.  

The Cosalan and Dangwa families have been at odds with the lawyer-fathers of Ronald (Andres) often slugging it out for the congressional seat with Nelson’s (Samuel.)

Now both families have teamed up in what political analysts say is a formidable team considering they come from the two most powerful political families in Benguet.

***

Cosalan was asked during the press con how Benguet politics was. He said  candidates could be locked in one room for a day and they wouldn’t become bored since they would be swapping stories unlike other places where poll bets kill each other. 

Questions were thrown at the three and the impression we got was it takes a lot to be a congressman. In the case of Cosalan, a lawyer, he had been like a grizzled bear who over the years, thought and fought it out to get funding and bring home the bacon, so to speak -- to his constituents considering he had the right connections, credentials and skill.

***

As head of the Lower House’s powerful committee on infrastructure, it was during Cosalan’s term that most roads of Benguet were improved or started like those reaching farms and now, one need not have a 4x4 vehicle to go to any part of Benguet.

Cosalan said he had more or less the same vision with that of the Dangwa’s for the development of Benguet that they agreed to team up.

He said he was in favor of returning the (Presidential Development Acceleration Fund) PDAF since congressmen can easily allot funds for projects or address financial problems among their constituencies fast. Under the present setup, he said congressmen can allot funds but these will have to pass through line agencies. 

Some regional directors have been observed to be sitting on such projects to the detriment of constituents. Cosalan said most line agencies concentrate on urban areas for projects that the grassroots in rural areas are neglected.     

***

On the issue of vegetable smuggling, Cosalan said he had been in constant coordination with the Bureau of Customs to stop this and with the Dept. of Agriculture to lessen or stop issuance of permits to businessmen or governments of foreign countries who dump their vegetables or fruit products in the country.

With this setup, he said farmers have a hard time coping with prices of foreign products since farmers of such countries are heavily subsidized with farm inputs.

***

Regarding the TPLEX, the highway connecting Manila to Northern Luzon, Cosalan said he had heavily lobbied that the original plan be followed for it to end at Kennon Road or Marcos Highway.

Some politicians have pushed that the TPLEX should end at La Union but according to Cosalan, this would mean a longer route for those from the Cordillera particularly Benguet and Baguio like the farmers. He said at this time, the original plan would be followed with the contractor finishing it next year.

***

It was known during the press con that a bill authored by Cosalan lowering retirement age of surface mine workers from 60 to 50 years old was signed into law by President Aquino on April 8. Implementing rules and regulations of the law would be out next month, he said.

On the controversy of the relocation of farmers and traders from the old trading post in the capital town of La Trinidad to the new one at the Strawberry Farm, Cosalan said it would be better to wait for the courts to decide. He said meanwhile, contending parties could hold negotiations to stop the impasse and look for a win-win solution for all.