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A Quartet of disparities: Imelda, Cory, Miriam and Gloria

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:27:30 -0500

by Marciano A. Paroy Jr.

In my list, there are only four women in Philippine politics who, upon their dramatic entry, were able to collectively fascinate us and held our attention wrapped by the newsworthiness of all their actions – for so long, that we almost feel like we have known them forever: Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, Mirriam Defensor-Santiago and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Just saying their names aloud conjures images of refinement, bearing, elegance, wisdom, panache, style, and all those grand adjectives (and they are among the few whose maiden names we always like to put right there in the middle).

The four women had all been media darlings during their peak – with the exception of PGMA who, much to the consternation of a sizeable percentage in the society, still clings to that peak, in a manner of speaking.

Among the four, former First Lady Imelda wins hands down for having mastered the skill in sweetly controlling the media to her advantage during her days. She succeeded in getting the media to paint the image she had always wanted to project. If Princess Diana’s hold over the press could be attributed to her perceived coyness and reserved demeanor, Imelda took the opposite direction and beaconed for each camera bulb to flash before her face. If Princess Diana would look away or simply look down and stare at her oversized toes as cameras heat up the atmosphere around her, Mrs. Marcos would confront the situation and stare straight into the camera lens.

And smile, with confidence, knowing that she would look great in photographs taken from whatever angle, and under whatever lighting.
She was a great beauty. I give her that. In fact, she remains to be the most glamorous and most enthralling female occupant that ever slept at the Malacañang Palace.

*****
But if Imelda was the stunning cover of the magazine or the look-at-me oversized front page photo on a tabloid, then former President Cory Aquino would be its editorial – the core, the meat, all mind, heart and soul.
Breezing-in with no experience in politics and public administration, Tita Cory endeared herself to media practitioners, both here and abroad. She landed the Time Cover of its January 5, 1987 issue when it named her as the Woman of the Year (for1986) – her fourth cover actually; she landed the cover thrice the previous year. You could not get any higher than that in proving that you have bagged the approval of the news and public affairs industry – in its print medium, that is. She made quite an impression on the American press that Katherine Graham, publisher of the venerable Washington Post – upon listening to President Aquino eloquently address her American audience at the White House – wondered whether an American could have written her speech.

The perennial media sin of Cory, however, was her being honest, ready to bare how she felt, holding nothing back – traits that seasoned media-savvy politicians have perfected through the years. She would say one thing, and mean it – and the press would rush to their keyboards with not the slightest shade of doubt.
And so when President Aquino announced, during her last SONA in 1991, that she would soon be Citizen Cory the following year – everyone believed her.

*****
Try this: Say the name Miriam and think of one-word descriptions that accurately befit her. One, two, three – go!
“Miriam.”

A lull follows. There is a long pause. The sheet becomes blank. For what are you supposed to say? Come up with the wrong choice of words and you may find yourself at the receiving end of her heavily worded (and accented) invectives. But that is the Miriam trademark which we have all bowed down to at first, then became an irreverent source of amusement, and later embraced as an innate part of the whole package that is overweighed with pure wisdom, nothing else.
That is how she has always been presented by the Philippine media. But certainly, she must have a soft spot somewhere that she fails to guard at times, too – and when tragic moments in fact occurred in her life, the press did not go to great lengths to portray a woman in grief. It is simply just not her at all. To even hint at weakness is incongruent to the long-held impression that we have of the lady senator.

*****
Earlier, I have said that all four women had been media darlings during their peak. PGMA is in power now but she is not exactly a media darling these days. But there was a time when she was somehow well-loved by the news industry. Coming from affluent backgrounds, with a former Philippine President for a father, her rise in the world of politics was a given. But even so, she did prove her worth as a valuable addition to the male-dominated Senate.

Not really a great beauty, but what she lacked in physique, she more than made up in the brains department – and coupled it with a media-friendly stance. This was all in the early days of her career. Eventually, she outsmarted and prevailed over many people who easily overshadowed her physically.

There is division in the Philippine media with regards to the simple PGMA question: is she good or is she bad? But while we cannot deny that she has pronouncements and decisions that isolate and earn the ire of media practitioners, she does have, conversely, many winning points too.

*****
As a run-through, Imelda is the woman who was tagged as “the other President” in the shadows; Cory was the woman who did become President; Miriam is the woman who almost became President; and PGMA is the woman who – err, in the words of Susan Roces – “stole the Presidency.”

