The HESPEROS

Argao's Beauty Queens

2011-09-13T22:59:00.002+08:00

Tired of reflecting on the politics of beauty pageants, which I believe I already wrote about last year in this blog, I decided this year to do a little search in the internet about past beauty queens. One blog, Manila Carnivals, caught my attention as it is perhaps the most comprehensive guide to the Carnival Queens of Manila, Cebu, and many other cities in the country.

I was surprised and extremely happy to find out that one former Carnival Queen of Cebu, Angeles Osmeña Climaco, had roots to Argao, Cebu. Not only that, she was also my great-grandfather's third cousin! I was so inspired by this little piece of historical tidbit that I wrote a whole article about Argao's beauty queens. It is a work in progress as I have many years not documented but this is a start. To read about it please visit Argao, Cebu's wiki, All About Argao.

The End of an Era: Growing up with Harry Potter

2011-07-21T15:57:00.006+08:00

I had to see it for the second time before I could really get my thoughts in order. Harry Potter's the best! I must have laughed, flinched, smiled, smirked, cried, and more all throughout the movie. When a film gives me an orgasm of emotions then I know it was well worth the wait.

I have already poured my emotions for the Harry Potter series when the last book was released in 2007 so I'll just post that article I wrote about the book after reading it. I believe that my emotions then were the purest in terms of what my feelings for the series really are.

I grew up, literally, with the Harry Potter series. It was a book I first dismissed as a kid's book; today I am one of the die-hard Potterites and I am proud to say so.

(Photo of me wearing my first HP shirt during the first showing of the last film in Davao on July 14, 2011)

*****

Harry Potter

Hundreds of possibly more interesting titles are swimming in my head now that I have finished the last installment in the Harry Potter series. But, I am at a loss. I have been unable to get a descent sleep since the past few days, trying to read the previous six Harry Potter books to have a better understanding of the last one. I had to wake today to make sure I was in National Bookstore when they opened and claimed the book as fast as I could so I could read it as fast as I did the rest. Mine is a deep thirst, a hunger, to see how everything ended. Harry Potter dying would have been a sad but poetic ending, as the rumors persisted. Most of all, I believe, serious Harry Potter fans simply want to know the answer to the age-old question: is love truly the most powerful force?

When religious fundamentalists attack the Harry Potter phenomenon as the work of something sinister, and, some might even say, evil, I have always been quick to say to anybody who bothers to listen to me that the Potter series is popular because it is a good read, and many people identify with the Boy-who-lived because of his heroic deeds against Lord Voldemort. Besides, it really didn’t matter to me that they were bashing the Potter books and Ms. Rowling; children still read the book despite the warnings of fundamentalist church organizations.

After reading the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I have come to the conclusion that JK Rowling has truly done what many writers have failed to do in recent times: attract all ages to once more read books. When I was waiting for my turn to get my copy in National Bookstore I saw different people from all walks of life also waiting to read their own copy. There were Japanese, Korean, Caucasian, and young, old, straight, and gay Filipinos who stood there with me. JK Rowling has united people of different creeds and color and orientations, much more than Bush and other world leaders who, in the words of Harry in book 6, “who never got it right.”

I am no literature major, and I am no Hermione Granger, but I would like to believe that JK Rowling has taught me a thing or two in her books. Love does conquer all, cliché and corny as it may sound. Good will always triumph over evil, not the heaven and hell version of fundamentalists but basic human, moral decisions in our everyday lives. It is not always the mighty that triumphs, but sometimes the weak and the oppressed. Friendship and family are our greatest treasures, and no amount of money or success could ever replace them. We have to learn to trust in the inherent goodness of people, because the world will truly be a dark and gloomy place if we all decide we cannot have faith in good. Most of all, we have to learn to tolerate and accept each other’s differences, because in the grand scheme of things we are all children of a Higher Power, whatever we are and wherever we are in the world.

Yup. JK Rowling has done more for many people than many misguided world leaders have. And she has injected age-old wisdom in her books and made sure it is understood by all ages. The younger ones may not have the same understanding of the entirety of Rowling’s messages in her books as, say, Stephen King or other novelists, but I believe they have more or less a firm grasp of the core of the books’ message: respect each other, trust each other, and love each other. So simple, and yet we simply do not have the presence of mind to do these everyday.

I started the book at two in the afternoon on July 21, and ended at 12:45 AM on July 22. I cried three times during the straight ten hours and forty-five minutes that I read the book without interruption (I was reading it even when I had to go to the loo to pee). I have journeyed with Harry Potter from his tiny closet to Hogwarts to all his adventures and sufferings in the course of his life, and I am glad that JK Rowling gave us Potter addicts a very, very great end.

I sincerely hope kids all over the world would understand and retain the meaning of the Harry Potter series. I thank Rose and Brigitte, two former college classmates and friends of mine, for introducing me to the Harry Potter book. And I thank JK Rowling for her writing the books and giving us a refresher course in the tried and tested “magic” of life.

To Harry Potter – the boy who lived! And Loved!

Yellowcab - Yellow is for Happiness?

