The joke April fool’s day never wanted

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

I suspect, a solemn atmosphere punctuated the mass offered for the late Governor Leonard Gabas Mayaen preceding the start of the 10-day Lang-ay and 49th Foundation Day of Mountain Province. I was also told by friends from the Capitol in Bontoc that a “Tekwab” or prayer to the great Kabunian for a successful agro-industrial fair was said prior to its opening at the town’s plaza.

Understandably, the family of the late governor who was called “governor of the masses” decided to hold his last rites at their residence at Pinsao, Baguio as this could have been his wish. For one thing, it would be awkward for people to be in high spirits and in festive mood while the wake for the “Father of the Province” is on.

After breakfast, Governor Mayaen, 63; went up to his room to prepare for the blessing of the newly renovated Provincial Disaster Risk-Reduction Management building midmorning of March 31, 2016.  

When guards noticed that it was taking the governor unusually long to come down from his room, one of them went up to check. There, he was found lying down in barong inside his room at the Governor’s Mansion. It was like a joke April fool’s day did not want.   

After the breakfast that no one expected to be his last, Governor Mayaen suffered from a cardiac arrest that was fatal. Doctors in Bontoc were not able to regain his consciousness. He was flown from Bontoc to the Melvin Jones football grounds in Baguio in a helicopter but at 3:30 PM, doctors at the Notre Dame Hospital could no longer revive him.

The soft-spoken Governor Mayaen was running for re-election unopposed in the May 9, 2016 elections as an independent candidate when he died on the eve of a festival celebration in Bontoc, Mountain Province.

The young Leonard G. Mayaen had humble beginnings. Born on March 14, 1953 in Besao, his family moved to “Hundred Two” (Km. 102, Mountain Trail), Mount Data where his parents worked at a private lumberyard, sawmill and vegetable gardens

As a young boy, he showed excellence in school work by graduating as valedictorian at the Mount Data Elementary School, an honor student in high school, graduated Cum Laude in Bachelor of Arts at the Baguio Colleges Foundation in 1975, finished Bachelor of Laws in the same school in 1979, became a lawyer on the same year, and finished Masters in Public Administration Magna Cum Laude in 1998 at the University of Baguio.    

While finishing law school, Mayaen experienced teaching in secondary school at the Tublay School of Home Industries, later advancing as a college instructor when he started law practice.

In the late 80s, Mayaen threw his hat into public office and easily won a seat in the provincial board. He immediately ran as vice governor and served for two terms in a row from 1992-95 and 1995-98. From 1998-2001, he served the province as governor. In 2010, he again won as governor. He was about to finish his second term (2013-2016) when his fatal attack came last week.  

Mayaen who was set to serve his third and last term as governor left earlier than expected. And so, in the interest of all, Vice Gov. BonifacioLacwasan, who is also seeking reelection unopposed, will serve the unfinished term of Gov. Mayaen until June 30, 2016.

The Omnibus Election Code allows a substitute to run in place of the late governor, provided they share the same surname. But the Comelec has to carefully study Mayaen’s situation because he was running as an independent and an unopposed candidate.

Who will now take over from what he started and wanted to finish? Governor Mayaen is survived by his widow, Sonia Gawe-Mayaen, and six children who have to move on with lives of their own. God Bless them all.       

Prior to filing his certificate as candidate for the same position, the governor listed a program of government, some of which were economic development efforts through employment generation, development of small and medium-scale enterprises, infrastructure and tourism development, livelihood assistance, among many others.

The situation begs answers for some questions: Who will now push his unfinished tasks and wishes for Mountain Province? What could have been the reasons for death to come unexpectedly? Was there something in the physical? No one thinks so for he does not smoke nor drink.

In previous informal meetings with him, I always saw him pour brandy in his glass but he would leave the occasion earlier than anybody, leaving the contents of his glass untouched. That considers him as one un-intoxicated and physically in good shape.

Was the governor too tired or too stressed due to the preparation of the April 1st launching of events? Was there something he heard or read about that bothered him so much? God only knows. And if there are, one thing is sure – that we have to move on because the things that we may never find out were buried with him yesterday in a burial lot that he himself prepared close to his house at Pinsao.

***

Prior to Governor Mayaen’s death, Benguet also lost a son. Provincial Board Member Dr. Esteban Tacio Piok of Daclan, Bokod was set to launch his re-election for the same post last March 20 when he got sick with diarrhea. He was rushed to the hospital but expired on Holy Thursday, March 26.

A real barrio doctor who cannot leave public service after officially retiring as Provincial Health Officer of Benguet, Dr. Steve Piok ventured into politics in 2013 and won a seat in the provincial board.

Aside from being close to public service, his constituents, family and friends; Doc Steve had a talent in music. There is no doubt that as we go to press today, he is singing and swinging in a watering hole in a land where good music never ceases.

***

Speaking about music, country music legend Merle Haggard, who was known for my favorite “What am I gonna do with the rest of my life” surprisingly died on his 79th birthday on April 6, 2016.

Merle Haggard who wrote the hit song “Lonesome fugitive” captured American life with his honest poetry about the lost and broken-hearted, the poor, the jailbirds and the working class, in over six decades. He died at his home in California, after a battle with pneumonia. He was 79.

Merle Haggard who was described by Bob Dylan as one who has “always been as deep as deep gets,” had a musical career that comprised 38 Number One country hits, including “Silver wings” that was sung in the boondocks of Benguet in 1995 by Congressman Ronald M. Cosalan.

Merle Haggard spent his youthful day in and out of reform schools. According to him, he was locked up more than a dozen times for truancy, shoplifting, check forgery and car theft, including robbery. He credited music as his salvation.

He was married five times. He divorced his second wife, Bonnie Owens who was his backup singer, but they continued to tour together. Ms. Owens even became bridesmaid at Merle’s wedding with country singer Leona Williams.

After divorcing Ms. Williams in 1983, Merle married Theresa Ann Lane in 1993, had two children and remained married until his death last week. Such is life – and death, both sweet.