Former First Lady Imelda had a falling-out with the media when she was labeled as a thief; President Cory – aside from that trivial “hiding under” issue – was only badly appraised for her bad hairdo and weak interest in fashion (she did improve later); Senator Miriam has not yet done anything major that would totally antagonize media practitioners, but she does make press people scratch their heads – like when she said “I lied. Hahahaha!” (in fact, it pushed press people to get her talking all the more, wishing she might lapse into one such moment again); as for PGMA, she has yet to be judged after her stint at the Palace.

There goes the Great Four – and, indeed, they are great women. At the very moment when Imelda became First Lady to President Ferdinand Marcos, the Philippine government has since been imprinted with the touch of a woman.

This active role in governance won’t end with Pangulong Gloria, that’s for sure. Without doubt, they are all qualified – academic preparations, leadership and management experience, a ready reserve of support, etc. Name a criterion, a lady politician will most likely meet it.

Just listing down the names of these women on-the-rise would, again, conjure images of refinement, bearing, elegance, wisdom, panache, style, and all those grand adjectives.

Ugh! Give me Aling Dionisia anytime.

Capt Dante Langkit: his Future in Politics and his Continuing Dilemma

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:25:58 -0500

by Marciano A. Paroy Jr.

Affirming the Magdalo Para sa Pagbabago’s call for genuine reforms in the government – which were all manifested in a series of foiled attempts to demand for President Arroyo’s stepping down from power – Capt. Dante Langkit sustains and intensifies the drumroll for attention to the cause and, more specifically, to his now-widely publicized intent to represent the Kalinga people in Congress.

Not an easy feat to accomplish, considering that he is still being detained at Camp Crame, along with fellow officers implicated in the alleged February 2006 coup plot against the country’s Chief Executive. This constraint had already prevented him from seeking the congressional seat of Kalinga way back in 2007 – as he refused to turn state witness in exchange for his freedom, which would have enabled him to campaign for the post he was eyeing then.

His refusal to seize the above-mentioned offer cost him the opportunity to launch his candidacy in Kalinga. As it can now be recalled, it was his brother Engr. Danzel Langkit, Pinukpuk’s Municipal Administrator, who soldiered on with the aspiration, in effect reflecting a similar vision of “helping our provincemates” – as he told Victor Reyes of Malaya in February 2007, when names of probable Kalinga congressional aspirants were already doing the rounds back here.

In retrospect, the candidacy secured for Engr. Danzel Langkit around 13% of the total votes cast in Kalinga in May 2007, which positioned him in 4th place, after – in descending order – winning Congressman Manuel Agyao (cornering 29% of the votes), close rival James Bejarin (27%), Atty. Macario Duguiang (23%), while former Vice-Governor Joseph Delson landed in 5th place (8%).

“Not bad for a political novice,” Dr. Edgar Naganag, an analyst from the Political Science and Public Administration departments of the Kalinga-Apayao State College, noted. “It caused a considerable dent, thus reducing votes that would have been amassed by the other candidates. Had Engr. Langkit’s candidacy been non-existent, there could have possibly been a different turn of events.”

It is that performance of the Langkit name at the polls in 2007 which seems to serve as the present springboard from which the Langkit brothers and their supporters hope to pick up. This time however, it is Captain Langkit who considers throwing his hat into the political ring, as originally intended.

Same Face, Same Post

“This early, I am re-establishing my wish to be of service to the Kalinga people,” Captain Langkit said in a phone interview with Guru Press. “It is my belief that I can do much more for the lives of my provincemates through a leadership role that could equip me with influence to advance for meaningful change in Kalinga.”

To clearly signify his intent, the army officer sought and obtained permission to come home to Kalinga last May and ascertain his name in the roster of voting residents of Taga, Pinukpuk. Then before being escorted back to the big city, he had a brief talk with members of the local media on the last day of his three-day leave.
It was then that he announced to members of the local media his goal of winning a seat in the Congress – either as the elected representative of the lone district of this province, or as an occupant of a congressional seat by way of the party list system, if Samahang Magdalo merits accreditation as a genuine party list organization.

This poses quite a problem. First, assuming that Samahang Magdalo will finally be accredited as a party list organization, it still has to win the prescribed percentage of the electorate in order for it to win a seat (or even seats) in the Congress. Second, Captain Langkit has to really triumph over other nominees within SM who are being considered to stand and speak for the group. And yet still, before both of these can be achieved, Samahang Magdalo has to be firmly lodged in the consciousness of the voting public.

Here enters the rigorous awareness-creation activities of the group, currently scattered in the different regions. To clearly draw the lines, Samahang Magdalo is a distinct organization under the controlling sphere of the more popularly known, though ill-famed, Magdalo.

