Batch ’73: Reliving the tumultuous 70’s

Dr Manny Dagala, Batch 73 president, closing the batch’s 40th anniversary celebration held recently in Mambulao.

By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

IT WAS YEAR 1973 again and Manny Dagala was on the podium donned in a white graduation gown and toga. 

He was making his supposed closing remarks after witnessing the distribution of mock diplomas to the Batch ’73, the alumni members of the then Jose Panganiban High School, a community high school elevated later to its national level.

Dr Dagala, now a medical practitioner at the Manila Doctors’ Hospital said: “We were deprived of the pleasure of coming up the stage in white gowns when we graduated in 1973 from our Alma Mater, the Jose Panganiban High School, and so at this moment, we tried to relish the pleasure of a real high school graduation –white gowns and all.”

The Batch ‘73 mounted the graduation stage in old school uniforms as their names were called.

It was in 1973 that then President Marcos declared the much loathed Martial Law, turning upside down everything in and outside every school campus from the way every student behaved himself to the conduct of the school curriculum under the watchful eyes of soldiers in battle gear.

The mock graduation, participated in by close to 50 members of the Batch ’73, highlighted a reunion that was both nostalgic and roaring, having relived amidst the sights and sounds of the “Hippie Generation”.

It was held last April 26-27 under the theme “Blast from the past, back to the 70’s”.

Joining the fun with sheer abandon were two prominent members of the JPNHS faculty Madam Editha G Chavez and Madam Delia Floranda. 

The two teachers conspired to hack the fun to the fullest by lending their presence on the stage to distribute the rolled white bond paper.

The weekend reunion was held at the multi-purpose hall at JPNHS campus where parlor games and a mini-conference were held.

It culminated at the Milagros Hall at the poblacion where the members gathered once more for a sumptuous dinner and for a quick blast of fun and thrill, courtesy of the roaring ‘70s dominated by the sounds of rock and roll bands led by The Beatles.

One important icon treasured by the batch was the so-called “touring tarpaulin”, which was nothing but the much-travelled banner proclaiming the batch’s 39th year in 2012. 

Actually, it was post-parcelled from Japan several weeks earlier by batch member Arnel P Hernandez, who works as civilian personnel at the US Naval facilities at Yokosuka, Japan.

 

The tarp has become famous for being much-travelled in the sense that it went around the world with Hernandez, its custodian, whenever he was sent overseas on official work-related errands. 

To date, the tarp has gone to more than 15 cities in about 10 countries and was pictured against the backdrop of famous landmarks such as the temples in Bangkok or the famous battle ships docked in a US naval facility in California. 

Unfolded in public places, the Batch ’73 tarp had been photographed with Hernandez donning Filipino native attire while posing next to it.

In its 40th anniversary souvenir program, the batch paid tribute to 18 members who have joined their Maker over the past few years, and they were truly missed at the reunion.

Phids Advincula (center) “receives” his diploma from JPNHS faculty members Madam Editha G Chavez and Madam Delia Floranda during a mock graduation rites to highlight the batch’s 40th year anniversary celebration in Mambulao.

The Batch ’73 pose for a family picture with the anniversary banners.

The much-travelled tarp banner … touring about 16 countries. – MWBuzzpics by AP HERNANDEZ

Tiangge time in Mambulao

Enticing displays of freshly harvested vegetables on offer at the Mambulao tiangge.

Story and pictures by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

FROM Saturday afternoon to Sunday, heaps of vegetables, fruits and many other farm produce as well as fish products, are displayed at a flea market in Mambulao, just next to the public wet market.

To the local consumers, it’s one big moment to save on most of their weekly buying – from their favorite da-ing” and tuyo to ripe fruits such as banana and papaya, foodstuff that could sell at higher prices in other markets in the province.

On the other hand, the two-day farm produce fair is also a chance for local farmers and those from other areas to cash on in on their weekly harvests.

Obviously, the prices of the produce are very much lower than those offered on ordinary days.

One market-goer was told that the laman ng gabi she picked cost P35 for a bunch of three, but the she bargained P30. She got it.

Actually, a number of vendors wouldn’t mind giving away P2 to P5 difference between their prices and the buyers’ offer, knowing that they would make more by selling in big volumes.

That’s why it was called tiangge, a bargain fair.

The weekly affair also makes the local tricycle boys busy, shuttling home market goers loaded with goodies.

To the local government, it’s another source of revenue in the form of stall tariffs although the take won’t be that much, but revenue just the same.

A number of stall owners here used to do their business in Labo’s traditional Sunday market.

But stiff competition has forced them to move to Mambulao where business turned out to be a lucrative one, so far.

Email the blogger: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and alfredophernandez@y7mail.com

  Mouth-waterin tuyo and da-ing, common staples at the flea market.

