LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L.
Fianza
BAGUIO CITY -- Barangay elections would no longer be postponed for weak and flimsy reasons by traditional politicians. Thank the SC for fixing a permanent BSKE (barangay and sanggunian kabataan election) date.
Due to its postponement for a couple of times, millions of voters for officials of more than 42,000 barangays were disenfranchised and were unable to replace erring barangay officials. Tomorrow, October 30, 2023; all qualified voters go to the polls to re-elect or choose new barangay kapitanes and kagawads, and SK officials.
It is empowerment of communities at the lowest political unit although at the same time, the roles that the future leaders would be taking are risky. But why barangay posts become hotly contested during the election campaign period, to the extent that human lives are lost is still an issue that baffles authorities.
It alarms many when protagonists in the BSKE who were supposed to be non-partisan do not only suffer serious injuries in election-related incidents but were killed. It puzzles us more because those who run to be in public service, run and get killed instead.
People ask why these things are happening. The Comelec and the public have observed that while elections in Benguet would be peaceful and orderly because the contenders are related by blood or by other means, it is violent in other provinces because the candidates have long standing personal quarrels.
In many parts of the country in past elections, bitter rival political families were publicly blamed for using their power and money to make sure that their relatives were elected as barangay officials. This led to violence involving supporters of candidates. But no one was charged in court.
Although, it has been observed that historically, barangay elections were more challenging in terms of peace and order compared to regular local and national elections. Historically too, elections in some barangays were tainted with corruption, nepotism, and political infighting.
Barangay elections have become personal. In our barangay at New Lucban, I noticed that first cousins fighting over a piece of land filed their candidacies for kagawad. Even residents affected by road-right-of-way problems are candidates.
In social media, promotion of barangay bets entices supporters of rival candidates to post negative comments, black propaganda and disinformation about an opponent which could intensify to violent political campaigning.
As of last Thursday, the Comelec cited that a total of 361 barangays were placed under “red category,” which means there are occurrences of suspected election-related incidents in these areas.
Red category means there are security threats posed by terrorist groups, or if the area has been declared under Comelec control. The poll body also expects that the number of election hotspots could increase before, during and after the elections on October 30.
As of Friday, 250 BSKE aspirants in Abra Province withdrew their candidacies. Most of them are candidates who have relatives holding elective positions in the local government, and they want to avoid disqualification cases after they win in the BSKE.
Some candidates for punong barangay and kagawads were allegedly forced to quit the race. Police have recorded nationwide 18 election-related violence out of the total of 85 incidents as of October 20.
It has always been the case that the results of barangay polls were very significant in all the years following such elections. As elected barangay officials, they are tasked to render services that are very important to their constituents. The priority programs of the government are on their shoulders.
Since the barangay is the most basic local government unit in our country, initial planning of government programs starts with barangay officials and implementation of the same ends with them.
If a certain barangay is primarily into fishing and rice, fruit and vegetable production, then the barangay officials are tasked with focusing on agricultural development initiatives in coordination with higher government agriculture offices.
If private organizations in the barangay are involved in micro, small and medium enterprises that are there to help farmers and fishermen, then their barangay officials are directed to assist them enter into agreements with agencies that provide technical and financial aid, etc.
But we are also aware of barangay officials who are in public service to satisfy their vested interests first, while the welfare of their constituents comes second. In Baguio, Benguet and in all Cordillera provinces, barangay kapitanes join queues in private companies and DPWH offices to follow up infrastructure projects.
They are contractors. Well and good, but there are different kinds here. Some are contractors who at the same time maintain sincerity to serve their constituents. Some others run for punong barangay and have yet to become contractors. When they have become one, they forget about the welfare of their constituents.
The worst kind of candidate for barangay chairman is one who accepts “gifts, money and favors” from private entities even while he is aware that the projects of these companies affect the environmental condition of the community. Because of the favors he receives, his tongue is cut and his eyes are blinded.
If this is so, problems arise because a punong barangay does not have the capacity to address the needs of his constituents. He becomes an obstruction to barangay development. Therefore, voters should scrutinize the persons running for barangay positions and analyze their reasons for running.
Voters should choose leaders who are aware of issues affecting their barangays. Our leaders should be promoters for change. As such, their roles are important in the delivery of basic social services, local development and poverty-alleviation.
True, we elect officials and get the service we deserve. Not only that, voters in barangay and SK elections should remember that what ails a small part of the barangay is an ailment that affects the whole community. Vote wisely!
LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March
L. Fianza
‘Let there be light’
BAKUN, Benguet -- I am
not surprised why Kit Gonzales or whoever among the good guys of Benguet
Electric Cooperative would choose a
title such as this for the joint ceremonial energization and switch-on event
for Barangay Kayapa, Bakun and Barangay Tacadang, Kibungan.