Samahang Magdalo as an offshoot of Magdalo

It is now common knowledge that the original Magdalo has been conceived by a group of officers and men of the AFP as a movement calling for sweeping reforms in government. However, that description delimits their membership only to AFP people who may think alike.

Perhaps recognizing that an expanded membership base which embraces civilians would create a higher degree of sympathy towards their cause, Magdalo came up with Samahang Magdalo, welcoming interested members from all walks of life. With former Marine Captain Gary Alejano as its national president, SM has been unrelenting in recruiting members. In the Cordillera, for instance, Coordinator-at-Large Robert Ocampo has been conducting membership expansion activities round-the-clock – as brandished in the official SM website. Also, in addition to this traditional hard-sell which is carried out via face-to-face enticement of would-be members, SM has been recruiting members online.

Much like an exclusive family corporation which has gone public, SM is capturing the attention of the people. Part of its appeal seems to stem from the fact that never before has there been a similar organization in which civilians can rub elbows with members of the armed forces with a deviating stand on government issues. The actual membership tally, however, remains undisclosed, and it is inaccurate to use as a gauge the steady number of visitors to the official SM website, which is interestingly matched up by a number of un-official sites and blogs – no doubt created and maintained by friends and sympathizers, all designed to recruit members.
These developments point to the apparent direction which the group seems to be taking: crafting the organization as a political arm.

To this, Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado told Malaya (in its April 27, 2009 issue) that the formation of a political party by the Magdalo leaders is a welcome idea. “This is a democratic country. Everybody can exercise his political rights.”

Samahang Magdalo in Kalinga

Asked how the recruitment is doing in Kalinga, Engr. Danzel Langkit says “We are still at the stage of creating awareness about the group and part of our plan is to step up the campaign so that we can attract people from as many diverse backgrounds as possible.”

Obviously, this poses financial difficulty for the existing members of the group in Kalinga, if they are to launch and sustain a province-wide recruitment scheme. But Engr. Langkit is quick to interject that “We may have limited resources at present but we do what we can. Our sincerity in reaching out to the people and infusing into them the pro-God, pro-country and pro-people Magdalo principle will eventually win them over to our side.”

Captain Langkit further admits that “Changing the mindset of people does not take place overnight, that’s why we aim to start building people’s confidence about our principles – from below. As an illustration, in Kalinga, people have this notion that one cannot run for a political office without tons of money. We need to correct that. Aiming for a public office needs only to be backed, first and foremost, by a genuine yearning to serve the common good.”

Capt. Dante Langkit: his Turn

The 2007 election year brought Engr. Danzel Langkit to the awareness of the Kalinga voting public – more importantly the residents of Tabuk who were intrigued by the sudden entry of this young Municipal Administrator from Pinukpuk, thus adding another notch to their uncertainty. Voters responded fairly well, although – whether or not the Langkit camp would admit it – their campaign efforts paled in comparison to the highly organized and efficiently managed efforts of the opponents, especially those of the Agyao and Bejarin camps.

Nelda Bulawit, a volunteer for Engr. Danzel in 2007, recollects “I think we did well, given the limited resources that we had then. I especially like the thought that we were volunteers rallying behind a person that we believed in.”
It is this support that Captain Dante hopes to build up on, sort of picking up where his twin brother left off. But what does he have to offer?

“I have always believed in people’s capacity to see through the façade of so-called leaders,” Capatain Langkit emphasizes. “I know that, at the end of the day, our commitment to the general welfare will outweigh the posturing of some politicians. It is this commitment of mine which I wish the people of Kalinga to see – and I hope they would give me the opportunity to put it into action. That is why I am looking at the 2010 elections.”

All things considered, the major drawback, naturally, is his current status as a detained prisoner – a situation which must be resolved the soonest time possible if he is indeed bent on fielding his name into the congressional race.

The Captain Speaks…

The interview with Capt. Dante Langkit produced a wealth of material that gave background and substance to the article written above – which became even thicker with the extensive bulk of available data from various sources. There are a number of responses made by Capt. Langkit that were not spliced into the feature – and we print them below word-for-word:

Marciano Paroy Jr: Your participation in the 2010 elections as a candidate have started doing the rounds here in Kalinga, fueled by your supporters – led by your brother. So… is it final?

Dante Dasayon Langkit: Yes, my mind’s seriously made up about my plan to run. Kalinga has lagged behind other provinces, yet we keep making the same decisions over and over. We need to introduce a fresh alternative for the people of the province. I sincerely and humbly believe that I can be that alternative.