2011-05-22T00:15:00.002+08:00

When Yellowcab Pizza opened in 2001, founded by Eric Puno, something promising seemed to have appeared out of thin air and pizza eating in the Philippines became even better. The Yellowcab franchise seemed to have raised the bar higher when it came to pizza appreciation. And for a few years the franchise grew into something even better and today is now in at least 5 countries.

Since I discovered them to be something my taste buds could actually appreciate about 5-6 years ago I have been loyally ordering various flavors of their pizza from their various franchises in Cebu, Manila, and now in Davao.

The nearest YC from my house is located in Damosa, and I have been occasionally ordering from this branch every time I've been on vacation and then I have been ordering thrice or four times a month since I went back to live in Davao in 2010. And since then they have been committing one customer service blunder after another.

A. Once, I found a tiny, hairy, and awfully familiar looking leg-like thing on one of the pizzas. I lost all my appetite and threw away the whole box which most likely had cockroach parts sprinkled all over the cheese.

B. Another time I asked for extra pepper and ketchup for my brother and they forgot about it.

C. One time I also asked for ice with my 1.5 L soda and they forgot.

D. Just recently I had to tell their delivery guy "wait, let me finish giving instructions first before you talk" as the guy would cut me off every time I gave directions to our place.

E. One time I ate there with some friends and we were seated outside it started to rain and none of their staff even bothered to help us with our tables and chairs.

I love their pizza, and would probably order again. I even ordered from them even after finding a cockroach leg on my pizza. I just hope they bother to train their people in customer service. A simple "sorry" could go a long a way and getting a customer service instructor would be more affordable compared to losing one customer per month.

Raj, Mendoza, and the Politics of Beauty Pageants

2010-08-24T20:15:00.005+08:00

It is quite interesting that this year's roster of Ms. Universe winners are not exactly the "usual" winners. Not one of the top 5 candidates come from countries that have a major relationship with the United States in recent months. The winning of Ms. Mexico as this year's Ms. Universe is a bit interesting. Is this a sign that the Latinos of the United States are finally making themselves heard? In many recent surveys, the Hispanics in the US (and many of these come from Mexico), are slowly topping the list better and improved non-white Americans. In fact, in a recent survey of computer/internet users/owners, the Hispanics outnumbered the African-Americans.

Venus Raj's fifth place in the final tally was probably due to her not so amazing answer, but it may also be very much due to what recently happened to the bungled resolution to the Mendoza hostage-taking crisis. Some observers (and conspiracy theorists) have stated that the hostage taking of Chinese nationals by S/Insp. Mendoza actually helped Venus Raj's quest for the most prestigious beauty title. It guaranteed that the judges would really pay special attention to her during the prelims, and indeed she breezed through the top 15 and top 10 rounds. However, having her place hear the crown would have also sent a wrong signal, especially to the Chinese who are probably still seething at what happened to their countrymen. There is a small chance that Raj placed only as 4th runner-up because of the hostage taking incident the day before the pageant. As always, observers like myself would say that, once more, politics got in the way of crowing beauty titleholders.

The Philippines probably holds the distinction of having the most number of local beauty pageants held annually, with most barrios from Appari to Jolo culminating their fiestas with a beauty search. Moreover, it gives us great pride and honor to send representatives to tilts like Miss International, Miss World and Miss Universe would at least make it to the 10 semi-finalists.

Since Margie Moran won the Miss Universe title in 1972, it took 21 years before the country saw Miss Philippines grace the stage as a finalist. Sharmaine "Ruffa" Guttierez won Miss World 2nd runner-up in 1993. It was a welcome end to the drought of beauty titles that our country had been experiencing.

But let's talk about how politics got in the way. The owner of Miss World Organization (MWO) is British Eric Morley. Needless to say, Miss World is a British-run and British-owned pageant. That same year, a few months before the pageant, the South African and British governments formally agreed to end the policy of apartheid in South Africa.

So, what better way to start this wonderful new relationship than to crown a black woman with African roots as the year's Ms. World? Almost every year in the 1990's, Miss South Africa always made it to the top three spots. India also seemed to be favored lately by both Miss World and Universe Pageants, having placed in the magic three or won the title since 1994. Why? Both the UK and US have been courting India to stop developing its nuclear weapons program for fear of a war with neighbor Pakistan. Also, South Africa and India have been so favored by the MWO is because both were former British colonies.

For the Miss Universe Organization, which is American-based, the Philippine bets rarely made it to the top 10 from the 70s to 80s. When it was our turn to host the pageant in 1994, Charlene Gonzales had to be at least in the top 10, of course. In 1995-1998, Miss Philippines was only seen during the Parade of Nations with dismally low scores flashed onscreen. But in 1999, a five-year no beauty-title-spell was almost broken by Miriam Quiambao, when she placed 1st runner-up to Miss Botswana.

Yes, she did deserve the title and admiration when she stood up after a fall in the evening gown preliminary contest. But, if you remember, days before the coronation night, the approval of the Visiting Forces Agreement was a hot issue in the country as many people fought against it. Obviously, it was America's own way of lobbying the Filipinos' support for the approval of the VFA and, lo and behold, our bet placed 1st runner-up on the same day of the VFA's signing.