Let there be light. Indeed, it fits the event which I really had to attend, thanks to my pilot Kit who sees to it that no passenger on his Jimny gets bored even while the trip starts at a time when everybody should be fast asleep.
The road to Kayapa via Sudipen, La Union had changed as compared to the last trip I had in 2012. It is even more incomparable with my first encounter of the mountain road sometime in 1984 when I guided an American Peace Corps volunteer assigned there.
The energization was not only to cater to the amenities of good life such as TV sets, cell phone chargers, wifi, etc. but a blessing to 48 year-old Martin Dagwasi, a cut-flower farmer who could now install lights in his greenhouses at Sitio Liblibo, Kayapa.
Martin said, raising cut-flowers is a flourishing industry in his barangay, considering the number of bundles of Malaysian Rados that nearby towns in Ilocos Sur and as far as Manila can order. The last order was for 100 bundles.
The cut-flower gardener said, orders come before All Saints Day, Christmas, Valentines, school graduation and special events, including Mother’s Day. The thriving industry is considered an alternative to rice and vegetable farming in Kayapa and other barangays in Bakun.
I suggest unsolicited that instead of funding the ELCAC and the confidential fund of dirty politicians, the government provides money to farmers in remote areas to stop them from growing that weed with the fragrant smell that makes cops high. With good money from cut-flowers, who would think of joining Joma?
The joint ceremony was held with Kayapa Punong Barangay Mateo T. Langpaoen leading residents representing more than 20 beneficiary-households from nine sitios and two more sitios of Barangay Tacadang, Kibungan in switching the dummy board on October 18, 2023.
This marked the energization of the beneficiary houses implemented by Beneco under the Sitio Energization Program (SEP) of the government through the National Electrification Administration (NEA).
By the way, while interim board head Steve Cating was saying his piece, I was immersed in an interesting conversation with two housewives who told me that the Benguet-Ilocos Sur boundary must have moved with the latter insisting that Tacadang is part of its territory.
Of course, since a part of Kibungan was a beneficiary of the SEP, the presence of public servants Mayor Cesar Molitas and Vice Mayor Edwin Nitron could not be discounted. They were present along with their councilors.
Side by side with the SEP, around 250 men, women, children, including the elderly availed of free medical and dental services, received free medicines and consultation; aside from getting “electrified” by P7.3 million, 300 electric posts, 10 kilometers of lines and buckets of sweat and tears of Beneco linemen.
**
I was quite absorbed with the statements of some Itogon elders last week who made clarifications regarding their actions which they claimed were legitimate that made them sign the memorandum of agreement for the application for productivity sharing agreement (APSA 103) of Itogon Suyoc Resources Inc. (ISRI).
The panelists in a prescon were one in saying that there were no violations of the Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process as they related in chronology the events that took place since the APSA was filed.
Ms. Rosita Bargaso, president of Itogon Indigenous Peoples Organization read the events that took place prior to the signing of the MOA, saying further that everybody affected by the APSA were given opportunities to air their side.
She said the concerns of the affected communities were inserted in the MOA. Still, the Dalicno residents expressed doubts over ISRI’s application saying the reasons behind it might be “personal”.
And so, the September 13, 2023 meeting at Dalicno was scheduled. Ampucao IPO leader Paulino Pal-lay said they had to perform their role as COELs to the extent of holding special consultations so that the concerns of Dalicno would be included in the MOA.
Eventually, the water sources, built-up areas, small-scale mining areas and No Mining Zone were removed from the 581 hectares applied for by ISRI which left only 269 hectares for the APSA.
In addition, the company had water rights at Maupa but decided to share it with Dalicno since everybody needs water. They observed that ISRI was amenable to addressing the terms and conditions of the community. These made them sign the MOA.
But a part of the September 13, 2023 meeting was missing. The paper that Ms. Bargaso read and the AIPO report deliberately failed to include the incident where a public official disrupted a meeting which dispersed the crowd.
That disruption apparently lessened the number of residents who were there to participate in voting for “excise or consent”. Allan Sabiano of Dalicno mentioned the incident in a social media page but did not name the official.
In fairness to the AIPO, they certainly called for consultations and dialogues. Although what I noticed was that the MOA was made final, not by an assembly of members of the ancestral domain in attendance, but by mere COEL representatives.
Let us give the IIPO and AIPO the benefit of the doubt that they were not aware of that part of the FPIC process. But I believe there was a violation of the process although this can be corrected if the MOA signatories know what to do. Let there be light.
