NO MATTER WHAT
LP pushes Tanco for gov; Celino for mayor
By Edalyn Acta
Earlier, critics of the two incumbent officials floated the idea that the LP led by newly appointed Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas II will replace Celino and Tanco as the LP’s official bets in Capiz for the city mayoral and gubernatorial posts in the 2013 elections.
Tanco was reportedly being convinced by the Roxases to run for the second district congressional race to end the political dominance of the Castros there.
But the incumbent governor and his supporters balked at the idea, preferring that Tanco instead complete his three terms.
The Roxases and Castros used to maintain ‘good political relationships’ until lately when they were seen to have a falling-out.
Former 2nd District Cong. Fredenil Castro and his wife, the incumbent 2nd District Rep. Baby Jane Castro, have been lording it over the politics in the second district.
After serving as the district’s congressman for three terms in 2007, Castro fielded his wife Baby Jane in the congressional race held in May 2010. Baby Jane won the post by a wide margin over LP’s official candidate, former PNP Chief Roberto Lastimoso.
The law limits the terms of office of local officials to only three terms but they are still allowed to run for the same post after observing an interval of at least one term.
In the 2013 elections, Fredenil is reportedly claiming his old post.
The LP in Capiz led by the Roxases have reportedly commissioned a survey on who among the LP incumbent officials stand the chance of beating Fredenil in case he runs for his old position.
In that survey, Tanco and Celino reportedly appeared as frontrunners for the governorship and the city mayoral race in 2013.
Two incumbent mayors in the second district, namely—Leslie Warren Benjamin and Sapian Mayor Arturo Orosco, Sr.—reportedly fared well in the survey as strong second district congressional candidates in the 2013 polls.
This means that either of them stands the chance of defeating Castro in the congressional contest.
Benjamin, the source said, would most likely accept the challenge depending on the assurance of support from the Roxases.
For his part, Orosco has stated on several occasions his preference to retire from politics. In the 2013 elections, the mayor, who is still eligible for another term, is reported giving way to his wife, Evangeline Oñas-Orosco, for the town’s mayorship. Orosco said that he would now have more time to attend to his fishpond business.
Orosco and Benjamin used to be political allies of Castro. But for still unknown reasons, they have shifted support to the Roxases by pledging allegiance to LP.
In the 2010 elections, Castro reportedly supported Capiz’s defeated gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante, who was edged out by Tanco by more than 60,000 votes, believed to be the widest margin in the history of Capiz.
In the past months, barangay captains in Roxas City including Alfredo Albaladejo of Tiza of LP and Manuel Aninang of Olotayan belonging to Ugyon Kita Capiz also signed a letter supporting Tanco’s governorship in the province.
‘I’m a Capiznon by birth’—Cong. Mitos Magsaysay
By Virgilio ClavelRoxas City—“I have always been a Capiznon by birth and a Zambaleño by choice,” said Cong. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay of Zambales during a press meeting Aug 22 at the Kapis Mansion here.
Tracing her roots to the Habanas of Cuartero and the Arnaldo-Acuña clan of Roxas-Panay, Magsaysay took pride in her forefather namely, Gov. Antonio Habana, who served as the province’s chief executive from 1907 to 1909 and whose public record was spared from any tinge of corruption.
“Marahil, minana ko sa lolo ko ang hindi isang corrupt na kawani ng pamahalaan (Perhaps I have inherited from my grandfather this spirit of genuine service),” Magsaysay said.
On Magsaysay’s mother’s side, the Acuñas were as clean as the Habanas and “my political ancestors were men of dignity, holding public with sterling performance.”
“I also learned Lorenzo Arnaldo, also my uncle, was the best loved elected official ever—he lived a simple life, rejected no one who asked for help, and was the friend of the common folk. He died without a house of his own,” the Zambales congressman added.
“If the Zambaleños have a President Ramon Magsaysay, Roxas City also has its Lorenzo Arnaldo.”
“I am fortunate to be a part of both clans. I will not compromise the good names that I have with me now, by birth or by choice”, Magsaysay said.
Magsaysay said that her public service advocacies are education and health.
“Despite being denied the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in 2011, public service to my constituents was not significantly affected. My friends and associates helped me compensate for the loss of PDAF. I realized that when people feel your sincerity in helping them, when they see your commitment to serve beyond the call of duty, they are not stingy in giving back their support for and trust to you. I defeated the Gordons twice—and that is a better proof.”
Magsaysay said she came to Capiz for three reasons, namely—to attend the Habana clan’s annual reunion; “to consult with my friends and kins,” and most important, to share with you good tidings that are not adequately covered by the press.
Considered as the vocal fiscalizer of the Aquino administration, Magsaysay recounted her encounter with Budget Sec. Florencio Abad. She said that when she asked Abad almost 12 times why the PDAF for her district was not released, the budget secretary said that “political realities” dictate that it is withheld.
On the financial aids from the PCSO, Magsaysay said that elected officials who do not belong to the Liberal Party have also been discriminated—which further explains Abad’s ‘political realities’ discourse.
Asked about the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program, Magsaysay said that the 2012 CCT budget of 39 billion pesos will be increased to 45 billion pesos as proposed and is almost sure to pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate. But half of this CCT budget appropriation will be borrowed from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
According to Magsaysay, many people do not know about this. The PCIJ study on the CCT indicated that almost Php4 billion was earmarked for training alone—while the national government presently has a debt of 5 trillion pesos. “As fiscalizer, I have to consult and talk to various sectors. It’s not because I am running for senator in 2013. It’s because people need to know what the government is doing.”
Magsaysay said that PNoy’s mindset is grotesquely off-tangent to realities. For example, the 2011 national budget for flood control was Php12 billion.