It may very well be possible because a year later, many were surprised when favorite Nina Ricci Alagao failed to secure a spot in the semi-finals. An anchorwoman of the pageant was even caught saying, "I'm surprised Miss Philippines didn't make it! I think she's great!" What happened to our country that year?

We didn't have a good reputable image to speak of because a political crisis arose from the Abu Sayyaf kidnappings and at the same time, a Filipino impaired millions of computers worldwide, including those of the Pentagon's with the virus that he spread through the internet.

Last May 1, 2001, a mob filled the streets of Mediola as Erap supporters tried to grab power from Arroyo. The news of the Abu Sayyaf kidnappings was also still fresh. Two weeks later, just as expected, Zorayda Ruth Andam didn't make it to the select 10 delegates in the 2001 Miss Universe Beauty Pageant.

Also, many people were surprised when Ms. Russia, Oxana Fedorova, won the Miss Universe crown in 2002. Many observers raised their eyebrows at two of the least expected candidates to have gotten in the top ten: Russia and China. There was more to the pageant than just beauty. We knew that China was concluding its entry in the World Trade Organization during that time, and that Russia and the US were also ironing out their nuclear arms reduction treaty. And so, as an early treat for both, they got in the select 10 for the first time. China even had a much better deal.

Usually, the Chinese delegates bear the sash "Taiwan" or "Taiwan, PROC." Surprisingly, that year, the Chinese delegate bore the title of "China," as though telling everybody once and for all that the independent Taiwan issue was really dead. People's conviction that politics was involved in the Miss Universe pageant (after all, it's American owned) was further bolstered late that year when Oxana Fedorova was stripped of her title in September.

Accordingly, her inability to fulfill her duties as Miss U was the reason for the removal of her crown. But, if you were reading the papers that time, you'd realize that the US was busy convincing every member of the UN Security Council to vote for its resolution to wage war against Iraq. As Russia is a member of the UN Security Council, it was vehemently opposed to any attack against Iraq. Could her government's opposition to America's plans have precipitated the removal of Miss Russia's crown?

Then, in 2002 the Miss World pageant (which is British owned) was held at the Alexander Palace in London. Initially, the pageant was to be held in Nigeria, but after a newspaper article there suggested that the Prophet Mohammed would have approved of the Miss World pageant, Muslim fundamentalists of Nigeria went on a rampage and at least 220 people were killed. And, to make amends for the brouhaha in Nigeria, two concessions to Moslem contestants were given: Nigeria and Turkey, who won that year's Miss World crown.

These theories may for fetched, but remember that the primary goal of a state is the protection and preservation of its national interests. K.J. Hotsti, one of the leading experts in international relations, said that international competitions like the Olympics, Nobel Prize, and beauty pageants like the Miss Universe and Miss World, are avenues for nations to promote national interests.

It is therefore not surprising that Miss Universe Inc. and Miss World Inc., owned by US and UK respectively, would use the effect of "soft" power to promote their interests and reward and/or punish erring nations. As it is, in a beauty pageant, judges are compelled to judge not the lady, but the country from where they come from. The prejudice on the economic and political status of the represented country now steps in.

(Reprinted from my old website http://the.hesperos.googlepages.com/)

Mendoza Hostage Taking

2010-08-23T21:14:00.004+08:00

Truly a sad day for the Philippines. Senior Inspector Rolando (earlier mentioned as Reynaldo) del Rosario Mendoza probably did not wake up today thinking that this would be his last Monday. While he probably has had a lot of things on his mind recently since his dismissal from police service, he must still not have thought that today would end the way it did.

How could a policeman with 17 service medals, a commendation for meritorious service, and one of the Ten Outstanding Police Officers in the Philippines think of holding a tourist bus with many civilians hostage?

It is truly hard to imagine that this honorable police officer was truly guilty of his extortion charges in 2008. Why, after years and year of honest service, would he risk his name and reputation, not to mention his livelihood, for an alleged extorted amount of P200,000.00? His family was quoted as saying that the case was tied to the higher ups of his police department, but of course, as is always the case in our country, the sad and defenseless little people are the ones who take the fall.

I believe that he would have continued with his life quietly had he not been deprived of his benefits. A true dirty cop would have probably squirreled away millions of pesos by the time he was dismissed, so there would have been no problem with a dismissal from work and a deprivation of retirement benefits. But these benefits were the only thing that the hostage taker was actually after, which again begs the question: maybe he truly was not guilty, and whatever was accused of him ate at him so much that he lost all sense of nobility and decided to fight fire with fire instead.

His death has also exposed the ineptness of the entire Philippine Police. The very dramatic and much controversial forced detainment of the hostage-taker's brother, shown on live television, was what finally made Captain Mendoza snap. The police should have never done that that publicly. Because of what they did, almost dragging Mendoza's brother toward a police car, Captain Mendoza lost all sense of right.

