LATEBREAKERS, by PERCY A OSTONAL

It would have been better had they stayed longer … Two to three hours of so called “Rural healthcare and multi-services caravan” to the depressed baranggays of Jose Panganiban under the auspices of the provincial government headed by Governor Edgar Tallado and Vice-Governor Jonah Pedro Pimentel, with the support of volunteers from CamNorte medical practitioners and aides, were not ENOUGH, as one senior resident of Baranggay Bagong-bayan said. As reported by our local source, this senior person, who was so angry, said: Bago man lang maayos at  pasimulan ang dental medical services/medical check ups eh, kulang-kulang isang oras na ang nawawala dahil may mga politiko tayo dito sa Mambulao para sa 2013 lokal elections na kasama ng “entourage" na gustong samantalahin ang pagkakataon na IPAKILALA ang sarili sa mga mamamayang nangangailangan ng tulong (before these dental medical services/ medical check-ups could be provided, let me tell you this: it took almost an hour simply because the entourage included political figures for 2013 local election who, for political point scoring were introduced and made to be known to residents needing help.) "Kung talagang gusto nilang tumulong, hindi lang dalawa o tatlong oras ang ipaglalagi nila. May mga kababayan tayong nagmedical missions na dito dati sa JP - lokal at overseas - at sila'y nandito hangga’t may oras at may araw … at may gamot pa silang ipinamigay ... hindi sila umalis hanggang hindi tapos ang consultation and treatment sa mga tao … iyan ang dapat na gawin kung gusting tumulong sa mga nangangailangan!!!

Holding parents/guardians responsible … Video games houses in Mambulao have increased in numbers, giving a lot of headaches to both parents and teachers. Many elementary and high school students are failing in their academics because of these video game houses: they are missing classes because, instead of coming to school, they make a detour to these internet game parlors. An ordinance by JP council, now fully enforced, makes parents/guardians solely responsible when police authorities caught these children at video games houses at a time designated as follows:

8am to 4pm

Parents/guardians pay P1,000 for first-time offence and P2,500 for the second of the same offense.

The presence of parents/guardians at the games parlor during the hours from 5pm to 9pm would make it sure that their children are playing their favorite, wholesome video games.

Open-air concrete basketball courts now roofed. Believed to be funded from Congressman Renato Unico's congressional budget allocations, the used-to-be open air basketball courts in almost all baranggay units in Mambulao have been fitted with galvanized roofing and concrete pillars. Our local correspondent said that south and north baranggays, Plaridel, Nakalaya, Sta Rosa Sur/Norte, Osmena,Parang and Bagong-Bayan have been the recipients of these projects. Cong Unico is the congressional committee chairman for Youth and Sports Development and vice-chairman for Games and Amusement committee. Unico is running for CamNorte governor’s office in the May 2013 election under PDP-LABAN/PMP-UNA.

 

Strange relations. Our local reporter noticed that Jose Panganiban’s Liberal Party titular head, ex-mayor/vice-mayor William Lim, who is gunning this time for the office of the vice-mayor, was not being seen lately in the company of Gov Edgar Tallado whenever he made his rounds in JP. Instead, Sanggunian-Bayan re-election bets Guzman and Ultra were the ones always visible with the governor and vice-governor. For Walim's political supporters, as one long-time campaign worker said: Siya ang ulo ng partido sa Mambulao, mukhang natatabunan siya nitong dalawang kandidato sa konseho ng bayan … meron ba kayong nalalaman diyan?

Some JP-LGU key employees now reading MAMBULAOANS WORLDWIDE Buzz. Our local reporter informed me that some key employees of JP-LGU now have a better idea regarding our journalistic mission, initiatives and purposes. Requesting anonymity, one male employee said that although he's right there in JP, news, articles, political and social updates, featured places, people, resolutions helping others and a host of human interests stories are something he hardly heard of before. "Nakakatuwa … very professional ang news presentation ng MWBuzz … parang nagbabasa ka ng regular English-language newspapers … at kompleto pa ng pictures!!!!