BACOLOD CITY — To make this country move forward faster, we have to build the nation’s pillars stronger through our young and therefore, future leaders.
Early Tuesday evening, on my invitation, I sat down with a group of city officials I called lately as the “Voltes 5.” This group was composed of Vice Mayor Thaddy Sayson […]

BACOLOD CITY — We were in Guimbal, Iloilo last Sunday to attend the turnover ceremonies of the position of “Hermano Mayor” to our brother-in-law Modesto Gargaritano. The new “Hermana Mayor” is Mrs. Norma Genciana Tabigo-on.
Outgoing Hermano Mayor is Dechechado Genona and outgoing Hermana Mayor is Marisol Gayanilo Baluyot. Lawyer Rene Gayanilo told me, like […]

BACOLOD CITY — The one-page open letter yesterday of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters signed by its president Enrique “Nene” Rojas should open the eyes of our lawmakers, specifically the Representatives in Congress of sugarcane-producing areas.
And the sugarcane planters, too, as well as all those connected either directly or indirectly with the sugar industry.
The […]

BACOLOD CITY — In the 70s when there was fighting between Christians and Muslims in Mindanao, particularly Cotabato where most of the Ilonggos of West Visayas migrated, the dreaded group was called “Ilaga,” meaning “Rat.”
But, antagonistic Muslims called Ilaga, “Ilonggo Landgrabbers Association.” The leaders were Feliciano Luces, alias “Toothpick” and Kumander Bucay, Roberto Manero. He […]

BACOLOD CITY — Prometheus, in mythology, was a Greek god who stole fire from heaven to benefit mankind. Zeus, the god of all gods, was angry, punished him by chaining him to a rock in the Caucasus mountain.
Zeus was a very good chief god. He punished thieves, even if they were gods. Everyday, an eagle, […]

BACOLOD CITY — We are wasting our time, effort, and money arguing over the form of government or whether to have a convention or a Constituent Assembly to craft our Constitution.
As I pointed out in this space many times, any form of government is best, if best administered. And the form of amending it […]

BACOLOD CITY — In the early 80s, there was a long running TV series, “Family Feud”, a contest between two sets of family members as to who could answer the questions better. It was not a quarrel.
Around that time too, there was an Academy Award winning movie, “Kramer vs. Kramer,” starring Dustin Hoffman and […]

BACOLOD CITY — We wrote yesterday of the danger of appeasement. We were not wrong. The MILF attacks in Lanao del Norte and Saranggani proved it.
Now, war has exploded. The President was quoted over television and by print media she would finish ‘em off. She appeared quite angry.
Any President would have done […]

BACOLOD CITY — There is a famous Chinese saying, “He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount.” Such happened to people who tried to ride a tiger by pleasing the MILF through crafting the now infamous MOA-AD thing.
But give it to Presidential Assistant Hermogenes Esperon. He was quoted the other day as […]

BACOLOD CITY — Last Thursday morning, Vic Mercado, host of the program “Mercado Publico” over DYRL, hooked up with a sister station in Iloilo to interview North Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Piñol.
Piñol who spoke fluent Ilonggo with a Kinaray-a accent because he comes from Pototan, and more Ilonggos in Cotabato speak Kinaray-a than Hiligaynon, […]