When the driver jumped out of the bus and shouted everyone was dead, the police should have never stormed and shot at the bus as they did. They should have verified first if everyone was indeed dead before assaulting the bus with bullets. As it turned out, there were several hostages who were fine, and I am pretty certain that at least one or two of the dead hostages were killed not by Mendoza but by the bullets of the police assault team.

Why was there no high ranking hostage negotiator? If they had someone with authority talk to Mendoza, things would have been different. Police and military men are trained, almost brainwashed, to respect authority without question. If someone of an important rank had negotiated, things would have probably ended amicably. Now, we will never know.

The mere fact that Captain Mendoza released old and young people early in the hostage-taking drama suggested that he was not a cold-hearted criminal. That should have given the authorities the idea that Captain Mendoza was probably willing to negotiate. Instead, for the rest of the day, the police simply bungled the negotiation and ended the crisis with a dead decorated policeman and several foreign nationals also dead.

The chief police of the Manila area, as well as the PNP chief should both be held accountable for what happened. This should never have happened.

*************************************************************************************

P.S. It is a bit strange that Captain Mendoza's last name is Basque in origin. The Basques are of course known for their strong independent streak as well as their continued struggle for what should be theirs. Also, the name Mendoza means "cold mountain".

August 15, 1733 - Fr. Olalde is Assigned to Argao

2010-08-09T21:23:00.005+08:00

(The church of Argao as it may have appeared in the late 1800s)

August 15 is the the 277th anniversary of Fr. Ignacio de Olalde's appointment as the first Cura Parroco of the parish of Argao, Cebu.

To this very day, Fr. de Olalde remains almost a mystery. Local historians cannot even agree on his very name: was he surname OLALDE or OLAVE? Both are Spanish surnames, although Olalde has a much better claim as it is an old Basque family name. Olalde means "side" or the "cabin area", where ola refers to foundry or cabin while alde stands for side or region. The surname first appeared in the Arrasate-Mondragon region of Guipuzcoa, Spain in the fifteenth century.

On the other hand, Olave as a surname has a more difficult history to trace. Although is believed to also be of Basque origin, its meaning and origin remains a mystery to this day. As Olalde appears more frequently compared to Olave, it is very highly probable that Argao's first parish priest was an Olalde.

Before Fr. de Olalde was appointed as Argao's founding spiritual father, he was probably one of the priests assigned to the Carcar mission tasked to minister to the various vicarias or vice-parishes of the parish of Carcar, Argao being one of them. Although Argao was established as a separate town in 1608, it remained a vice-parish until 1733, a scenario that is not clearly explained in old Spanish records. However, in 1733, the prominent men of Carcar petitioned the Augustinian fathers of Cebu to return the priests assigned to Carcar who were, apparently, spending more time in Argao than in their mother parish. And so, on August 15, 1733, Fr. Ignacio de Olalde was appointed to take control of the newly created parish of St. Michael the Archangel. However, from 1733 until about October of 1735, Fr. Olalde did not stay for long in Argao.

This was, of course, understandable as there was no church in Argao yet. So Fr. Olalde probably stayed in the house of one of the principalia of Argao while overseeing the construction of the church. Stories passed from generation to generation state that the making of the Argawanon delicacy torta dates to this time, when the demand for eggs was high due to the need for a cement-type of component that the white in the egg produced. It is most probable that Fr. Olalde was the one who insisted that the yolk from the eggs not be thrown away and instead be used as an ingredient for the new pastry, torta de Argao.

Other stories from the time of Fr. Ignacio de Olalde include the carving of the first ever San Miguel statue from one of the older trunks of the Sali-Argaw tree, which remained in the possession of the people of Argao until the 1970s when it was allegedly stolen by the goons of Imelda Marcos. Another story states that before the Argawanon natives were allowed to hear mass, they first had to present a block of coral stone to be used as a building material for the church.

It is not known when Fr. Olalde died, but his term of office was listed as having ended on June 22, 1737, barely four years after he was assigned to Argao. As most parish priests in those times served for life, it is very possible that he died in the town of Argao.

The REAL State of the Province of Cebu

2010-04-18T15:18:00.009+08:00

Several concerned friends of the late Ted Villarimo, who wish to seek justice for him and many more Cebuanos who have suffered from the constant neglect of Gwen Garcia of the medical needs of the people of Cebu, went around the various district hospitals of Cebu to see just exactly what the REAL state of the hospitals of the province of Cebu is.

How many times has Governor Gwen Garcia boasted that Cebu is THE RICHEST province in the Philippines? Well, the pictures below should tell every Cebuano how much Gwen is spending for our public hospitals.

In her website, she boasts of achievements in the health concerns of Cebuanos. To cite a few:

Implementing improvement works on the rest of the 16 district hospitals all over the province
Assists indigents who need anti-rabies vaccines and other medicines
Distributed ambulances and mini-ambulances to local government units
Outsourcing of medical personnel that perfected attendance of personnel and saved the Province some money, which are then spent on preventive health maintenance program such as supplemental feeding and the provision of sanitary toilets to barangays

The pictures below should tell the readers that there is no truth to the so-called improvement works in the district hospitals. And the anti-rabies campaign? Maybe because there is an infestation of stray cats in district hospitals! And the money for preventive health maintenance program? Shame on you Gwendolyn! Look at these beds! Start with those you idiot!

