PASSING LANES

Why does Benguet have to beg for what is hers
Jorge Pawid

Some national laws that provide for the allocation of shares for local government units hosting projects providing large sums of taxes to the national government are flawed as far as the smooth transfer of shares to these host localities.

Such is the case of the provincial government of Benguet and some host municipalities to multi-national mining companies and independent power producers. The province is host to the Lepanto (Mankayan) and Philex mines (Itogon and Tuba). Bakun, Sablan, Tuba, La Trinidad and Itogon are sites of mini-hydros of the Hydro Electric Corporation (HEDCOR) and a sister company.

From the sales of these multi-million grossing companies, the hosts are entitled to some percentages as shares as stipulated in the National Wealth tax law and some local agreements entered into as in the case of HEDCOR in La Trinidad.

While the shares are dutifully remitted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, national government seems to take for granted the smooth release of the rightful shares of the local government units. Sometimes, it needs the act of Congress such as incorporating the allocations in the General Appropriations Act for the amounts to be released by the Department of Budget and Management.

We believe that the shares of the province and the host municipalities should be automatically released every year thereafter as long as the companies were in operation. Why should the local government executives spend so much time and effort claim and collect what is rightfully their share.

It is a pity especially for low-income municipalities whose shares will go a long way in terms of projects and programs for their constituents. From these funds can be constructed additional school buildings, barangay roads and pathways, water and irrigation works and even health programs.

What is happening in the implementation of national government release of shares seems to be without sincerity by way of helping those in the countryside especially so that we are the backbone of the country’s economy. Itogon used to host the biggest gold producing mine in the country.

Look at what happened to Bokod and Itogon who host the big dams producing electricity for the companies paying megabucks to the national government. Years of neglect has left Bokod and Itogon undeveloped even after the dam has ceased to be fully productive after more than 40 years of operations.

Even Tuba that hosts a larger part of Philex mines seems undeveloped because the rightful shares are claimed by their main offices in Makati . Only tidbits are thrown back to the municipal government of Tuba. Mankayan shares the same predicament for having Lepanto in its midst. And come to think of it, right in their midst is where the ores are extracted.

Benguet officials have to exert so much extra effort to ensure the arrival of their local government’s shares. We hope the representative of the Benguet people in Congress lends his support. And we want to see dedicated support like how other congressmen fight tooth and nail for their constituents.

We fervently hope so because some Benguet town officials have already sought the assistance of Congressman Domogan of Baguio City to assist them in collecting shares from mini-hydro production.

Itogon officials continue to ask the Department of Energy to compute the taxes due them from the sales and operation of the San Roque Multi-purpose Dam. Until now, their rightful share has not been given them. Some people in national government are not doing their duties. And it has to take the Mayor Mario Godio and his fellow officials to remind them to do so.

Why the way, Domogan who grew up in Lepanto mines last year sponsored a bill in Congress correcting the injustice done to mining communities by directing national government to make sure that taxes due local government units from sales are remitted directly to the local treasuries. Baguio City has no mines but Domogan seems to have a heart of gold for the people of Benguet.

The Benguet people are no beggars and it makes our heart cry to see how some mayors make do in terms of delivering basic services to their constituents with their town’s very meager budgets.

Their shares from national government projects in their towns could very well spell some progress for their constituents. Why should they beg for what is rightfully theirs? Benguet has been blessed with so many natural resources. She has never been selfish to her neighbors and the country. She has shared these resources.

Until now, her immeasurable generosity remains unrecognized. She has been taken for granted for so long. We hope our leaders finally come to realize that our government owes Benguet so much.

PASSING LANES

Cordillera fashion
Jorge Pawid

Congress missed the exquisite and attractive fashion show by former Mt. Province Congresswoman Josephine Dominguez depicting the native colors of the Cordillera. She gave way to her husband in 2004.

Baguio representative Mauricio Domogan, who traces his roots to the backwoods of Mt. Province did continue to wow his counterparts with his sporting of traditional native G-strings at the same time displaying the native colors in the Halls of Congress.

This time, however, the former city mayor has rationalized the need to show his G-strings and long legs well-carved from years of walking the many miles of the manicured golf courses of John Hay and the Baguio Country Club. In fact, it is also known in golf circles that he once teed off dressed in a G-string several years back as a public official.