MPJ: Considering your age, and coming from a province where major decisions made by the younger ones are brought to community leaders for what we may call in the Cordillera as a blessing… have you or your group made such a move?

DDL: This is a serious endeavor. As such, we did take the consensus of the elders. Also, this early, we are conducting sectoral consultations prior to the filing of my candidacy this November. I recognize the importance of obtaining the nod from a considerable fraction of the voting populace, as well as other people of authority and influence. Fortunately, the responses we have been receiving are favorable. The only issue being raised which causes a little setback is the availability of ample financial backing to sustain all the campaign and election needs. I do not have millions – but that matter is already being worked out by some benefactors and donors already.

MPJ: But these supporters, benefactors and donors can not also carry out all the actual campaign activities. So this time, what are the chances that u will be able to come home and do the campaign yourself?

DDL: Justice is still elusive – hence the difficulty in assuming that we shall be free by the campaign period, though we continue to hope for the best. Nonetheless, many volunteers are increasingly coming in – with Danzel seeking them out. Much as I want to be physically around during that period and meet our dear kakailian, volunteerism will offset my absence.

MPJ: That goes without saying that you shall still be in detention during that time…

DDL: There is a possibility that we may still be in detention during the campaign, and we are preparing for that. The volunteers have contingency plans to address that situation. As I always say, we are hoping for the best. But as to being in detention after election? No, our case is political, so after the Arroyo administration, we shall be out of jail. Definitely.

Remembering Amboy Kub-ao

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:16:33 -0500

by Marciano A. Paroy, Jr.

The day I met Amboy, I fell into a little argument with him on who was more glamorous between Elizabeth Taylor and Greta Grabo. That was at the Piner’s Beauty Salon at the Diocesan Building which I visited to look for a friend, Marlon Carbonel. That was in the early 1990’s. Since then, I’ve been running into Amboy in different occasions where gays would be gathered.

However, it was in the latter part of the 1990’s when I sort of became one of Amboy’s so-called “children” – a grouping of young individuals who have yet to know what we really wanted in life, a grouping that included Alvin Bacwaden, Kenny Gonayon and Edward Baguilod. We were at that stage where we were drifting, even as we were searching for something meaningful that we may eventually want to focus on. Amboy provided that vehicle for our mindless search. Given his infectious personality which centered on his ability to show that he cared, and that he understood what anyone may be going through, we became hooked, following him day after day (practically residing at his stall at the Bulanao market place). And so we became his disciples – calling him “Mother Amboy”, a distinction in the gay community which we only reserve for those whom we either respect or fear. In his case, I think it was more of the latter.

Intelligent yet silly. Gentle yet fierce. Free-spirited yet conservative. Amboy is a perfect subject on contradictory personality. He would harshly scold a person one minute, and the very next moment he would turn to you and gently say “My dear, iyawat mu man dayta shot glass. Thank you, my dear.”

He would stride into a room and cut through the calm, either though his cacophonous laughter or the orders that he barked: “Mary, mangiruar ka man dita.” (that was Mary Oman, whose place we used to frequent).

There is never a dull moment with Amboy. I may find myself discussing current affairs with him, then before I knew it, we would be running away – from whom, I hardly had the time to find out, though I remember we ran away one time from the tanods who interrupted our grouping at Mary’s, reprimanding us for drinking during a liquor-ban day.

Amboy is – was – one person whose commanding power was indisputable. He would look outside the window, make his weather assessment, and say “Pack your swimming clothes, get the pitcher and two glasses. Intayo idjay Pasunglao, it’s a sunny day!” No questions asked.

But that’s all in the past now, and the Guru pages may not even be enough to contain all the anecdotes that pertain to Amboy. We – his so-called children – have all moved on, and I don’t know whether younger ones have replaced us in his kwadra. I slowly lost contact with him these past years, and I only got to hear news about him now and then – particularly his nursing role for his mother.

Then, like a bolt out of the blue (which he can be likened to, whenever he assaults a gathering), he came to Dagupan last December. He stood by the frontage of Marlon Carbonel’s salon (R and J Beauty and Fashion Empire), told him to close the shop and follow him. Then as soon as they were seated at Violy’s Place, complete with beer bottles on the table, he told Marlon to ask me to join them. “Ma-miss ko man ni Mars,” he told Marlon.

So Marlon sent me a text message. And like a dutiful “anak,” I dropped what I was doing. I shut the computer down and rushed over to them. I realized that it has been years since the last time I spent time with him – with bottles between us. I did miss him too, and part of me wanted to go see him and sort of make a report of what I had become.