Distributed ambulance? So why the f**k is this sick person on board a multicab?

No matter how many times she denies it, even hospitals put her at the top of people responsible for the health of Cebuanos.

This is why the province has anti-rabies campaigns.

No wonder Glenn Soco is smiling. It's obvious he makes millions in his capitol contracts.

For a province that has billions in surplus, we sure do charge a lot for medical tests.

I dare Gwen Garcia, her father Pablo Garcia, and the Soco family to stay on these beds for a week.

PICTURES = THOUSANDS OF WORDS

2010-04-17T21:32:00.007+08:00

WHAT ARE THESE CATS DOING IN A DISTRICT HOSPITAL? Of course, the room itself looks like cats are not the only animals living there. These pictures were taken by Kuya Ted's friends. They went around various district hospitals and took pictures. More pictures will be shown in the next few days.

A friend of mine sent this photo. She got this picture of a dead cockroach just lying on the floor at the supposedly high-tech and comfortable South Bus Terminal waiting lounge. This is what Cebuanos are paying P5.00 for?? See other disgusting sights of the bus terminal in my previous post What Gwen has done to CSBT she can do to the Province of Cebu.

They say that a photograph is worth a thousand words, so, here we go.

The Garcias were Marcos Allies during Martial Law

2010-04-13T10:09:00.000+08:00

Even before the arrival of the Spaniards, Cebu has always been a bastion of independent thinking.

One of the main reasons Manila became the Spoaniards' capital was because the natives of Cebu were fiercer, more hostile, and harder to subjugate.

Throughout the centuries, Cebu has always proven itself to be a lover of democracy and justice.

In this political season, let us remember those politicians in recent memory who were embodiments of democracy during the Martial Law era. As Cebuanos, let us remember how most of Cebu stood up against Marcos in the 70s and 80s.

President Gloria M. Arroyo herself in 2006 said that "Cebu is the birthplace of the freedom Filipinos achieved in Edsa 1".

Sergio Osmeña III, together with the rest of the Osmeñas, was a staunch Marcos critic. Because of his family's stand against Ferdinand Marcos, Serge Osmeña was imprisoned.

The Davides, on the other hand, were strong oppositionists during Martial Law. In 1971, Hilario G. Davide, Jr. became one of the Con-Con delegates and was among three delegates who introduced the most number of reform proposals. By 1978, he was one of the most vocal critics of Martial Law. He ran for the opposition party Pusyon Bisaya and became the Minority Floor Leader in an administration party dominated legislature. He filed the most number of bills of national significance, as well as resolutions to lift martial law. He strongly supported investigations on graft and corruption of government officials. President Arroyo described Davide as someone who "embodies Cebuano courage and intellect."

The Kintanars were also another oppositionist family during Martial Law. While Argao's mayor, Antonio A. Almirante, Jr., was a Marcos puppet, many of Argao's old families, the Kintanars in the forefront, went against the ruling party. After the toppling of Marcos, Carmiano Kintanar, one of the main opposition leaders in Argao, was appointed caretaker mayor of Argao.

So where were the Garcias during Martial Law? Pabling Garcia ended up in politics because of his association with politicians who were his clients, including the Duranos, who were known Marcos allies. Joining the rest of the pro-Marcos politicians, he ran in 1978 under the banner of Marcos's Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, which was badly beaten in Cebu by the Pusyon Bisaya opposition party.

The Osmeñas, Davides, Kintanars, with the rest of Cebu, were brave and independent minded families who fought against Marcos and his martial rule. While the rest of Cebu defied Marcos, the Garcias hobnobbed with the creme de la creme of Marcos's inner circles and became his supporters. Do we really want this kind of family to rule Cebu?

PAST GOVERNORS HAD THEIR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT

2010-04-11T13:41:00.003+08:00

Gwen is not the “BEST GOVERNOR OF CEBU” as the Province of Cebu website pathetically and immodestly claims. In the first place, I think it is a little over the top to actually put it on your profile on a public website, no less, and claim that you are the best governor Cebu has ever had. Well, Gwen Garcia, let me direct your attention to some facts from the past that would prove that you, truly, are not the best governor of Cebu.

I remember a small piece of article from 1914 when Argao’s municipal president, Don Antonio Miñoza, was punished by the provincial governor of Cebu because Miñoza insisted on building an intermediate school when the governor wanted to build it for Argao himself. Egotistical reasons aside, the fight caused such a raucous that the Governor-General of the Philippines stepped in to mediate. In the end, peace was established between the municipal president of Argao and Cebu provincial governor. And the good thing was, Argao was able to get the best intermediate school ever built in the entire south of Cebu at that time. (See Felix Miñoza, Sr.’s Brief History of Argao, Samson A. Lucero’s Argao: Glimpses of Its Past, and Bureau of Public Works, Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 3, Manila: Bureau of Printing, 1912-1913).