Domogan said that his donning the G-string is a way of dramatizing the plight of the people of the Cordillera including Baguio City . Of course, this aside from showcasing the native colors and his masculine features.

This fashion show of native colors in Congress, we were told, was actually started by the late Congressman and Governor Alfredo Lamen during his term as representative of the old Mt. Province in Congress.

Lamen was a handsome heavyweight standing 5’10’’. He usually wore the G-string with matching coat without any shirt under and military issue pair of shoes topped by a Stetson cowboy hat.

We came to learn that Lamen became a celebrity overnight especially when in G-string, he took the floor of Congress to deliver a privilege speech demanding for the abolition of the National Bureau of Investigation after he was reportedly arrested by NBI agents the day before in a gambling joint along the sunset strip of Manila Bay .

We were told that the wearing of cowboy hats since then became a fashion tool among politicians and aspiring ones gunning for elective posts.

Even squats with protruding bellies and barely standing below five feet tall followed the fashion statement of Lamen and started sporting cowboy hats. This made and continues to make them look like clowns in the land of the Lilliputians.

During the hearings by the Commission on Appointments for members of the defunct Cordillera Regional Consultative Commission for autonomy in 1988, we witnessed its soon to be chairman in the person of Abrino Aydinan stand before the members of Senate and the House of Representatives in a barong and G-strings displaying the Ifugao colors.

Aydinan would soon wear barongs lined on the frontal left with one-inch native colors. It would soon be adopted and variated by many designers. It is now a common sight in Cordillera offices where men’s barong uniforms are adorned with a touch of Cordillera native colors.

Credit must be given to Domogan for wearing G-strings in public occasions. He has succeeded in bringing consciousness among the young Cordillera natives for the need to preserve native traditions. He must have been in native festivities where in these modern days, the hosts wear their native attire only during the cultural rites.

The Baguio solon soon gained a follower in comebacking Ifugao governor Teddy Baguilat Jr. An Ifugao-Gaddang meztiso, the bachelor Baguilat took his oath as governor in 2001 wearing a Kiangan G-string. Maybe in his oath-taking ceremonies this week before his return to the Ifugao capitol this July, he will again wear that G-string.

Lamen, Domogan and Aydinan had other followers. Among them is former Mt. Province board member and former Tuba councilor Brian Aliping. During the initial Impakabsat Displays of Cordillera products in Metro Manila malls by the Department of Tourism and Trade and Industry, Aliping completed the events donning the Mt. Province G-string and headgear. He was swamped by photographers and overshadowed the product displays.

Like Aliping, others have followed. Not necessarily politicians, Bong Cawed was known to dress in G-strings on city cultural festivities. Like Lamen, he was tall and dark. But I never saw him wear a cowboy hat.

Other town officials in the Cordillera’s six provinces and Baguio City occasionally put on their native colors. We now have coats (americanas) and lady’s gowns made up of native material. Some are even of the same color and designs as that of curtains and seat covers found in government offices.

Other native colors have found themselves as table clothes. These same material and color also make up native clothing for some.

We also saw some people having the native cloth that is reserved exclusively by Ibaloys as blankets for the dead into material for clothes designed for the living. Hehehe. What would be next in Cordillera fashion?

PASSING LANES

Executive-legislative agenda
Jorge Pawid

In the past administrations of Benguet, there appeared to be intense conflict of concerns among provincial officials in the executive and legislative bodies.

Time and again, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan took the chief executive (governor) to task over projects and government programs. On the other hand, the governor dished out the same stand on matters endorsed by the local legislature. In the end, so much time was wasted in meeting for nothing with the officials unmindful of the value of their salaried time paid by the citizenry in taxes.

In Baguio City , officials took time out as early as July to sit down and draw an executive-legislative agenda as early as the first month of each new administration. The city mayor, vice mayor and members of the city council went out of town one weekend to shed-off the political irritants that clothed them in the last elections. Same is true in La Trinidad, Benguet's capital town, during the tenure of Mayor Nestor Fongwan.

