Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

The Absence of Empathy

Akelco Andagao office was tightly closed after lunch on Tuesday, March 24. According to the security guard on duty, all the employees left the office to attend a sports fest.

Those Akelco con-sumer–members wasted their transportation money, time, and effort in going to the office to pay their respective electric bills. And there were hundreds of them.

One must get acquainted with the culture of Akelco. It appears to Akelco management that customers are wrong and the seller is right. Customers were wrong because they went to Akelco Andagao to pay their bills on a wrong time when its employees were attending a sports fest in Lezo, Aklan.

Yes, they left the office without prior notice and its customers went to its office to pay their bills wasting time, wasting money, and wasting effort.

To Akelco manage-ment team, the term "Empathy" is meaningless. The Akelco Management team is devoid of the ability to share in another’s emotions or feelings. It cannot project one’s own personality into an object. Akelco management team cannot and has no projection of one’s own personality into the personality of its clients in order to understand them better.

Therefore, their personnel padlocked their office, went to attend a sports fest without feeling what will their clients feel, who upon arrival at Akelco office to transact business finds out to their dismay the office is closed during office hours, hence "No Deal".

Where Are They?

Monday, March 23, Aklan celebrated the 112th Martyrdom Anniversary of Gen. Francisco Del Castillo and the 19 Martyrs of Aklan. This is an annual celebration in a fixed date, March 23.

However, the big and top guns of Aklan were absent. Cong. Florencio T. Miraflores in the comme-morative program was scheduled to deliver a message. However, his message was delivered by former Congressman of Aklan, Atty. Allen S. Quimpo. They asked, where is Cong. Florencio T. Miraflores?

Aklan Gov. Carlito S. Marquez and Vice Governor Gabrielle V. Calizo were also scheduled to raise the Provincial Banner. But they were absent too. They asked, where are they? Someone did the raising of the Provincial Banner for them.

Like Cong. Miraflores who was scheduled to deliver a message, Gov. Marquez was represented by Hon. Selwyn Ibarreta, Aklan SP member who delivered the message in Gov. Marquez’ behalf.

During the occasion when the people’s heroes and patriots are commemorated, the present leaders must lead the honors in celebrating their memories and patriotic deeds. Our heroes and patriots are the role models of the present generation and to those who will follow.

P55 Million Loan

Finally, the urgent request of Governor Carlito S. Marquez for an authority to enter into a loan agreement with Land Bank of the Philippines amounting to P55 million to finance the construction of the Calangcang Sports Complex, Calangcang, Makato, Aklan and to sign all documents pertaining to the loan" was approved.

It was approved during a special session of the Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan held in the morning of Tuesday, March 24. The session was presided by Hon. Gerick Templonuevo. The money will be spent for the construction of rubberized track oval at 35 million pesos, and for the construction of the main grandstand and completion of olympic size swimming pool at 20 million pesos.

This amount of money if spent for the project will not be recovered in cash. However, the tremendous return will come in the form of good boys and girls developed into useful, productive and upright citizens of Aklan through sports development. It will shape healthy, young Aklanon leaders who will be living in honesty, dignity, in peace and contentment.

The rate of return of that sports complex is unquantifiable, but will produce leaders through sports, one process to develop a behaved man, man who can persevere, of high tolerance, endurance, and patience.

One must remember that the construction, operation, maintenance and utilization of the Calangcang Sports Complex is to develop a "complete man". That is different from others like the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City which was constructed and being operated to make business, to earn profit out of investment. /MP