We talked. We exchanged stories, and reminisced the past. When I asked what made him occupied aside from being a home-body by then, he added new bits into my dormant Amboy archives in my head. As always, he gave us a cornucopia of stories about himself that always border on the fantastic and unbelievable. But that’s the Amboy trademark – he could make a lot of declarations, and you would not find it in your heart to express disbelief. Part of the Amboy mystique, I guess, is his ability to confound you. Plus his many claims that remain unverified all these years. And, despite all these, we loved him. He remained lodged deep into the recesses of your head – like a presence you may fail to acknowledge sometimes, but you know it’s there.

That afternoon at Violy’sPlace re-established his influence in me, but it would be the last time I would raise a glass with him, and the last time I would hear his gurgling laughter.

We would never know what great things Mother Amboy would have been capable of accomplishing – considering his intellect and strong personality. We cannot judge him, either, for the choices that he had made in his younger days. Coming from a very affluent family – peopled by highly educated siblings, offspring and grandchildren – he never once turned back from the path he chose to tread. As I have learned during my days with him, “if it makes you happy, go for it” has always been his mantra in life. But that did not diminish him to an individual who has no purpose in life at all – in fact, his greatest triumph is in making others happy, while being true to himself.

“No regrets,” I can almost hear him saying, with his signature whistle which he used to accentuate his statements.

Ditto. The days I spent with him were too colorful to be forgotten. He helped in broadening my view of various people coming from diverse backgrounds. He helped me become street-smart all the more, to be tough – inside out, without sporting the leather jackets that were part of his staple wardrobe.

Oh, the places we went to, the dangers we encountered, the adventures we risked our life with. To be young again, and re-trace the same days – what a party it would be with him! From now on, I would not be able to drain a bottle without hearing Amboy’s voice, saying “Here’s to life!” – like he never left at all.

There was one time Amboy, Bryan (also gone, may his soul rest in peace) and I went to Amdalao, Pasil for the town fiesta in 1996. On the day we had to go back to Tabuk, Amboy said we must stop for awhile in Cagaluan. So we did, then he took out all of our fare money and said we had to “drink” while waiting for another ride. And so we raised glasses and time passed us by. I later pointed out that there no longer seemed to be passenger jeepneys passing by. With that, he stood up, went to the road side, and after just a few minutes, he was yelling at us to hurry up.

We hitched a ride. In a big, worn and dilapidated truck. That’s the Amboy way. Most things in life are free.

You’ll be missed… terribly. Mother.

(In behalf of the Gays Union of Tabuk, we express our most sincere condolences to the Kub-ao family)

Remembering Amboy Kub-ao

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:16:26 -0500

by Marciano A. Paroy, Jr.

Options for those who did not go to College, the Unemployed, and the Tambay sa Kanto

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:14:40 -0500

by Marciano A. Paroy, Jr.

A young man considering his options for the future may find himself beset with queries that revolve around the issue: what is the fastest way by which he could bridge the gap between being un-trained on one hand and, on the other hand, being fully prepared to tackle in-demand jobs that could equip him with expertise which he could use for gainful employment, not only in the locality of Tabuk, but anywhere else in the globe?
Normally, college would have been the preferred direction – but considering the current trends in the global economy which is described by, among others, the need for highly skilled workers. Obviously, the best alternative is to be trained as efficiently as possible. And to get that training fast.
The question is where?
In here comes the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority – under Provincial Director Julie Banganan – with its wide array of training programs and packages that are designed to cater to the training needs of those who have the vision to gain additional competence in an area other than what they have been naturally blessed with.
TESDA’s work is made even easier by the commitment given by its partner agencies and organizations. By setting-up close ties with TESDA, a partner agency can send trainees to the Provincial Training Center, or other TESDA-administered schools, or come up with its own training activities and workshops – which the agency may schedule for various clients: women groups, entrepreneurs, the youth, farmers and other interested trainees.
Because of such partnership, the mandates of TESDA are realized and, as a result, a forward-looking batch of trainees are developed regularly – ready to face the global challenge, ready to be productive members of the society, ready to make a change in their lives and in the lives of others.
Because of such collaboration, the vision and mission of the partner agency find meaning, and the local leaders – from both the executive and the legislative arms of the LGU – live up to their commitment to bring about tangible change in the community.
This is what LGU-Tabuk does.
Inspired by the concept that the maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty and property and the promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment of all the blessings of democracy by all people, Mayor Camilo T. Lammawin Jr. initiated a program that would address issues and concerns that would normally lead people to get out of bounds from the law.
Thus the Matagoan: A Unique Solution to a Unique Situation was born.
Matagoan, a Kalinga term which means “Zone of Life” rests on the premise that Tabuk should be a community that embraces diverse cultures – and provide its citizens with opportunities of improving their lives. It is envisioned that if people perceive the impact of the program, and participate in its activities, then the temptation to be led astray and become a community burden is minimized and eventually eradicated.
How does the LGU hope to attain this?
“A productive individual who maintains a steady source of livelihood or business would normally set his eyes on increasing the sustainability of his venture,” Mayor Camilo T. Lammawin Jr. stressed. “When this happens, we develop a class of citizens whose attention is focused on their gainful contribution not only to their family’s income but to the community as well.”
Indeed, sociology teaches us that a well-fed population whose members are scaling the heights of profitability is a community of people who are contented, happy and whole-heartedly willing to take part in other development projects – especially so that most of these people came from poverty-ridden subsistence early on in their lives.
These are the people that LGU-Tabuk is endeavoring to upgrade.
*****
If you know people in your neighborhood that you wish to take out from your daily sight as you pass by them in your street, send them over to TESDA, instead of frowning and giving them the judgment “Awan serserbi yo ketdi.”