Mangoes, although not the Jumbo variety from Cebu, remain among the best-selling items.

A vendor prepares her wares before market-goers invade her corner.

Bananas of all kinds and pineapples come straight from farms on the outskirts of Mambulao.

An elderly woman takes her time picking her favorite fruit – yellow mangoes. Carrots, potatoes and peanuts are also on offer.

One reason why consumers would flock to the flea market – freshly harvested vegetables.
 

The weekend tiangge generates good business for tricycle operators. - MWBuzzpics by ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

Stable power supply

Power substation … This is the 5MVA power substation recently installed at Sta Rosa Sur in Mambulao, CamNorte by the Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative (Canoreco). Now fully commissioned, the substation has reduced the occurrence of brownouts in the municipality, so far. Before, Mambulao shared power supply with Paracale through a 5MVA substation in Paracale, which was not enough for the needs of power consumers in both towns. The power unit gets its power supply from the Bicol grid owned by a private group. The power co-op is trying to ferret out illegal connections of several small-scale gold miners around Mambulao, which could cause what the co-op says as system’s overload. The municipal government funded the facility from a bank loan –  MWBuzz and pic by AP HERNANDEZ

CamNorte lowest poverty incidence

By JUAN ESCANDOR, JR

NAGA CITY: With only a little more than two out of 10 families considered poor, CamNorte tops the six provinces in Bicol in terms of families living above poverty level.

According to the latest report of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), CamNorte’s poverty incidence in 2012 was 24.7 per cent among families, which was almost 10 per cent lower than the regional poverty incidence of 34.1 per cent.

CamNorte was able to cut 7.7 per cent of its poverty incidence from 32.4 per cent in 2009 to 24.7 per cent last year, according to Josephine Chua, spokesperson of NSCB Bicol.

“Camarines Norte has the best performance in terms of poverty reduction,” Chua said.

The NSCB, the government agency responsible for measuring socio-economic data of the population, conducts survey every three years to determine the proportion of the people below the poverty line to the total population.

Considered in the poverty survey is whether or not a Filipino family of five meets the basic food needs every month estimated at P5,458 and to stay above it, the poverty threshold which include non-food needs at P7,821.

“The food threshold is the minimum income required by an individual to meet his/her basic food needs and satisfy the nutritional requirements set by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), while remaining economically and socially productive.

“Put another way, the food threshold helps measure food poverty or ‘subsistence,’ which may also be described as extreme poverty,” the NSCB report cited.

For the previous poverty surveys in 2006 and 2009, CamNorte’s per capita poverty thresholds were lower than the regional record but it has significantly increased in 2012, more than the regional mean.

The per  capita income of a  family of five in CamNorte progressively increased from P6,439 in 2006, P8,221 in 2009 to P9,166 in 2012, which was P144 more than the regional mean of P9,022.

CamNorte Gov. Edgar “Egay” Tallado credited the flow of projects from the national government that he said has somehow increased productivity and incomes of the majority of farming families.

Tallado cited the electrification of villages which has perked up the local economies and the construction more than 100km of road that connected isolated villages to the town centers.

He said he has dedicated his projects in providing farmers with production and technical inputs like seedlings, fertilizers, fingerlings, and financial grants to improve the livelihood of farmers including the construction of irrigation facilities.

Among the six provinces in Bicol, Masbate has the highest poverty incidence at 44.2 per cent, followed by Albay with 36.1 per cent while Camarines Sur got the third highest number of poor families at 33.5 percent.

Sorsogon province ran fourth in terms of the greatest number of poor families with 32.1 per cent of the total Sorsoganon families, while Catanduanes made the second best performance for the six Bicol provinces with only 27.1 per cent of families in the poverty level. – Bicol Mail

Albay registers poorest economic performance

By MEDIA SOLUTIONS

LEGAZPI CITY: Albay province recorded the poorest economic performance among six Bicol provinces even as Gov Joey Salceda blamed the calamities that hit his province for its rising poverty incidence as revealed by the latest data released by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) recently.

The poverty data showed Albay as being the only province in Bicol region which registered a steady increase in poverty incidence since 2006.

It was also one of the only two provinces which registered an increase in poverty for the period 2009 to 2012 from 33.9 to 36.1 , the other one being the province of Catanduanes.

Albay was also one of the only two Bicol provinces which exceeded the regional poverty incidence pegged at 34.1.

Albay had 36.1 and the other province was Masbate with 44.2. Though Masbate registered a decrease in poverty statistics it remained on the top spot, followed by Albay.

Reached for comment, Salceda said in an email to Media Solutions that the increase was “mainly due to Typhoon Juaning of 2011 which affected 37,000 families in Polangui, Malinao, Oas, and Libon. Families with houses significantly destroyed mounted to 16,000.