More important was to thresh out what each and every official wants for Baguio and their constituents. The officials came back home with an understanding - a drawn policy to uphold the best for the city.

This coming July, officials of both the executive and legislative of Benguet and Baguio should do the same thing. This would be for the best of their constituents.

In their forthcoming session, definitely there would be conflicting positions by legislators and executives. There will be arguments and debates, statistics presented to educate the ignorant and convincing thesis that may eventually lead to a resolution.

But in the end, the best for the jurisdiction and constituents will be resolved. That is democracy.

Back to the Benguet scenario, we have a new governor in the person of La Trinidad three-term mayor Fongwan. The presiding officer of the provincial board is re-elected vice governor Cresencio Pacalso, himself a three-term mayor of Itogon. Both have extensive background in local government administration as executives and members of the legislative council.

There are new and old faces in the provincial board. Most of the new Sangguniang Panlalawigan members are composed of former municipal mayors (who started as councilors) and councilors. These breed have extensive experience in town planning, social engineering and knowledge in accessing funds from the national government and international funding bodies.

Others are members are professionals belonging to the academe and law profession who learned their politics while being members of the board.

Also in attendance in board sessions is the representative of the Philippine Councilors League, Association of Barangay Captains and the Sangguniang Kabataan. The first two have experience in local affairs of the community.

With this new crop of Benguet officials, we know that their executive-legislative agenda for the province would be attainable. We hope that with the new leadership, in the person of Fongwan, and the dynamic cast of members of the provincial board; Benguet's development would be faster.

Surely, there would be conflicts but these could be resolved. That is Benguet politics. Without debate, there would be no democracy and room for innovations to better ideas and the corresponding implementation of projects and programs.

Fongwan's campaign platform was anchored on the dwindling Benguet vegetable and small scale mining industry. These are the top two money-earners for the province's constituents. His platform includes programs that would strengthen the economic development of Benguet.

With a dynamic membership in the board who all have visions of development, we hope both bodies will now forget politics and concentrate on Benguet's future. A shaky one to say the least. Why?

Benguet has to be prepared for the full implementation of World Trade. As in past columns, it is clear that Chinese vegetables will soon invade our markets. They are cheaper and our peso's buying power is not getting any better.

Even the price of gold is unstable. The small-scale mining industry will soon die. Environmental laws are getting to be strictly implemented and this will affect the key players.

Let us be optimistic. Let us make our leaders have a wider view of how we can push Benguet. Let us hope and pray. Let us help our leaders.

PASSING LANES

Team Unity’s debacle, Ate Vi’s lament
Jorge Pawid

Election officials last Wednesday evening proclaimed the top 10 new senators victorious in the May 14 local and national elections. These new lawmakers will serve from noon of June 30, 2007 until noon of June 30, 2013; or a term of six years.

The Commission on Elections will proclaim the last two winning senators after they shall have canvassed all votes from the remaining Mindanao provinces whose returns have yet to be counted by the National Board of Canvassers.

And until the results of the still to be scheduled and conducted Maguindanao Special Elections shall have been canvassed, there will be 12 new senators .

Among the 10 new senators; six are from the Genuine Opposition (GO), two from Team Unity (TU) and two independents.

As of last Comelec count, renegade soldier Antonio Trillanes IV and Koko Pimentel, both of GO, are holding on to the 11th and 12th slots respectively. Hoping to dislodge Pimentel is TU bet Miguel Zubiri whose votes from Surigao del Norte (his bailiwick) are still to be canvassed.
With the proclamation of the ten winning senators, the administration’s TU conceded that the most winning bets they can place in the new Senate will be three faces, if Zubiri could squeeze his way in and push Pimentel or Trillanes out of the Magic 12.

Palace officials these week debunked claims of the GO that the poor showing of TU in the senatorial race was not due to the “loss of trust by the electorate in the Arroyo administration”.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita claimed that the expected support from machineries and logistics of local candidates allied with the administration did not materialize in most areas because the local bets had to fend for themselves in their own candidacies. That was a very acceptable reason from the Palace.

Ermita was quick to disagree that the administration suffered a defeat in the just concluded polls citing that the new House of Representatives still has its loyalty to the Arroyo administration having won most of the seats. And the same is true among the thousands of local positions in the local governments.