The LGU-Tabuk and TESDA-Kalinga Partnership: Anya ti Nadanun na, so Far?

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:12:39 -0500

by Marciano A. Paroy, Jr.

I recently got involved in a DevCom task for Technical Education and Skills Development (TESDA)-Kalinga, as requested by its Provincial Director Julie Banganan. The job: to collate the data that pertain to the partnership between TESDA-Kalinga and the local government unit of Tabuk – and come up with one info-material that highlights and boasts of the outputs of said partnership.
Normally, working alone is the more ideal option, as this would push us to attack a task the way we would want it done. The danger of having too many heads is that there is a tendency of being out-of-focus and unfortunately come up with a poorly done product (Don’t get me wrong. I am specifically talking about info-materials – not programs and projects in general, which, of course, necessitates participatory decision-making by as many sectors as possible).
That is why advertisements are, for the most part, created by a single designer – and just later on presented for approval or, hmmm, rejection.
The production of the TESDA promotional/info-material, however, entailed close working ties with the two agencies concerned: TESDA and LGU-Tabuk. I had no prior knowledge about the working attitude or the speed and vigor of the people I would be dealing with, so I was quite adamant about our ability to meet our target.
Surprise: the target was hit, bulls eye.
My salute to Judilyn “Judith” Langgaman of TESDA-Kalinga and Loyda Saboy, the Public Employment Services Officer of Tabuk. Collaborating with them gave me a peek into the working environment of their respective offices. Oh well, there were moments when impatience would ceep in but these were always doused off by the completion of a desired element. Taking the holistic view, hassles and minor irritants were treated as inconsequential details – they did not matter as long as we come up with the intended goal.
I realized that the two key person I mentioned above were always worried about our ability to deliver. There seemed to be this unspoken notion that it’s their necks on the line, not mine. Ms. Langgaman has TESDA PD Banganan to worry about, while Ms. Saboy has The Mayor.
I was, sort of, the outsider – from the academe at that, where working attitudes are somewhat different . For one, we (instructors) have this conscious self-evaluation and the constant desire to please.
In my book, Judith and Loyda are competent at what they do. Being in offices that directly deal with a specific set of clients – the jobless members of the society – they truly have wealthy reserve of patience and commitment.
I also would like to single out Gailin Soriano, also of PESO, and Nathaniel Dalanao of the City Information Office under Sir Olive Gacuya – for the photos they supplied us.
And so we wish “Goo Luck” to LGU-Tabuk as it vies for the TESDA Kabalikat Award.
*****
The Kabalikat Award goes to outstanding partners of TESDA in the public and the private sectors. They are singled out for their drive in implementing and promoting technical-vocational programs and services. Awardees are chosen on the basis of their con¬tribution in terms of investment and resources poured into technical-vocational programs, plus the employability of trained and certified workers.
*****
So… is LGU-Tabuk worthy of such distinction?
Yes.
As I pored over the materials littered with figures and cold hard facts, I noted that Tabuk should be one of the hands-down winners. No one from LGU-Tabuk brandishes much about the fact that, through the years, Mayor Lammawin and his team of planners have been allotting a considerable slice from Tabuk’s yearly budget – directed to technical/vocational concerns.
But really, the support given by LGU-Tabuk to TESDA programs is one thing that should be lauded about.
I just hope that the evaluators at the regional and national levels will recognize such fact.