In the 20s, the national government directed provincial governments and municipal officials to establish Puericulture centers or hospitals in each town to guarantee safe and proper childbirths around the Philippines. All governors of the Philippines enthusiastically poured money for healthcare. For instance, in 1926, Cebu’s governor, Gov. Roa, gave financial aid to every town that had a hospital or puericulture. Richer towns, like Argao, received both municipal and provincial funding. For instance, a big chunk of Argao’s budget, P300.00, was given to its maternity house. The Province gave Argao another P150.00 as additional funding. Poorer towns like Aloguinsan, whose local government did not have enough money, received a bigger allotment from the Governor – P200.00 for Alonguisan’s puericulture center. A year later, the municipal government of Argao increased the funding to P500.00 (about 15% of the local government’s budget) while the governor gave P1,400.00 in funding. (See Acts of the Philippine Legislature, Manila Bureau of Printing, 1921 and Bureau of Health Reports (1926, 1927, 1930, and 1931).

Many years later, during the term of Governor Emilio “Lito” Osmeña, Cebu experienced a real economic boom, most experts would say, which also benefited his successors. While income generation for the province of Cebu was Osmeña’s priority, he also did not forget to pay special attention to the basic needs of the Cebuanos. During his term, from 1988 to 1992, Aside from health care, he was also responsible for the Water Distribution Program in the entire island, making water available to 90% of the population, as opposed to the 56% before his incumbency.

Governor Garcia may boast all the time that she has made Cebu the best province of the Philippines. She is several years late. Lito Osmeña already did this many years ago. And, unlike Gwen Garcia, Lito Osmeña knew what priorities the province should have in terms of projects. Although he was not perfect, the wasting of public funds was kept at a minimum. With Gwen, well, it would seem that the public’s money is her money, too.

In the past, the mayor and the governor would fight over who gets to build schools and hospitals for the people. Regardless of their reasons, at least they were fighting for the basic needs of the people, like education and health.

In the past, when the government had lesser money, why was the province of Cebu able to increase funding for Argao’s hospital from P150.00 in 1926 to P1,400.00 in 1927? Why was the municipio able to allocate 15% of its total budget to its hospital in 1927, but today only 1% of its budget goes to medical needs? Why can’t Gwen and Mayor Edsel Galeos do the same? Oh, right. She said she wants to abolish District Hospitals. Oh right. Mayor Edsel Galeos has many more roads to build.

Argao's Asthmatics in History

2010-04-10T01:20:00.002+08:00

I keep forgetting that I have more than 400 years worth of history to back me up in this fight against Gwen Garcia and her skewed view of the needs of the people of Cebu. As a public servant, she should strive hard to improve her leadership, not threaten those brave enough to fight her with lawsuits.

But enough about her for now. This article traces the medical history of Argao, going as far back as 1855, which is the earliest we have on the medical situation in Argao.

On June 29, 1855 Don Rufino Bajo, gobernadorcillo of Argao, Cebu, signed a list of individuals with various infirmities. The list was gathered to establish which among the people of Argao were qualified for exemption from paying tribute and from rendering the polo y servicio (forced labor). It is an interesting piece of historical record because, as early as 1855, we know already how many people in Argao suffered from asthma.

The document goes on to list 424 individuals to be exempted due to medical reasons. Of the 424, 98 are listed as asthmatic. During the Spanish period, health care was not exactly a priority of the Spanish authorities. In most towns, the friars also acted as the medical personnel for the natives. In Argao, towards the middle of the 1800s, a vacunadorcillo was appointed to Argao. He was probably more or less what we now call as a nursing aide who probably received basic medical training from a licensed doctor.

At any rate, I have traced the lives of the 98 asthmatic individuals on this list. And out of the 98, 85 actually died at an age described as reservado por edad, or in other words they were more than 60 or 70 years old. And they were all listed as dying of old age. The remaining 13 died due to the cholera outbreak that plagued the province of Cebu towards the end of Spanish rule.

Imagine that. In the 1800s, healthcare was limited to the rich and most people used primitive remedies. The old Argawanons boiled banaba leaves or leaves from the saliargaw tree and drank the potion to relieve themselves of asthma. Some older people today also said that one of the remedies of asthma in the past was eating the heart of a black dog. Because black dogs were very rare, the remedy was said to be very effective.

The point here is this. In the Spanish period asthmatic people had no medication to help them with their condition. However, none of the asthmatic victims found on that 1855 list actually died from an asthma attack. It is ironic that Ted Villarimo died from an asthma attack at a time when there was already a hospital in Argao, nebulizers and oxygen machines were available, and modern medicines were present to save him.

So, Rory Jon Sepulveda and Gwen Garcia, I ask you this: why did 98 asthmatic people in Argao during the Spanish period survive well into their golden years when there was still no medication and no proper health care? How come your district hospital, supposedly equipped with modern equipment and staffed with competent medical professionals, failed to save one Argawanon suffering from an asthma attack?