“The 2.2 per cent increase is equal to 4,400 families. Yet due to the anticipated impact, DSWD increased the 4Ps from 11,000 in 2012 to 72,000 in 2013.”

Queried why the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) drastically raised the number of beneficiaries of Pantawid-Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to 72,000 last year when the number of families affected by Typhoon Juaning in 2011 was only 37,000, Salceda replied:

“The increase in 4Ps from 11,000 to 70,000 was the response of DSWD to the impact of the Typhoon Juaning and it was not as if the poverty statistics was already clear by then.”

The governor also cited that from “2006-2009, Typhoons Reming (and) Milenyo and two Mayon eruptions” added to the economic woes of Albayanos. 

During this period Salceda was among the economic advisers of the Arroyo administration and was one of the “select favorites” of then Pres Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in terms of fund allocations.

Albay was known locally and internationally as “climate change champion” and has established a Climate Change Academy as testament to its expertise which was supposed to shield its people from the backlash of calamities.

Asked why its purported “expertise” on climate change adaptation failed to protect his people, Salceda replied, “Without the adaptation programs, the poverty incidence would have been much worse-it would have spiked by 7 per cent.”

With optimism, the governor said, “with the forthcoming yearly poverty statistics, I am sure we will see how the absence of typhoons since 2012 combined with the full impact of our economic strategies (shifting to tourism) will reduce poverty by at least five per cent in 2013 alone.”

Meanwhile, CamNorte chalked up the highest reduction in poverty incidence with 7.7 per cent from 32.4 per cent in 2009 to 24.7 per cent, the lowest in the region.

Next in terms of reduction was Masbate with 5.6 per cent drop from with 49.8 in 2009 to 44.2 per cent in 2012, though was not enough to dislodge it from the top rank as having the highest poverty incidence in Bicol. Camarines Sur also scored a 3.7 per cent drop in the number from 37.2 to 33.5 per cent but remained third in ranking while Sorsogon registered a 2.2 per cent reduction from 34.3 per cent to just 32.1 and was on the fourth place. The province of Catanduanes registered the highest increase with 6.8 per cent but remained as having the the second lowest poverty incidence of 27.1 per cent. – Bicol Mail

Climate change: Deadlier than armed conflict

By RHAYDZ B BARCIA

LEGAZPI CITY: The adverse impact of climate change due to global warming is more destructive and challenging than the armed conflict, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Emmanuel T Bautista told Albayanos recently

“Disaster is more dangerous and destructive due to climate change than the armed struggle. Remember typhoon Pablo in Mindanao? Natural disaster occurs in just a split second so we must be prepared,” Bautista said during the commemoration of Albayano heroes of national liberation held at Bicol University here.

“This is more confronting than the armed conflict that’s why we’re giving high priority by integrating climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction management to our programs and projects for us to be able to respond to the public and protect the environment for our generations,” Bautista pointed out.

The AFP chief said that although the military’s primary task is to protect the state and the people, there is also an urgent need to focus on climate change and address it through the spirit of the Bayanihan to cushion the brunt of harsh climate.

Bautista, the man behind the counter-insurgency program called Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) or “Bayanihan,” said that through this program,  peace, development, and environmental preservation become attainable if all sectors of the society, including “our brothers in the hills” work together toward a common goal.

“We’re appealing to our brothers in the hinterlands—the New People’s Army — to stop the arms struggle and instead lay down their arms and help us work together to address the adverse impact of climate change,” Bautista said, adding that “our problem today is not armed struggle but the need to unite in pulling off peace and progress.”

Bautista flew to Albay to grace the Memorial Day for Albayano Heroes of National liberation. AlbayGov. Joey Salceda presented an award to Bautista at the Climate Change Academy here in recognition of his deep commitment to address the impact of climate change and mitigate adaptation measures.

The provincial government of Albay led the memorial for Albayano heroes as one of the highlight events of the month-long Magayon Festival here.

Salceda said that the Memorial Day is a tribute to local heroes in Albay who assiduously offered their lives to liberate the people from the hands of the oppressors.

He stressed that the legacies of the brave men and women who fought for freedom of the province should be remembered to promote awareness among Albayanos the contributions of local heroes and in turn appreciate their heroic deeds to foster unity and enrich national pride.

Replica statues of these four local heroes were paraded and highlighted during the civic-military parade and wreath laying ceremonies at the Bicol University oval.

The local heroes honored here were General Jose Ignacio Paua, General Simeon Arboleda Ola, and Camilo Jacob.

Gen Paua is the Filipino-Chinese revolutionary sent by Emilio Aguinaldo to the Bicol Region in 1899 to raise funds for the newly-established Philippine Republic while Ola is the last revolutionary general from Guinobatan, Albay to surrender to the Americans in 1903.