The LGU-Tabuk and TESDA-Kalinga Partnership: Anya ti Nadanun na, so Far?

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:12:36 -0500

FRD’s launching of a KASC Project …and battle of the sexes in KASC

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:40:56 -0500

by Marciano A. Paroy, Jr.

At Guru Press where I serve as the Associate Editor, we have taken seriously the observance of Women’s Month this 2009. We featured articles that celebrate the multi-faceted ingenuity and indispensability of women in different fields.
We cap it all this week with the front page photo of Governor Floydelia R. Diasen visiting the Kalinga-Apayao State College to formally launch the latest money-making venture of the Institute of Entrepreneurial Arts, under Dean Edna Yumol: taro-based products, through the use of a machine that was donated by the Provincial Government – a feat that can be credited to the brainchild behind the project, Dr. Virginia Petang and her research partner Zorayda Gavino.
Taro, of course, is that root crop we seldom give attention to – galyang. Reading the rationale in the research work conducted by Ms. Petang and Ms. Gavino, taro (or gabi), as one of the most common root crops in the Philippines, is commonly planted in areas not really suitable for its culture since traditional staples and vegetables are given priority to occupy good production areas. Although gabi has the ability to grow in marginal and sub marginal areas, it normally grows well and produces high yield when cultivated in more suitable areas favored with the right soil and rainfall needed by the crop.
According to Ms. Gavino, “We have observed that galyang or “lucia” (in Kalinga) is locally abundant but underutilized because it is commonly used as an ingredient in cooking “Nilagang Baboy/Baka” and as feeder for pigs in the locality. It is from this realization that we have come up with the thought of putting galyang into good use – considering that it is rich in starch, calcium, phosphorous and potassium.”
KASC has actually sent Ms. Petang and Ms. Gavino – along with Research Director Jovita Saguibo (there, another woman) – to compete in the Regional Symposium for research and extension undertakings in the Cordillera in 2007, with their research on Taro Flour. They won second place. Coincidentally, they were bested by yet another lady researcher from KASC – Dr. Helen Bais, with her winning research work on basidiomycetes (kurat, kudit and laplapayag).
Perhaps inspired by their success in said regional symposium, the researchers decided to go full blast and focus their new-found energies into actual production of foodstuffs made from taro. There was one setback, though: the purchase for the machine needed for the venture.
Of course, when Dean Yumol, Ms. Petang and Ms. Gavino lobbied for the Governor’s support to the project by requesting assistance for the purchase of the machine, the Governor may have stamped her approval over the request not because the request was coming from her KASC family (where she last served as the Dean of the Institute of Health Sciences prior to her joining the world of politics), but because she may have seen the viability and profitability of the undertaking.
KASC – as a state-run institution – is not exempt from on-going measures called for by the government on various agencies to become creative in coming up with ideas that could increase the financial base of the agency concerned. President Eduardo Bagtang (himself an honorary woman as a lecturer on Gender and Development) has been non-sop, in fact, in his quest for tie-ups, collaborations and financial linkages with other institutions and organizations – aside from intensifying the existing production capabilities of the school – some he inherited from past administrations, some devised under his leadership. With this taro production, KASC has further broadened its potentials in thickening its financial resources.
*****
The Governor, aside from her last post in KASC as the Dean of the IHS, also served as the Director for Student Affairs and Services (DSAS). I was still a student then, and as one of the student leaders that time (as the Editor-in-Chief of the student publication – a post given me by both her and her Student Coordinator at that time, Dr. Edgar Naganag, another expert on Gender and Development), I found it rather hassle-free to approach her and have something approved. Whenever she viewed a proposal as really catering to the needs of the students, she would be expected to say “yes.”
I have always noted that it was during her turn as the DSAS that student organizations were asked to undergo accreditation by the administration, before they can be officially recognized. As a result of this call, out came many student organizations that are now enjoying recognized status.
*****
During her last days in KASC as the Dean of the IHS, the Governor shared the distinction as a lady dean along with Dean Yumol (Institute of Entrepreneurial Arts), Dean Joy Grace P. Doctor (Institute of Arts and Sciences), and Dean Elsie Coyoy (Institute of Teacher Education), thereby outnumbering the male deans then – Dean Joseph Aguilar (Institute of Agriculture and Forestry) and Dean Amado Imper (Institute of Mathematics, Engineering and Applied Technology).
IHS is now under Dean Christine Ammakiw, while Dean Aguilar has given way to Dean Aurea Calubaquib. Dean Coyoy, on the other hand, has transferred the reins to Dean Raymond Balbin.
So, the scales are still tipped in favor of the women as far as deanship is concerned in KASC. Move on to the Directorship level and you have the same picture: Ms. Rosalina Gunaban is Director for Administration and Finance, Dr. Adoracion Taguba is Director for Student Services and Admission (the renamed version of DSAS) Dr. Jovita Saguibo is Director for Research – while Dr. Maximo Garming is the sole male director, for Extension. Three is to one – that’s the ratio among the directors.
Well, we also have Mr. Tomas Carabbacan as the chief of Business Affairs. He, originally, was from the high school department – which is now under Principal Corazon Osdeg.
Then we have Vice President for Academic Affairs: Dr. Carmelita T. Ayang-ang. The total number of female key-players in KASC clearly gives the edge to women.
Throw them all in the conference room for a planning session – with President Bagtang at the helm – and it is easy to imagine how the female officials can out-maneuver the men. One can almost imagine the women applying all the tactics they could think of so that, at the end of the day, the men will eventually relent and be pressured into submission.
Fortunately, that is not the case. The men in KASC (well, it’s the academe) regard the women as their counterparts in all aspects. So… minds meet, and the best decisions are hammered out, regardless of the gender of the one pitching-in an idea.
Dijay lang ah ta napigpigsa ti boses dagiti babbai. Ah, women…

