Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

Demolish Bandstand
At Banga Town Plaza?

Mayor Antonio T. Maming of Banga, if money is available, will construct a canteen on the town plaza of Banga. He will also demolish the bandstand on the middle of the Banga Town Plaza and construct roofings around the same Banga Town Plaza. These are a bit of information gathered last week.
By all means, put improvements in Banga. However, let all plans be transparent and allow the community to decide on the plan. Is the canteen a priority in Banga? Is the construction of roofings over the town plaza according to the culture and tradition of the community? Is there a town plaza in the Philippines and abroad covered with roof?
Magsaysay Park, Kalibo is enclosed with fence and partially roofed around. Will Mayor Maming take Magsaysay Park in Kalibo as his model? There is already in Banga the Teodosio Park, fenced and covered with roof.
Bandstand on the middle of the Banga Town Plaza is one of the three structures spared from burning during the World War II. The other two are the Banga Public Market and the Roman Catholic Church in front of the town plaza itself. To demolish the bandstand is to erase history as well. Some great Filipinos like Jose P. Laurel, pres. Elpidio Quirino had visited, stepped and spoke on that bandstand.

Kahit Saan, Kahit Kailan, Walang Aasahan

Station Manager Butz J. Maquinto better known as Kaibahang Butz of RGMA–DYRU discussed the performance of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Aklan for more than two hours today (November 27, 2007) in his program “Ilitsahan”. For two hours, Kaibahang Butz received all complaints, problems, woes with the GSIS. Nobody who reacted with the presentation of Kaibahang Butz spoke any single word which appreciated or tended to appreciate any service the GSIS is giving them. Neither among the GSIS pensioners nor any member reacted to deny the negative comments imputed to the GSIS.
Kaibahang Butz invited those who received good service from the GSIS to speak out in defense of the GSIS, but nobody responded. Both GSIS members and pensioners complaint of the difficulty to access to the GSIS in Kalibo, the lost of records of payment topsyturvy record keeping, lost record of payment, shabby treatment of persons transacting business with the GSIS office and many others.
After hearing the GSIS members’ and pensioners’ worst experiences, one arrived to a conclusion that the only solution to redeem the collapse of the GSIS’s pretty image is the removal of the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Winston Garcia from the GSIS.
Remove Mr. Winston Garcia from the GSIS and its motto: Kahit Kailan, Kahit Saan, Maaasahan” may become a reality.

Ghost Delivery?

“Lapsus Calami” of Panay News in its issue on November 22, 2007 has alleged that there was P10 million ghost deliveries of “farm chemicals and fertilizers” purchased out of the Priority Development Assistance Projects (PDAP) of Cong. Joeben.
This is a serious accusation imputed upon Congressman Miraflores. This is revolting especially to the Aklanon farmers. Congressman Joeben, by all means, please explain your side. Kindly deny if false, accept if true. The P10 million, if that is intended for agriculture will really enhance productivity and net income of the farm families.
The P10 million if invested to develop and improve more our irrigation system will surely encourage the use of recommended farm techniques thereby increase both quantity and quality of farm produce mutually good for the producers and consumers.

DepEd Not DECS

DepEd means Department of Education. DECS means Department of Education, Culture and Sports. After the approval of the Basic Education Law which re-organized DECS and became DepEd, the functions on Culture and Sports were removed from DECS. Culture function is assigned to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), while sport function is assigned to the Philippines Sports Commission (PSC).
However, until this day, the DepEd continually holds sports competitions from the school, district, division and regional levels. Why does DepEd continue this sports and cultural competitions? This is a question only the DepEd top official can answer. In the holding of this sports and cultural competitions, DepEd raise funds for its expenses from the children or pupils, from LGUs and other government officials such as from the congressman.
On the days of the competition, classes are suspended. However, not all teachers and students attend the competition, but more of athletes and members of the faculty who are assigned tasks to do during the competition.
This suspension of classes during sports and cultural competition, holidays, fiesta and other destructions becomes impediment to the teaching – learning process. /MP