EDITORIAL

Banga The Beautiful Is Changing

“Times changes and we change with them”, anonymous.

Do you agree with the above stated quotation? If yes, you can point to the Municipality of Banga to prove that time changes and the people changes with the lapse of time. 

The people of Banga was well aware of the value of education. Even before World War II, there was high school which provided the agricultural and home economics courses for the Northern towns of Capiz. Banganhons value education very much as they say, “education is an everlasting heritage of the parents to their children.

They respected, honor and emulate persons who went to college and came out of it with a college degree completed.

However Banganhons had changed.

In the May 2007 local election, the Banganhons elected a mayor who has not completed a basic education.

Mayor Antonio “Antong” Maming, in that election, was elected Mayor of Banga. He publicly admitted he had not completed Grade VI.

In the May 2010 election, Mayor Maming was re-elected Mayor of Banga.

The Banganhons repudiated Mayor Maming’s opponents who were all professionals. Mayor Maming defeated a re-electionist mayor who was an attorney in the May 2007 election. He also defeated a doctor of medicine. In 2010 election, Maming again defeated a lady doctor of medicine and a retired government official, a professional agriculturist.

During the 2012 Governor’s Cup Tournament, Banga under the watch of Mayor Maming did not participate unlike last year, when Banga participated and played for the championship. That 2012 basketball tournament was one of the highlights of the 56th Aklan Day celebration. This year, Banga’s basketball team members were deprived from playing in a provincial tournament. 

Time has changed, for Banga used to win the championship in basketball. This year, Banga did not only lose, it did not participate.

The word “Red” possesses a number of definitions. Red is any spread of colors, varying in hue from that of blood to pale rose or pink. It also refers to political radical or revolutionary. In economics, red means in debt or losing money because of bad business practice.

Today, red is the prevailing color in Banga. Visitors coming from Kalibo or from Balete will surely notice that Banga is in the red as the rotunda edifice is all in red. Get inside the town plaza and notice the Banga town hall is painted red. The “Baeay It Banganhon” marker by the wall was completely erased.

Until 10 years ago, the Banga Town Plaza was never used as “Peryahan”. Indeed time has changed. The town plaza was exclusively used by Banganhons as a place to relax, as dance floor around the bandstand. Around the town plaza were exhibit booths for agricultural products from the barangays like the biggest fruits and vegetables produced in the farm. The exhibits were held during the town fiesta and lent season.

Visit Banga town plaza today and get amused by several kinds of games of chance. Visit it also in the morning and see laundry being hanged for sun drying. This laundry is of and by the peryahan personnel. It is amusing to observe. Banga has changed. 

In one corner of the town plaza is situated an unfinished dome which has enhanced ugliness of the town plaza. What is this for?

BANGA TODAY

Come to Banga the changing town as to its appearance, practices, and values. /MP