By the way, Section 18 of NCIP AO 2 S. 2012 required an IPO to renew its registration every two years. The IPO concerned cannot sit and wait for it to be cancelled. If so, then the registration life of IIPO had lapsed. If that cannot be fixed, then all the IPO’s prior acts could be invalidated.
Let there be light. Indeed, it fits the event which I really had to attend, thanks to my pilot Kit who sees to it that no passenger on his Jimny gets bored even while the trip starts at a time when everybody should be fast asleep.
The road to Kayapa via Sudipen, La Union had changed as compared to the last trip I had in 2012. It is even more incomparable with my first encounter of the mountain road sometime in 1984 when I guided an American Peace Corps volunteer assigned there.
The energization was not only to cater to the amenities of good life such as TV sets, cell phone chargers, wifi, etc. but a blessing to 48 year-old Martin Dagwasi, a cut-flower farmer who could now install lights in his greenhouses at Sitio Liblibo, Kayapa.
Martin said, raising cut-flowers is a flourishing industry in his barangay, considering the number of bundles of Malaysian Rados that nearby towns in Ilocos Sur and as far as Manila can order. The last order was for 100 bundles.
The cut-flower gardener said, orders come before All Saints Day, Christmas, Valentines, school graduation and special events, including Mother’s Day. The thriving industry is considered an alternative to rice and vegetable farming in Kayapa and other barangays in Bakun.
I suggest unsolicited that instead of funding the ELCAC and the confidential fund of dirty politicians, the government provides money to farmers in remote areas to stop them from growing that weed with the fragrant smell that makes cops high. With good money from cut-flowers, who would think of joining Joma?
The joint ceremony was held with Kayapa Punong Barangay Mateo T. Langpaoen leading residents representing more than 20 beneficiary-households from nine sitios and two more sitios of Barangay Tacadang, Kibungan in switching the dummy board on October 18, 2023.
This marked the energization of the beneficiary houses implemented by Beneco under the Sitio Energization Program (SEP) of the government through the National Electrification Administration (NEA).
By the way, while interim board head Steve Cating was saying his piece, I was immersed in an interesting conversation with two housewives who told me that the Benguet-Ilocos Sur boundary must have moved with the latter insisting that Tacadang is part of its territory.
Of course, since a part of Kibungan was a beneficiary of the SEP, the presence of public servants Mayor Cesar Molitas and Vice Mayor Edwin Nitron could not be discounted. They were present along with their councilors.
Side by side with the SEP, around 250 men, women, children, including the elderly availed of free medical and dental services, received free medicines and consultation; aside from getting “electrified” by P7.3 million, 300 electric posts, 10 kilometers of lines and buckets of sweat and tears of Beneco linemen.
**
I was quite absorbed with the statements of some Itogon elders last week who made clarifications regarding their actions which they claimed were legitimate that made them sign the memorandum of agreement for the application for productivity sharing agreement (APSA 103) of Itogon Suyoc Resources Inc. (ISRI).
The panelists in a prescon were one in saying that there were no violations of the Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process as they related in chronology the events that took place since the APSA was filed.
Ms. Rosita Bargaso, president of Itogon Indigenous Peoples Organization read the events that took place prior to the signing of the MOA, saying further that everybody affected by the APSA were given opportunities to air their side.
She said the concerns of the affected communities were inserted in the MOA. Still, the Dalicno residents expressed doubts over ISRI’s application saying the reasons behind it might be “personal”.
And so, the September 13, 2023 meeting at Dalicno was scheduled. Ampucao IPO leader Paulino Pal-lay said they had to perform their role as COELs to the extent of holding special consultations so that the concerns of Dalicno would be included in the MOA.
Eventually, the water sources, built-up areas, small-scale mining areas and No Mining Zone were removed from the 581 hectares applied for by ISRI which left only 269 hectares for the APSA.
In addition, the company had water rights at Maupa but decided to share it with Dalicno since everybody needs water. They observed that ISRI was amenable to addressing the terms and conditions of the community. These made them sign the MOA.
But a part of the September 13, 2023 meeting was missing. The paper that Ms. Bargaso read and the AIPO report deliberately failed to include the incident where a public official disrupted a meeting which dispersed the crowd.
That disruption apparently lessened the number of residents who were there to participate in voting for “excise or consent”. Allan Sabiano of Dalicno mentioned the incident in a social media page but did not name the official.
In fairness to the AIPO, they certainly called for consultations and dialogues. Although what I noticed was that the MOA was made final, not by an assembly of members of the ancestral domain in attendance, but by mere COEL representatives.
