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 Now I hear, such pubs there have been replaced
by so-called beautiful “saklot girls” who come from as far as the Visayas much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.
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