(To see the archival document, click on this link)

Gwen, you knew all along

2010-04-09T09:31:00.003+08:00

As a product of the Jesuit educational system and of the University of the Philippines I have always been taught these things: ask questions. Question the questions. Do not just criticize, find ways to solve or be a catalyst for the solution to the problem. Below is a brief summary of what has been going on in our province with regard to the state of our district hospitals. I have placed links to the actual article regarding the issues concerned so that people can read the entire news article and judge for themselves the validity of my claims.

Well, as the Cebu Daily News editorial on April 6, 2010 stated, Teddy’s death was unfortunate. What is even more unfortunate is that it could have been prevented by the provincial government. I maintain my condemnation against Gwen Garcia because at the end of the day, Gwen Garcia has been looking for another means to supposedly address the medical needs of the people of Cebu. The worst part is, there have been warning signs just months before the death of Teddy Villarimo when a nurse, who remained anonymous, griped about the unfair practices of the Powerline Manpower Services which Glenn Soco’s family owns and which supplies the nurses and doctors in all the district hospitals of the province of Cebu. An anonymous response to this news article even wrote (coincidentally, on the day of Teddy’s death) that “tinu-od man. wa man klaro mang sweldo sila... Dako kau ug kick-back pirme kuwang ang kinsinas...d pa jud mo hatag ug payslip” (it’s true, they (Powerline) don’t properly pay our salaries. They get very big kick-backs and we don’t get the full amount every payday…they don’t even give us a payslip). Another newspaper article again questioned the relationship of Powerline with Capitol, and two people commented, albeit anonymously, confirming that there is something rotten in the way Powerline treats its employees.

Powerline has been in contract with Capitol for about five years, as a December 17, 2009 article cited. One of the reasons cited by the nurses and other medical personnel in district hospitals in not accompanying patients in ambulance transport is that they are supposedly not insured if something happens to them.

Five years? Capitol has been dealing with Powerline for five years and yet Rory Jon Sepulveda is only vaguely aware of the contents of the contracts of Powerline with the medical personnel they hire?? Five years they have done business with Powerline and yet they only care to check on the issues hounding Powerline now??? Only now are they bothering to question if the nurses hired by Powerline are indeed insured??

It should not surprise us that the provincial government has taken on a very ambivalent attitude towards the medical needs of the people of Cebu. As early as 2007 Gwen Garcia had already made it clear that part of long-term plan was to privatize the 18 district hospitals of the Province of Cebu. In the same news article, it was said that “Garcia believes that running a hospital is not the best way to address the health needs of the people. She said the government can better serve its constituents by insuring them through the PhilHealth.” Further, the article reported that Garcia reiterated that the provincial government will no longer be giving financial assistance for medicine purchase to LGUs in the province. “Nganong mohatag man og financial assistance ang probinsiya nga kahibalo man ko nga 30 to 40 percent ra sa budget ang ipalit ana nila og tambal. Unya di pa gyod ta kasiguro kung di ba na fake nang mga tambala,” she said.

Indeed, Garcia has been very reluctant to release money when it comes to the medical needs of the people of Cebu. In a particular bidding announcement for medical supplies and equipment, P4,690,857.25 was approved for Drugs and Medicines for the first quarter. Seems big, but it becomes really small if we divide that by 18 district hospitals. Then it becomes P260,603.18 per district hospital. That would mean a district hospital only has P86,867.72 worth of drugs and medicines in one month.

I know exactly what Rory Jon Sepulveda will say. The “concerns” regarding Powerline in the past were anonymous and were not worth investigating. Soco even said they will only investigate if there is a formal complaint filed. Well, now that someone died and someone has dared to ask questions, the Capitol is scrambling to investigate on the true state of the district hospital in Argao.

Again, only now? Gwen Garcia has been governor for 6 years and Powerline has been contracted for 5 years and yet they only have the mind to investigate now? Is this really how they view the medical needs of the people of Cebu? As an afterthought??

TO GOVERNOR GWENDOLYN FIEL GARCIA

2010-04-07T16:16:00.003+08:00

My name is TODD LUCERO SALES. You don’t know me. And I certainly don’t care to know you. I am very proud to say that I, and only I, wrote the supposedly anonymous article entitled A LETTER OF CONDEMNATION AGAINST GOVERNOR GWENDOLYN FIEL GARCIA FOR HER GROSS AND INTENTIONAL NEGLECT OF THE MEDICAL NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE OF ARGAO. This was not orchestrated, penned, dictated, or crafted by any of your enemies, real or otherwise. No one influenced, coerced, paid, or suggested to me to write it. I wrote it because my very dear friend, colleague, and cousin, the late Theodore “Ted” Gumila Villarimo, Argao’s Tourism Officer, died in a hospital that is run and financed by the Provincial Government of Cebu, which you head as Governor.

I condemned, continue to condemn, and will continue to condemn you, Governor Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia, until the day I die.

I condemn your leadership because you have neglected to stop Ted’s death and many other deaths in the province of Cebu, when you, as Governor, could have.

Why do people have to pay for ambulance transport to the city when admitted in district hospitals?