Let us give the IIPO and AIPO the benefit of the doubt that they were not aware of that part of the FPIC process. But I believe there was a violation of the process although this can be corrected if the MOA signatories know what to do. Let there be light.
By the way, Section 18 of NCIP AO 2 S. 2012 required an IPO to renew its registration every two years. The IPO concerned cannot sit and wait for it to be cancelled. If so, then the registration life of IIPO had lapsed. If that cannot be fixed, then all the IPO’s prior acts could be invalidated.
LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March
L. Fianza
Intolerable air descends upon Benguet
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- What
is happening in Benguet? It looks like we no longer have municipal and
provincial officials who can look after the towns’ and province’s affairs. As if
we are passengers in a runaway car on neutral gear with no brakes and without a
driver on the steering wheel.
For a starter, I was told that one 800 square-meter lot along Longlong Road where a cottage owned by the Benguet State University (BSU) once stood was clandestinely sold to a contractor from Bakun for only P2 million. On that site now stands a restaurant.
My informant gave me the identity of the first buyer and the name of the eatery but asked that these be kept secret in the meantime. Additional information reached me that the first buyer in turn sold the property to a lady contractor for a higher amount of P5 million.
BSU employees used to stay at the cottage but were removed and transferred to another property to give way to the illegal sale. Apparently, the illicit sale of the BSU lot did not pass through the BOR or through the legal processes.
In 2017, BSU still had some 265 hectares. The land area has already been reduced to about 100 hectares during the last school administration up to the present.
That is alarming. What now remains of the land include the swamp area where the strawberries grow and the residential houses at Betag and Balili.
That, in addition to the fisheries area, the built-up areas consisting of school buildings inside the main campus, commercial stalls at Km. 5, the coffee plantations and the lands at Longlong which included the property that was recently sold discreetly.
BSU has a website but obviously, it does not show anything related to the school’s land area, and how many were lost to squatters or how many hectares were cunningly sold. Why it is being allowed and who allowed it are things that everybody wants to find out.
But that topic has been avoided by BSU officials since the number of structures inside the proclamation had increased. That is why the inquiries do not stop popping up because it is noticeable that more and more private houses are sprouting on the perimeters.
At this point, the Benguet provincial board and the La Trinidad municipal council should dip their fingers to feel the hotness of the issue and prevent matters from getting hotter and more obnoxious.
Then I learned that another BSU cottage of an employee was eventually taken into possession by a public official after the property was bought for only P200,000.
But prior to all irregularities, a blind item in a newspaper accused a BSU dean of bringing home used construction material.
I suspect the alleged purchases and the involved amounts spreading around in the university canteens, in coffee and barber shops are not the true figures, considering that the buyer and the seller will not divulge the real amounts of cash or check that changed hands.
What has to be confirmed is if there is truth to the information that Felipe Comila as BSU president was asked to file an early retirement effective the soonest to avoid being brought to court for the anomalous transactions that could have involved anybody, or would stay longer to clean up the mess in the school.
No one said that Comila was embroiled in these recent acts, but resigning from government does not exonerate anybody involved from the criminal charges.
To start clearing things, he could launch a census to find out how many houses are inside the proclamation, whether these were legally or illegally constructed.
Then let us pray that solutions fall into place.
Sometime in 2017, legislative measures were approved by the Benguet provincial board and the municipal council of La Trinidad seeking to stop the conversion of the remaining open spaces within the area of the Benguet State University, particularly the agricultural farmlands adjacent to the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC).
The area is around 40 hectares. It has become a tourist hub, thanks to the strawberry and vegetable plantations that continue to attract tourists from all over the world all year round. But it is threatened by the presence of businessmen who by nature are aggressive and enterprising and would do anything to own a piece of BSU.
The two LGU resolutions sponsored by the late Board Member Apolinario Camsol and La Trinidad Councilor Renato Tereng, respectively, called for the preservation of the remaining garden paddies for ecological balance and to prevent environmental destruction.
The BSU gardens help sustain the town’s economy too.
If they are truly for BSU, the alumni association should file for an inquiry. CHED too should be alarmed and informed of what is happening in one of its universities, unless they already know this but are mum about it.
The BSU board of regents has the duty to call for an inquiry to clarify things to get rid of the dirty air circulating in and around BSU. More importantly, in aid of legislation, the provincial board can stop the present land area of BSU from shrinking due to illegal sales.
By the way, I heard complaints from friends in the health care profession in Benguet that they have yet to receive their Covid-19 health emergency allowance. This, despite PBBM’s promise in his SONA last July. Like parrots, health officials re-echoed PBBM’s promise but it is taking too long, and it remains a promise.