Administration-allied bets won overwhelmingly the majority of seats as newly elected local officials for 2007-2010.

The picture could have changed for TU had the administration decided that there would only be one or a single administration ticket per local government unit. But such was not the case.

There were several administration bets gunning for the same positions. In some areas, there were slates or candidates allied the GMA-backed Lakas, the KAMPI, and so with Manila Mayor Lito Atienza’s Liberal Party wing, Senator Edgardo Angara’s LDP and the business tycoon Eduardo Cojuanco’s Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) all at the same time contesting the same local positions.

So instead of campaigning for the TU senate ticket simultaneously, they had to battle it out among themselves for the local positions. Isn’t it that a candidate running for a local position should put his survival ahead before others. This is natural behavior.
* * *
Batangas incoming governor Vilma Santos statement that her husband’s defeat in this senatorial race was because of the non-support of governors of the 73 provinces in the country to Recto’s candidacy is grossly unfair.

In the first place, Ms. Santos is not yet a member of the Governor’s League of the Philippines. She is still to be sworn in. So, how could she have gained the support of the league?

As Ermita said, candidates for local positions – among them gubernatorial aspirants and re-electionists were busy propping up their own candidacies. In fact, some of them lost their battles. Among them is Santos’ opponent, incumbent Batangas governor Armando Sanchez.

And in the Cordillera, we have Benguet and Ifugao governors Melchor and Prudenciano losing their seats despite belonging to the Lakas. Some incumbent governors gunning for congressional seats also lost their bids despite belonging to the administration. In fact, some lost to pro-administration aspirants.

This corner’s own analysis of the Recto debacle would point the blame partly to Ate Vi. Had she played statesman and decided not run for governor and not confront her brother-in-law (Vice Gov. Recto) in jockeying for the gubernatorial aspirant post, maybe the Batanguenos could have given Ralph a solid Batangas vote.

Instead, the Batangas vote for Recto’s re-election bid was split. As it is, Ralph’s brother ran for a congressional seat (and lost) under the GO while Gov. Sanchez (who also lost to Ate Vi) campaigned hard against Santos and Ralph.

In effect, Sanchez campaign against the husband and wife could have shaved off the supposed needed votes to propel Recto to a fresh term in the Senate.

This squabble, widely circulated in national print and broadcast media could have affected some prospective Recto voters from areas outside of Batangas to exclude him from their choices because they might have assumed that he was not fit to be re-elected because he simply could not unite Batangas politics.

Given Ralph Recto’s status as a national figure with all the respect attributed to him, he was expected by many to fix local political spats in Batangas, his home province. But by allowing Ate Vi to insist on running for governor and hurting Sanchez’ re-election, and his perceived inability to settle local political conflicts in Batangas, he might have appeared weak and this could have caused his candidacy.

Had Santos, Sanchez and the Recto family agreed to field a united ticket with each safely running for different positions, Ralph Recto could have possibly landed in the Magic 12. (My e-mail – strawberryorhe@yahoo.com)

PASSING LANES

The ever-rising cost of education
Jorge Pawid

This past week saw many parents accompanying their children and filling up registration forms in various schools around the country. College students also returned to their respective schools to enroll for this first semester. Several had to endure long lines to register, pay at the cashier and get their class cards.

Lucky are these children and youth who will be joining thousands of others on school opening day. Scholars or not, they are afforded the opportunity to pursue an education.

While others are hoping for late enrolment until their parents can scrounge up some cash for their kids to catch up with school opening. At least, they will have caught the last bus for a part of their education this school year or semester.

Parents, am sure, would be so relieved that their children have been enrolled, but would look ahead to where the next funds for books, school supplies, transportation and lodging (for those away from home) would come from. Other parents may have taken care of that but they too are already starting to think of where the next installment for tuition and rent will come from.

Some fresh college graduates, whose parents could afford to send them to school this time for another course, are luckier. Because of the long lines jockeying to full up vacant employment spots, these lucky students try their luck enrolling in second courses offering better opportunities for employment here or abroad.

But could you imagine how low-income earners could be sending two or three children to college at the same time? Maybe either of the parents would have to take on two jobs while the other would have to resort to other income generation ventures like sales if only to augment their respective incomes.