Camilo Jacob was a photojournalist from Polangui who was among the eleven of the 15 Bicol Martyrs who died by the Spanish firing squad on the same spot in Bagumbayan, Manila (now called Luneta) were national hero Jose Rizal was executed.

Also highlighted was the sesquicentennial (150th) birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, the Father of the Philippine Revolution.

According to Salceda, Bonifacio who married an Albayana, lived in Albay between 1895 and 1896 to work and recruit members for the Katipunan.

A rare Bonifacio monument was long erected in Sto. Domingo, Albay when it was the norm for almost every town and city in the country to erect monuments in their plazas exclusively for the more popular Dr Jose Rizal. – Bicol Mail

Rivals raise doubt on CamSur’s ‘top tourist hub’ title

By CHRISTIAN S TADURAN

and JUAN ESCANDOR, JR

NAGA CITY: Raising doubts on the tourism data provided by the provincial government, at least two gubernatorial bets in CamSur wondered how the province outpaced Metro Manila, Cebu, and Boracay in terms of tourist arrivals making the province a top tourist destination.

Gubernatorial bets Rep Luis R Villafuerte and lawyer Jose Anselmo “Joel” Cadiz accused CamSur Gov.Raymund Luis “LRay” Villafuerte of submitting to the Department of Tourism (DoT) an exaggerated number of the provinces’ tourist arrivals, during the political forum sponsored by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PCPRV) on Saturday here.

With gubernatorial bet Miguel Luis “Migz” Villafuerte, grandson of Rep. Villafuerte and son of estranged son LRay, the only candidate not present during the PCPRV’s political forum, no one was around to defend the record title achieved by CamSur.

The DoT regional report from January-December 2010 accounted the number of foreign and domestic visitors of CamSur at 2,330,116, besting the perennial favorites like Metro Manila, Cebu, and Boaracay to become top tourism destination in the country.

Metro Manila trailed a bit after CamSur with 2,296,475 visitors; Cebu, 1,777,234; and Boracay, 779,666.

CamSur’s tourist arrival volume was 49 per cent higher than the 1,566,447 in 2009.

The same data revealed that 461,053 were foreign visitors while 1,869,063 were locals.

In Metro Manila, 1,869,871 were foreigners and 815,604 were locals. In Cebu, 712,400 were foreigners and 1,059,834 were locals and in Boracay, 305,569 were foreigners and 474,097 were locals.

Tourism was among the topics discussed in the political forum including the creation of a new province carved out from CamSur and the fiscal management of the province.

“The number of hotel rooms here in CamSur stands at only 2,000; in Manila, more than 100,000; in Boracay, more than 30,000. How is it possible for CamSur to have more tourists than Manila and Boracay?” Cadiz said in Bicol.

“Gov LRayVillafuerte is providing overstated information to the Department of Tourism,” he said.

He added that it is possible the CamSur Provincial Capitol is counting even those who are passing by the province on their way to Visayas.

Asked to react on the doubts raised on CamSur’s record of tourist arrivals, LRay in a text message dismissed Cadiz as “a resident of Naga who does not know what’s happening in CamSur”

“He (Cadiz) says there’s only 2,000 rooms in the whole CamSur, clearly there’s over 4,000 rooms as validated by CamSur’s hosting of Ad Congress. He’s totally ignorant that because of tourism, jobs and opportunities were provided especially in Caramoan where hotels flourished and this provided livelihood and jobs,” LRay said.

“Fishermen earn a minimum of P2,500/boat/day for island hopping which they never earned before. Hotels in Naga and CamSur flourished and daily flights increased. (Cadiz’s) concept of tourism is community based which is vague and shows his ignorance of tourism,” the governor went on.

Last year, DoT reported that CamSur drew 2,249,159 foreign and domestic tourists, retaining  its record as the country’s top tourist destination, while followed by Metro Manila with 2,154,644 tourist arrival, and Boracay with 1,206,252.

DOT’s data on tourist arrivals are dependent on what Local Government Units provide annually, Cadiz said.

“That is wrong and we should not believe it because that is not being reflected in the province’s revenues,” he added in Bicol.

When it was Rep Villafuerte’s turn to speak, he jokingly said in Bicol: “For the [CamSur Provincial] capitol, if you are from Naga and you go to Manila, you are already a tourist once you go back home; if you work for the [CamSur Provincial] Capitol, you add to the tourist arrival every day.”

“You need to stay for no less than two days in CamSur to be considered a tourist,” Rep. Villafuerte added in Bicol.

“To minimize confusion, let us separate the domestic and foreign tourists.”

He cautioned “not resort to misinterpretation and falsification of the figures because it is an embarrassment for the province to claim the top tourist destination spot when you do not even see tourists [walking around]”. – Bicol Mail