OF CONSTRUCTION AND CORRUPTION

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:51:21 -0600

The Kalinga Apayao Religious Sector Association (KARSA) has been making waves since it began its latest foray into the realm of public accountability of government agencies – particularly the DPWH – by acting as the province’s arm of the Bantay Lansangan. The association cried out that the SONA road projects being implemented are without plans, and that the resulting constructions are defective and substandard.

Corruption, that’s the word for it – if we are to believe the KARSA allegations.

This brings us to this recent research work (De-institutionalizing Corruption in the Philippines) conducted by Dr. Eric Batalla of the De La Salle University which outlined that corruption in public road works first occurs during the prequalification, bidding, and awarding phase of contracts; which will then be followed by the second stage during project implementation.

In the first stage, corruption is based on “relationship management,” the object of which is that the contract goes to favored contractors. The awarding of contracts is often treated as a privilege, a favor, and payment of utang ng loob. Relationship management culminates in the bribe (cash or kind) in exchange for the actual award of contract or favorable consideration in the evaluation of bids.

This was boldly corroborated by columnist Neal Cruz (of the Philippine Daily Inquirer) who said in his As I See It column last October 29, 2008 that the DPWH is notorious for splitting up its road projects to accommodate favored construction contractors. Generally, it shuns the top and respected contractors because they cannot be bamboozled into greasing some dirty hands.

The second stage of corruption involves deviations from the specifications of the project contract. Often but not always, because of the unethical practices in the first stage, contractors deviate from the Program of Work approved by the DPWH. The Program of Work contains the specifications of the project including specific jobs to be undertaken, labor costs, rentals of equipment, unit cost of materials to be used (including hauling costs based on sources and destination), the contractors’ profit and the taxes to be paid. Different corrupt practices are utilized to increase the profit of the contractor at the expense of the quality of work.

Thus, we are left with projects that not only fail to meet standards, but whose awarding was dubious in the first place.

The real question here, however, is: do the SONA projects in Kalinga satisfactorily meet the pre-set standards, so far?

We do not know the yardstick being used by the KARSA. We only get to hear them saying that the projects merit a poor evaluation, as far as their inspection is concerned. On the other hand, we have yet to peruse an official report from the recent inspection conducted by the Office of the Congressman, the Kalinga Engineering District, DPWH-CAR and the Office of the DPWH Secretary.

Without doubt, the Congressman is well-meaning in his desire to pour in as many infrastructure projects as possible into the province. If his vision plays out, Kalinga roads may finally be reported as truly completed, under his leadership. The contractors, for their part, also assert that they operate according to approved specifications. This leaves us Bantay Lansangan – a World Bank-sanctioned inspector – and its eye in Kalinga – the KARSA, challenging the aforementioned offices. But as writer Jun Albano posted in the Tabuk City website: “the people of Kalinga, however, are waiting to know if the KARSA is just a lot of big talk.”

So as for the moment, whom then, shall we believe?

OF CONSTRUCTION AND CORRUPTION

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:51:00 -0600

Corruption, that’s the word for it – if we are to believe the KARSA allegations.

Thus, we are left with projects that not only fail to meet standards, but whose awarding was dubious in the first place.

The real question here, however, is: do the SONA projects in Kalinga satisfactorily meet the pre-set standards, so far?

So as for the moment, whom then, shall we believe?