Prevalent among many office workers are the sale of clothing – underwear, men’s, women’s and children’s apparel during breaktime in offices. Sometimes, after office hours, they would knock on friends’ homes to sell other wares (Tupperware, cookware, books, etc.)

All these for the sake of making legal extra income just to meet the demands of the education of their children. Education that would mean a better future for the kids and a more comfortable life in retirement.

How about the poor low-wage earner -- those living a hand-to-mouth existence with children going to school? How do you think would they work their bones extra hard just to add to their meager daily earnings that most of the time are barely enough to make both ends meet.

The despondent would have resorted to easier means: stealing, prostitution or a life of crime. All for what? Just to make both ends meet.

Even parents of so-called scholars are not spared the burden of making their eyebrows meet to look for ways to fund the cost of school supplies, uniforms and transportation. For some, add their board and lodging expenses and miscellaneous fees.

It’s another story for working students. Their parents worry less in shouldering part of the needs of their schooling. Actually, working students are better off. Aside from the good training they get, they are also on the priority list of many employers looking for fresh graduates with some office experience. Their work ethic has been molded and employers like to have this kind in their labor force.

That is how hard life is becoming. There should be more reforms in programs where poor but deserving students are given priority support by government for education.

PASSING LANES

Here comes the rain
Jorge S. Pawid

The rains are here. This week’s rains are a blessing for those who feel the summer heat. It has been raining during the past week’s afternoon in Baguio City and Benguet province. It is now officially rainy season. A reason for some to be happy while for a few, to crow about.

Umbrellas were seen to be selling briskly in city sidewalks and department stores. Raincoats too, suddenly became an item in demand. Some people were observed to have bought new sets of rainwear for their children to protect them from the rain and sickness these coming months.

For Ciano, our neighborhood historian, the rains are a very welcome respite from the rising summer temperatures however, a bane for the strawberry growers. Strawberry quality has now deteriorated and according to him, they have now started segregating planting materials for
the next crop.

Ciano says that farmers, in general, always welcome the rains. The rains mean water for a new crop. Water for their almost dried up irrigation systems. Water to cool and refresh the soil and more importantly, water to feed seedlings with needed nutrients.

For the outdoor-loving people, rains dampen their activities. We advise them to think of other worthwhile things to do now that the rainy season has reached our doorsteps. Get used to it. There are also many things we can enjoy doing during the rains.

For the less privileged who used to have water in their homes on a rationed basis, they are now smiling and have brought out their pails and buckets to fill with rainwater. At least they could use this for their laundry and toilets.

The foresters are happy too. They have less to worry about brush fires. The new tree saplings have a better chance of survival. Am now reminded that it is also time to plant tree seedlings with not worry of having to water the plants.

At the neighborhood store and favorite watering hole, Ciano blurted that for lovers, the rains
have brought along more chances for romantic moments. More time to be intimate, more time to sit and chat together, more time to be together and many other things sweethearts do.

Of course we understand the predicament of our brothers and sisters whose livelihood bring them better income without the rains; the peddlers in the streets, sidewalk vendors, construction workers and the like. Adjustments and remedies are in store to be done.

Remember that rains are one of God’s best gifts to humanity. It brings us life.

Let us welcome the rains. It brings us more harm than good. Water is life. Let us just hope that we will have less typhoons and storms this season. We are witness to the wrath of nature and how many a times it caused the loss of several lives resulting in the grief of some.

The rains remind us to be more careful. It reminds us to be more prepared for any eventualities it brings.

Meanwhile, let us brace ourselves for the worst and while still early, let us see to these preparations. Let’s make sure our homes and premises are safe from these accidents and tragedies we do not want to happen.

Before going home after our session with Ciano, he reminded each of us to bring out those rubber boots, umbrellas, waterproof jackets, raincoats and parkas and all rainwear we kept stored after last year’s rains.

He said he did not want to know or see any of us getting sick just because we forgot to protect ourselves from the rain. Thanks Ciano. In like manner, we extend that advise to our readers. Thank Ciano too for that reminder.