Aquino did not and would not release it because infrastructure projects are corruption projects. But in flood control, you have to dredge the river every year, if not regularly.
“I cannot understand how the President thinks and prioritizes things. Last year, he did not spend much. His purpose was to incur savings. So the GNP was quite low. In 2012, he caused the release of those accumulated savings, siyempre magso-shoot up ang GNP for extra cash infused in the economy. Kaya mataas ang GNP ngayon.
“Pero, the GNP rise is a calculated hoax—it is an increase without real growth. Walang real extra money value ang pumasok sa ekonomiya from outside source. It’s unlike the OFW dollar remittance. You will feel the money value coming real in the economy,” she said.
The solon also said that the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill is not PNoy’s priority. “The sad thing about this administration’s self-righteousness is the opposite of what is being cooked in Congress when some solons filed another bill to incorporate the provisions of Executive Order No. 464, the one used by the former administration to dodge compliance with transparency and accountability provisions of the Constitution. But before any document or information is released, there is a mandatory requirement of “subject to the approval of the president.”
Magsaysay also considered that the K to 12 education program innovation is “premature and lacks sense of priorities.” Deeming impossible the administration’s provision of 66,000 classrooms, Magsaysay wondered how 66,000 classrooms can be constructed in three years—when on record only a maximum of 12,000 classrooms can be constructed in a year.
Roxas City ranks 3rd in WV as child-friendly city
By Gerry Pagharion
This City ranked third in the region in the Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Cities and Municipalities, it was announced by Early Childhood Care and Development coordinator Cynthia Besana of the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
Mayor Angel Alan B. Celino, who chairs the City Council for the Protection of Children, was pleased of the honor accorded the city. The mayor formed the council to give flesh to his program geared towards alleviating the plight of children.
It will be recalled that a six-man evaluation team headed by Marilyn T. Tumilba, Nutrition-Dietician IV from the Department of Health -6 Iloilo was in the City July 26,2012 to assess the City’s policies toward children and how it addresses the problems hounding them.
The evaluation proper through a video screening was held July 26 at the session hall of the Sangguniang Panlungsod. The team also surveyed on that day the so-called child friendly barangays , namely: IX, X, Banica, Tiza and Cogon.
According to Besana, Mayor Celino was very enthusiastic in participating in the undertaking in order that the children be given utmost priority in his administration.
Capiz Copra production hits record high
By Alex LumaqueROXAS CITY—A record-breaking 90 tons of copra were bought by the Capiz Small Coconut Farmers Marketing Cooperative (CASCOFAMCO) in July 2012 from the coconut farmers across the province of Capiz.
Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Capiz Manager Jeffrey Delos Reyes said that the record excludes copra traded with at least 33 local accredited copra buyers in the same period.
“Copra trading at CASCOFAMCO averages only about 30 to 40 tons every month,” he noted, stressing that the fine weather and continuing PCA – initiated coconut fertilization have contributed a lot in the local coconut production.
While PCA gears up for the second salt fertilization application this year, the PCA official said that some coconut farmers sell their copra at CASCOFAMCO as copra traders in the municipalities could not financially cope up with the supply of raw material for coconut-based products. Aside from copra, CASCOFAMCO also buys whole nuts at P3.00 each.
There are about 60,000 whole nuts at the oil mill in Brgy. Ondoy in Ivisan town, De los Reyes said. “The high supply of copra has put the average selling price of the product at P12.50 per kilogram.”
Based on PCA records, the average selling price of copra in Capiz reached P42 a kilo in January 2011 due to the shortage of coconut production brought about by the prolonged drought in summer of 2010.
Since then, an uptrend in the local coconut production has been observed until this month. The province has more than 32,000 coconut farmers.
Capiz archdiocese launches TV relay station
His holiness Pope Paul VI solemnly promulgated Inter Mirifica that cites the numerous technological discoveries in the contemporary era.
Driven by this exhortation, Capiz Arch. Jose F. Advincula Jr., D.D., heeded the challenge by putting up CCTN Capiz, a TV relay station that will bring the Good News of salvation to scores of homes in the archdiocese.
Serving as a relay station of the Cebu Catholic Television Network, CCTN Capiz as a Marian and Catholic broadcast station is committed to proclaim God’s love to every faithful through quality programs and decent entertainment, thereby cultivating a community of believers, and guiding the flock in Capiz toward sanctification.
According to Arch. Advincula, “CCTN Capiz will be our local Church’s modern pulpit of evangelization, our answer to the challenge of using mass media in a way that will ensure our own salvation and perfection and that of all mankind.”
However, this task “does not fall on our shoulders alone. The faithful, our target audience, also have a role to play in this noble endeavor. We are urged to do our share in the task of evangelization through mass media, as pointed out in Inter Mirifica. All the members of the Church should make a concerted effort to ensure that the means of communication are put up the service of the multiple forms of the apostolate without delay and as energetically as possible, where and when they are needed,” he added.
According to Rev. Jose Arturo Emilio O. Arbatin, chairman of the Commission on Social Communications and Mass Media, “CCTN Capiz programming lineup includes locally produced shows that will instill in the viewing public a culture of Christian morality and spiritually and promote social responsibilities and cultural awareness according the social doctrines of the Church.”
Among others, the shows to watch on CCTN Capiz include “Pagdayaw,” “Ang Pulong,” “Balaan,” “Pueblo Amante de Maria,” “Kalipay sa Ginuo,” “Credo,” “Viva Katesismo,” “Siete Dias,” “Church Alive,” as well as the daily praying of the Rosary and a weekly “Pro Populo Mass” beginning September 9, 2012 on Channel 47.
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