The DBM in October last year released a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) amounting to P1.04 billion to the DOH to cover the special risk allowance (SRA) of public and private health workers involved in COVID-19 health care response.
For health workers in Benguet and since the Benguet General Hospital is operated by the province, it is time the provincial board and the governor who is a medical doctor should look into their concern. Surely, they know that the selflessness and immense sacrifices of our health workers during the pandemic should be recognized by paying their HEA.
For a starter, I was told that one 800 square-meter lot along Longlong Road where a cottage owned by the Benguet State University (BSU) once stood was clandestinely sold to a contractor from Bakun for only P2 million. On that site now stands a restaurant.
My informant gave me the identity of the first buyer and the name of the eatery but asked that these be kept secret in the meantime. Additional information reached me that the first buyer in turn sold the property to a lady contractor for a higher amount of P5 million.
BSU employees used to stay at the cottage but were removed and transferred to another property to give way to the illegal sale. Apparently, the illicit sale of the BSU lot did not pass through the BOR or through the legal processes.
In 2017, BSU still had some 265 hectares. The land area has already been reduced to about 100 hectares during the last school administration up to the present.
That is alarming. What now remains of the land include the swamp area where the strawberries grow and the residential houses at Betag and Balili.
That, in addition to the fisheries area, the built-up areas consisting of school buildings inside the main campus, commercial stalls at Km. 5, the coffee plantations and the lands at Longlong which included the property that was recently sold discreetly.
BSU has a website but obviously, it does not show anything related to the school’s land area, and how many were lost to squatters or how many hectares were cunningly sold. Why it is being allowed and who allowed it are things that everybody wants to find out.
But that topic has been avoided by BSU officials since the number of structures inside the proclamation had increased. That is why the inquiries do not stop popping up because it is noticeable that more and more private houses are sprouting on the perimeters.
At this point, the Benguet provincial board and the La Trinidad municipal council should dip their fingers to feel the hotness of the issue and prevent matters from getting hotter and more obnoxious.
Then I learned that another BSU cottage of an employee was eventually taken into possession by a public official after the property was bought for only P200,000.
But prior to all irregularities, a blind item in a newspaper accused a BSU dean of bringing home used construction material.
I suspect the alleged purchases and the involved amounts spreading around in the university canteens, in coffee and barber shops are not the true figures, considering that the buyer and the seller will not divulge the real amounts of cash or check that changed hands.
What has to be confirmed is if there is truth to the information that Felipe Comila as BSU president was asked to file an early retirement effective the soonest to avoid being brought to court for the anomalous transactions that could have involved anybody, or would stay longer to clean up the mess in the school.
No one said that Comila was embroiled in these recent acts, but resigning from government does not exonerate anybody involved from the criminal charges.
To start clearing things, he could launch a census to find out how many houses are inside the proclamation, whether these were legally or illegally constructed.
Then let us pray that solutions fall into place.
Sometime in 2017, legislative measures were approved by the Benguet provincial board and the municipal council of La Trinidad seeking to stop the conversion of the remaining open spaces within the area of the Benguet State University, particularly the agricultural farmlands adjacent to the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC).
The area is around 40 hectares. It has become a tourist hub, thanks to the strawberry and vegetable plantations that continue to attract tourists from all over the world all year round. But it is threatened by the presence of businessmen who by nature are aggressive and enterprising and would do anything to own a piece of BSU.
The two LGU resolutions sponsored by the late Board Member Apolinario Camsol and La Trinidad Councilor Renato Tereng, respectively, called for the preservation of the remaining garden paddies for ecological balance and to prevent environmental destruction.
The BSU gardens help sustain the town’s economy too.
If they are truly for BSU, the alumni association should file for an inquiry. CHED too should be alarmed and informed of what is happening in one of its universities, unless they already know this but are mum about it.
The BSU board of regents has the duty to call for an inquiry to clarify things to get rid of the dirty air circulating in and around BSU. More importantly, in aid of legislation, the provincial board can stop the present land area of BSU from shrinking due to illegal sales.
By the way, I heard complaints from friends in the health care profession in Benguet that they have yet to receive their Covid-19 health emergency allowance. This, despite PBBM’s promise in his SONA last July. Like parrots, health officials re-echoed PBBM’s promise but it is taking too long, and it remains a promise.
The DBM in October last year released a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) amounting to P1.04 billion to the DOH to cover the special risk allowance (SRA) of public and private health workers involved in COVID-19 health care response.
For health workers in Benguet and since the Benguet General Hospital is operated by the province, it is time the provincial board and the governor who is a medical doctor should look into their concern. Surely, they know that the selflessness and immense sacrifices of our health workers during the pandemic should be recognized by paying their HEA.
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