PASSING LANES

Political desperados
Jorge Pawid

This last week of the election campaign is the most critical stage. Desperate candidates and their supporters will resort to almost everything they could muster just to get the votes needed to win convincingly.

The worst tactic would be to have their opponents and avid supporters assassinated. This is not new to Philippine politics. In fact, it has already started in some areas and some to a point of success. Remember that for some politicians, the end would justify the means.

Election bigwigs have since identified the so-called “areas of concern” but have failed to contain the violence that goes with politics. It is intrinsically part of Philippine politics.

The quickest way to win an election is to eliminate the strongest perceived opponent. And what would be the best way if not to assassinate the rival. Only recently, you have the murder of the San Carlos City mayor in Pangasinan; the vice governor of Kalinga province and you name elsewhere.

If the assassination try is unsuccessful, the camp ordering the slay attempt would be content if the intended target is seriously hurt and unable to continue campaigning.

Some politicians would even go to the point of staging their own “ambushes” and live to pin the blame on their innocent opponents. This is one way of eliciting sympathy votes from unsuspecting voters and even seriously dent to winning chances of the supposed perpetrator.

There are other desperate attempts to eliminate the opposition in politics. Disqualification cases are a classic example. For many legal valid or imagined reasons, the courts and the Commission on Elections are the venues for petitions seeking the disqualification of those seeking elective positions.

The issues of violations to campaign laws are raised before the courts. The most common is the accusation of vote-buying.

Vote-buying comes in many forms. Money could be given directly to the voter in exchange for a vote in favor of a certain candidate or slate. The bagmen are usually trusted henchmen of the candidate. The value varies depending on the resources of the candidate.

In direct vote-buying, it could be an individual or family or even group vote that would be asked to vote for the candidate-source of the money.

Other forms of vote-buying are blatantly observed. The donation of some goods and items to individuals or certain groups in exchange for votes favoring the donor is common. Either the individual or group asks for the items or the candidate voluntarily donates the item/s to them with the condition that their votes go to her/him.

Vote-buying is the hardest case to prove. How many cases have been filed on this issue and we have not heard of a single instance wherein the petitioner won their case. Well, some cases are intended only to harass the opponent or tag the opponent as a vote-buyer.

In other instances, the threat to life and limb of voters is another desperate attempt to “court” the votes. Voters are threatened to vote for a certain candidate or the slate by known goons otherwise, the voter or any member of the family is harmed physically.

The voter is practically held hostage. In rural areas, it is easy to monitor the expected votes especially if there are only 1-3 precincts to be watched. The results will indicate the effectiveness of the physical threat.

And in some situations, the threats are fulfilled especially if the supposed candidate/s to be favored lost their electoral bids. Another interesting tactic would be to prevent a certain individual, family or group/s adverse to the candidacy of a certain candidate or group from voting.

Elimination “pronto” would be one way. Another would be to threaten them to forget going to the polling place. And in many other ways.

In Philippine setting, other desperate attempts expected during the last few days before election day are the release of black propaganda (as presented in our previous column). There are many other forms we do not know of. These are secrets in the bag of tricks of seasoned politicians.

PASSING LANES

Political desperados at work
by Jorge Pawid

As the political campaign heats up going into its last two weeks, expect some traditional politicians pull unseen and unheard of dirty tricks up their sleeves if only to boost their candidacies at the expense of their sometimes innocent opponents.

Among these behind the back moves are mudslinging, black propaganda, and smear campaigns versus their opponents. Some will come blatantly, bluntly and confrontational. Others will come with unseen hands or those responsible hiding beyond the cloak of being anonymous.

The latter being the more sinister since the identities of the perpetrators is or are unknown to the victim candidate. Issues that have long been buried or are figments of the imagination of those responsible will be raised against their targets.

Such tactics are mostly the moves of desperate politicians who unknowingly or unconsciously are teaching and showing younger and aspiring politicians and even supporters the dirty side of politics.

Rumor-mongering, you may call it since these kind of campaign does not come directly from the camps of candidates. Although, the victim my suspect where it may have come from, there is no proof. Unless the issues contained in the black propaganda is uttered or said by a particular candidate in a public occasion like rallies, caucuses over the media against a particular political opponent; then the perpetrator or origin remains unknown.

