PD Anton

THOUGHTS UNLIMITED
Eugene Balitang

LAGAWE, Ifugao -- We have a penchant for calling each other by our “titles,” be it our profession, our present position, or our status in the community. Thus, instead of calling each other by our names, we refer to each other as attorney, engineer, governor, don, and the like. And what used to be just plain Manong Anton is now PD Anton, referring to his present position as Provincial Director (PD) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)—Ifugao Field Office. He is DILG-Ifugao Provincial Director Anthony I. Ballug.

This piece is long overdue. It is supposed to be my warm welcome for his coming to our province as our DILG PD. And that was sometime last May of this year. But as the adage goes, better late than later, or something like that. So, with all the warmth that comes from my heart, I say welcome to Ifugao, PD Anton! Hagiyo!

But, on hindsight, I guess it was a good thing that this piece was put in the backburners. PD Anton assumed office last May at a time when our provincial government was reeling from the aftermath of the tectonic movement that caused a fissure between the offices of our Provincial Governor and our Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP).

This rift was brought on, among others, by the much-debated SOTAH (the so-called State-Of-The-Art Hospital) that others said was carried downstream in the Ibulao river as our officials bickered and hawed. It was a time when our senior citizens were gearing for battle on account of what they perceived was an injustice against them for the alleged slashing by the SP of what is due them in the provincial budget.

The aftershock of this provincial upheaval was felt in the municipal LGUs down to the barangays. In fact, in some municipalities, their Sangguniang Bayan took their cue from the SP and their municipal legislators were also demanding a piece of the municipal budget as their discretionary fund. This was the welcome scene for our new PD last May.

While I may have painted a bleak picture of a very unwelcoming atmosphere, this is actually the stuff that makes heroes out of ordinary men. After all, what is DILG for if not to untangle the knotted cords spun by the contending factions of our local governments.

PD Anton has earned his title in the labyrinth of the DILG regional office and Ifugao will surely be the best gauntlet that would measure his true worth in the field. And if I may add, if PD Anton can make it in Ifugao, he can make it anywhere in these island of one hundred and seven thousand. And I know without a shadow of doubt that PD Anton is definitely worth his salt. He would be RD someday. But for now, Ifugao, in these trying times, is lucky to have him at the helm of the DILG Ifugao Field Office as our PD.

Good luck and more power, PD Anton!