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61st Anniversary Issue

60th Anniversary Issue

98th Baguio Charter Day Anniversary

IN AND OUT OF BAGUIO

by Cecile C. Afable

The gamble of life is too intense already so that when some gambling people want to add another form of gambling like the STL; the women, the men, the youth, with the religious leading, got cemented together against all forms of gambling to make and unmake a living. Gambling comes under a name like Bingoteng, which is really jueteng. It comes under other names but it is all the same. The medical world, which discovers and invents so many discoveries faster than God, has not yet discovered the virus that causes the gambling sickness. I know several gamblers who cured themselves by committing suicide. Only a united action can stop gambling and it seems the good people of our gambling-sick city has discovered it and religion has joined them. Our new act of togetherness with people and God will really stop it. Let there be no prayers against stopping gambling and drugs. Only unity and a sincere support for it can stop them. If our law people will join the new group, if our top politicians will join in, we can say during our centennial that we are so determined to truly stop our miseries so that it took us 100 years to celebrate it.

* * * * * * * * * *
For most of us who don’t believe in Global Warming, let Iloilo be our local answer and China our distant one. The water that drowned Iloilo did not come from the sea, the people saw the water coming from the naked mountains upon their frail houses and rendering thousands of them hopeless. They cut most of their trees to plant sugar cane for fuel. The same freed water went towards the sea and capsized a ferry that contained about a thousand people who all died by drowning except about 70 of them. The fishes around the area must have put on weight. Most of the kids were just one swallow to the ever ready sharks. Some parents must have stopped struggling to live after they have lost their kids. Our go-vernment has no deep affection for its people. They do not even care for our safety.

* * * * * * * * * *
In this time of hunger, or just plain rice and money shortage, our President with 60 of her favorite politicians were on a trip to the USA. And then an angry storm named Frank spoiled it and sent her worrying about home and the tragedy at close quarters. It is a tragedy indeed! We are sorry that the good time with her family and friends was disturbed but she was very thoughtful to buy us rice.

How long can a person survive without food? The experts tell us that it will take a starving person 10 to 14 days to live depen-ding on one’s state of body. So it is hoped that many are still alive among those who are missing.

History tells us that a Roman emperor whose name was Nero, was so sickened by too much power and luxury so he let Rome burn while he played his fiddle. GMA, our cute president, had her entire family and several favorites in her entourage on a relaxing trip to USA. She or they went relaxing while part of her country was drowning. Let her come home with a foreign flag gifted to her by President Bush for all those who died in a watery grave.

China and us can mark an easy way to decrease overpopulation which happens to be our biggest problem. Our governments have no deep love for our kids, who just die crying and screaming. It took a male storm to pull the celebration rug under the feet of GMA and company so it was Frank with his watery weapon that spoiled her luxury junket for them.

* * * * * * * * * *
Autonomy for the Cordillera, as if it is not here already. A group of physically healthy young men are visiting political groups in your areas to talk about autonomy for the Cordillera. Some doctors should get the heads of these young men examined for what is contained in them.

They visited the Benguet provincial board for an audience for their palabas. The Benguet provincial board is the best group of mature politicians in the Cordillera, it is also chaired by an honest politician who knows all about autonomy because he never talks about it, he practices it. Not even Fongwan can shake him up. That’s their first mistake. They know that Benguet knows autonomy to mean “economy.” This time they cannot afford the high cost of pigs, so that they were not hospitable to the four handsome men who were acting like broke salesmen. They sent them away with the bad dreams of autonomy; of many pigs of many deaths, of many guns but no bullets. They have lost steam a long, long time ago.

Let us take care of our trees, our water sources and our schools and children. Let them be our form of autonomy. I hope that the four handsome young men will decide to study global warming and inform our people about it so that Cordillera, our only beautiful country will live forever. When our tired and ready to retire nurses will come home, they will be proud and happy. Let us green our mountains for them.

* * * * * * * * * *
The most wonderful thinking that ever came out of a councilor yet came from the honorable Isabelo Cosalan Jr. of our city. He is a clear thinking, honorable, religious, who once said that he hopes every decision he makes must be touched by God before he acts on it. This means that he is trying to do the work of God for men.

It took him time to decide to suggest to his honorable colleagues in the city council a much needed office — a resettlement office which is now under study by the city council members. Some say such a law office is too late. No it is not. It is needed to reshape our almost disordered city. These occupied unfinished houses must be furnished, the city is too full of too many housing but there are so many homeless. The squatters in spite of their uncomfortable positions must be comfortable. We need teeth and a political will for our land use laws.

* * * * * * * * * *
Thank God that our children’s park at Burnham Park is now being seriously repaired by the city. Let those builders be very careful in the security and safety of the places where they will play and let us make rules for the adults who bring in the kids. Sometimes adults use the swings, which are not constructed for them. No food and weapons should be allowed in the grounds. An emergency shade should be included in the grounds because it can be too hot or too wet during the day. All kids below five should be accompanied by an adult. The children of the poor who have no place in their homes to play will be happiest and we want them to be.

The Three Witches should inaugurate the opening of the Children’s Playground.

* * * * * * * * * *
The Loakan Airport
The land where it is located, if the government decides to close it or have it privatized, must be returned to the original owners, who are still in Loakan. It used to be an ancestral rice and camote field. Land grabbing will not be condoned because Loakan Airport is a sacred place.

The San Fernando Airport if developed to land jets is the ideal airport to Baguio.

If Baguio has no airport to land its visitors, then we will have no visitors. Without the students our land-locked city will just be a cement jungle and Camp John Hay will be a corner of non-performing assets where millionaires will come to dust their mansions once in a while.

The most attractive tourists come on in Baguio City is that 18-room mansion at Quezon Hill which is pointed out as a sample of an Igorot house. Another attraction is the beautiful overpass at a point of entry to our city. It is not used by the cars because it is so beautiful.

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