The poor target of the black propaganda or accusations is left with no other option but to defend his/her honor and convince the electorate that the issues may be old and irrelevant or even atoned for. The results may go either way.

Sympathy for the victim or the voter falls for his/her own gullibility and accepts hook, line and sinker the accusations hurled against a certain candidate. Among the desperate candidates are those vying for a same position with several tries without success. In other words, they are the previous perennial losers (once, twice, lameducks) or even first timers gunning for seats up for election.

Sometimes, the mudslinging can even come from supporters or relatives of certain candidates who want to prop up their bets. Call this despicable. Some political camps have under their wing attack dogs assigned solely to smear the reputations of other political camps to advance their causes.

These lapdogs are a dirty bunch made up of supporters and campaign managers who are so adept in the dirty tricks department. They are the worst of them all since they may be or may be not paid to do these.

Their attacks come unfounded or half-baked. Aside from trying so desperately to advance their candidacies and make themselves clean before the voting public, their actions speak for their inability to remain overboard and change tactics that would be clean, honest and peaceful to prop themselves up.

They are those who believe in the philosophy that “the end justifies the means”. Whatever the cost. In Benguet politics, this sort of dirty-handed tactic is frowned upon by most voters. They hate to hear attacks on candidates and personalities. They do not like candidates who take the podium to advance their interests at the expense of others.

The Benguet voter would rather vote for candidates with platforms and sincere campaign speeches even if the speaker is not that eloquent. They prefer somebody who does not attack their opponents. Good track records are an advantage. Benguet voters are cold to supporters of candidates who resort to dirty tactics.

The impression is so lousy upon the supporters that even the latter are stained for their misdeeds. Some have succeeded in their candidacies by using these under-handed tricks. But they have suffered for it. Because later on, it came back to hound them. They have suffered the same fate or will soon suffer the same fate. Such is Karma at work. You do bad, it will come back to get you. Sooner or later. In any form you can imagine. So, to the candidate doing dirty tricks and tactics or to those even just thinking of doing it; forget it. Lest, the rule of Karma will bite you or even your loved ones. What you give, you take.

PASSING LANES

Pesticide-free farm produce
by Jorge Pawid

Benguet farmers continue to be saddled with insects damaging their agricultural crops aside from poor quality produce unknowingly because of the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Many times have they been hit by crop diseases that have either wiped out their farms or if not resulted in dwarfed and inferior harvests.

Some unschooled and many gullible to the magic wonders that chemical pesticides and fertilizers have done to their old crops, majority of farmers have resorted to the use of these farm inputs. Sometimes excessively, they would even serve their own vegetables or fruits on their own dining tables for their own consumption.

While the effect has brought in big profits, consumers are the innocent victims of the malpractice.

It was only lately that government stepped in to control if not eradicate harmful chemical farm inputs to the extent of labeling them as red, blue and green. Despite the government regulations, the abuse of these products continue.

People, especially housewives doing the market chores are now aware of the ill-effects of excessive chemical use on farm products that they are shifting to other vegetables and fruits they believe are free from pesticides.

Some would prefer vegetables peppered with holes in the belief that if insects survive to devour the plants, then these are free from toxic materials used on the edible plant.

Others prefer to plant their own vegetables and fruits free from any chemical inputs.
Technical experts now believe that agricultural products can survive without any chemical use to increase growth and improve quality. This is the Integrated Pest Management program the government is pushing farmers to adopt.

Concerned leaders and organizations now believe that unless the malpractice of farmers continues, Benguet’s vegetable and fruit industry may very soon collapse.

Already, the effects are showing because of the abuse. Even diseases unheard of before to farmers have now afflicted people residing in and near these farms that have been blanketed with much chemical use on the plants and soil.

Sablan’s once prestigious reputation of being the best banana producer in northern Luzon has been stripped of the title because of a disease that wiped out the industry.

Many vegetable farms along the Mt. Trail in northern Benguet are now threatened by various plant pests that are very difficult to eradicate. An indication that even with new chemical available, the pests have already become immune.

A project designed to use natural predatorial and beneficial insects against the pests is now in place thru concerned efforts of local officials and the academe. Farmers aware of the threat on the local agriculture industry are anxiously awaiting the results of the studies.

We hope the researches are successfully completed ASAP so that we as consumers can now eat pesticide-free agricultural products. It is also our prayer that the illnesses associated with chemical use will soon be a thing of the past.

Let us patronize pesticide-free agricultural produce otherwise called organic food. It is our way of celebrating earth day daily.

Cowboy music in Benguet

By Jorge Pawid

Benguet people love country and western music. Even modern native compositions have adapted the familiar country and western music styles.

Our countrymen in other parts of the Philippines find it amusing and wonder why the i-Benguets and some Cordillerans love country music so much that the majority of the Benguet populace dress like cowboys and cowgirls from head to foot. That’s why shoemakers in the city and nearby La Trinidad have learned to hand-sew local boots whose designs are copied from imported catalogues. The influence of local fashion and music by American country and westerns has become sort of a phenomena.

Where else in the country would you find the original and longest surviving park that caters to horse-riding for a minimal fee. Wright Park in Baguio City. And the idea was influenced by American country and western music. Ask Ramon Dacawi, who is an Ifugao by blood but an adopted Benguet having grown up in Wright Park as a pony boy.

Baguio and La Trinidad’s folk and country dens live and survive on the patronage Benguet’s country and western music lovers. Nightly, local musicians in these joints entertain people from all walks of life mostly coming from the Pines City and Benguet’s 13 towns by way of belting out old and new country and western hits.

To name a few; Hank Williams, Roy Rogers, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Buck Owens, Elvis Presly, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, John Denver, Patsy Kline, Tommy Wynnette of the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s to the 80s with the likes of the Eagles, Kenny Rogers, Don Williams, Clint Black, Randy Travis, Alabama, Johnny Lee, George Strait, Alan Jackson, etc… The list is long. Ask any regular of these bars.

Even popular rock and roll hits, some by the Beatles, have been converted to the country and western theme. And believe me, our local musicians can perform these hits to the note and sometimes even better.

Public Utility Vehicles (jeepneys, buses, taxicabs and vans) plying routes in the Cordillera would be empty of passengers if not for their car stereos playing country tunes either from a CD, cassette tape or the radio courtesy of 99.9 FM).

Not only in pubs and bars is country and western that popular. Even during private parties and gatherings. Country music is the gender sang by all. Intermissions of public and government programs are renditions of country and western music.

Local amateur battle of the bands contests in Benguet are replete with country and western. Even western outfits are judged. Conrad Marzan, one of the pioneers of folk-singing in Baguio City, related that most of his the songs sang during his sets in local folkhouses are accommodations to requests.

One time, a tipsy customer asked Conrad to render the popular “Silver Wings” by Merle Haggard. Having forgotten the lyrics, Conrad politely told the customer so. The customer stood up and reacted by insisting that Conrad knew the song by heart and should sing it at the moment. The customer became unruly and even challenged Conrad to a fistfight outside the bar. He was restrained by other customers and given more drinks to lull him to sleep and keep him out of trouble.

Such incidents are not isolated. This only goes to show how the local Benguets love country music. Conrad had to memorize that song to avoid a repeat of such incident. He later learned the more popular songs that the folkhouse patrons loved to request. And it has made Conrad a star among the clientele.

Our column’s neighbor, March Fianza, knows this situations all to well having blazed the local folkhouse scene in the 70s and 80s. Ask Alfred Dizon who still performs regular solo sets in one of the city’s more popular folkhouses.

The jukebox, popular during the 50s to the 80s, is a big contributing factor to the Benguet’s love for the country-western music genre. Like modern technology, the karaoke was born and today we find in almost every nook and corner a videoke bar with a lot of country-western selections being sung by local patrons.

Like in any democracy where showbiz personalities have become politicians, former professional popular and idolized country and western singers were voted into public office because of their singing. A popular guy was Brian Aliping as councilor in Tuba and later board member in Mt. Province, and his brother Nick as councilor in Baguio City.

Other politicians too are now belting out country-western tunes to woo the votes of the local electorate. Among them is former congressman Ronnie Cosalan of Benguet, and councilor and aspiring mayor William Esteban of La Trinidad and a host of others.