Why do hospitals let ambulances leave their premises even when no medical practitioner is with the patient?

Why are there inadequate medicines in these hospitals?

If these problems are not of the Provincial Government’s making, and as Mr. Sepulveda said these are not policies of the province, why then are these happening also in Talisay City and San Remigio, to name two places where deaths have happened due to similar or even worse cases as in Argao?

Even if the issue is limited to Argao, which I doubt, why has it taken so long for the Capitol to have an investigation?

Why can the province spend SEVEN MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS worth of multicabs in ARGAO ALONE (remember, you distributed 45 brand-new multicabs to the 45 barangays of Argao, even to those barangays which already have a multicab in the last few weeks). One of the multicabs could have already paid for 32 PULMO AIDES or 32,000 biogesic, neozep, and alaxan tablets.

Why spend 9 MILLION PESOS in cash prizes for both Pasigarbo sa Sugbo competitions? The money could have easily bought 264,705 ampules of ventolin solution to be used for the pulmo aide in the hospital.

Do not continue to deny that the capitol is blameless. Do not continue to use politics as a defense because, to begin with, there is no politics involved here. I resent the insinuations Mr. Sepulveda have made because using this issue as a shield is a very, very, very big slap and insult to the memory of Ted Villarimo.

Kay ngano man, gituyo sa mga kontra ni Gwendolyn ang kamatayon sa akong amigo, Mr. Sepúlveda?

Kay ngano, kung mapilde ka Gwen, mabuhi kaha ang namatay nakong higala?

Ayaw intawn gamita ang kamatayon sa akoang higala para mag-Ponsho Pilato ka, Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia.

Tubaga ang among mga pangutana. Kanang imong gipanggasto sa kompanya, why don’t you pour that money to the hospitals?

Kanang kwarta nga imong ipahimog dagkong tarps or newspaper ads nga naa imong nawng pirmi, why don’t you use that for the hospitals?

I have not been hiding the fact that I hate your guts Governor Garcia. You have commercialized and degraded the sanctity of the mandate given to you by the people of Cebu. I don’t care what you do, as long as you do not waste taxpayers’ money on useless extravagance nga ikaw ray priming bida.

Although I grew up in Davao City, I have always been proud to call myself a Cebuano. Now, for the first time in my life, I am ashamed of Cebu. Naulaw ko sa Sugbo kay imong gilapok-lapukan ang kaanindot og kahayag sa akong pinalanggang probinsya. Usab, ako si TODD LUCERO SALES og akong gikuyogan tanang mga tawo nga nagkahiusa sa paghukbong sa kawsa sa paghatag og saktong pagtagad sa medical nga sitwasyon sa mga tawo sa Sugbo.

TODD LUCERO SALES

Davao City, Philippines

0919-319-7639

http://thehesperos.blogspot.com/

THE GARCIAS CONTROL BILLIONS OF CEBUANO TAXPAYERS' MONEY

2010-04-05T23:54:00.006+08:00

LET'S PLAY WITH NUMBERS

IMAGINE THIS: yearly, since 2007, Governor Gwen Garcia, her father Deputy House Speaker and 2nd District Representative Pablo Paras Garcia, and her brother 3rd district Representative Pablo John Fiel Garcia, control among the three of them the amount of PhP1,306,275,367.00 every year. Both house representatives have 70 million each of annual budget called as the PDAF/DPWH Fund while Gwen Garcia has an Internal Revenue Allotment of PhP1,166,275,367.00. Which means that the GARCIA family has access to almost 4 BILLION pesos from 2007 to 2009.

We do not know how much Winston Garcia, brother of Gwen Garcia, controls in the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) but I'm going to bet my life that it has to be in the billions of pesos, as well.

Now, two more of Gwen Garcia's brothers are running for public office: Marlon Garcia as Vice-Mayor in Barili and Nelson Garcia as Mayor of Dumanjug. A cousin, Alvin Garcia, is also running for mayor in Cebu City.

Imagine how much money the Garcias of Cebu would then control if all six of these people, not including Winston Garcia, would control if they all won in the May polls?

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In the 2008 PASIGARBO SA SUGBO Festival of Festivals, thirty-four contingents joined in the affair.

Each contingent received P100,000.00 as subsidy. That would mean a cool P3.4 MILLION in subsidy alone.

First prize winner received a cash prize of P1 MILLION, while the second placer got P800,000.00, while the third P700,000, until the 8th place which got P200,000. In cash prizes, the Province of Cebu gave out a total of P4,500,000.00.

Based on the figures that we know of, the 2008 PASIGARBO SA SUGBO spent about SEVEN MILLION NINE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS of Cebuano taxpayers' money.

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During the 2009 PASIGARBO SA SUGBO Festival of Festivals, thirty-two contingents joined in the affair.

Each contingent received an initial subsidy of P100,000.00 and later got additional subsidy of P200,000.00. So, for the 32 contingents, the Province of Cebu doled out 9 MILLION AND 600 THOUSAND PESOS for the subsidies alone.

There was a minimum of 60 participants for each contingent. More or less, each contingent had about 70 to 80 people including chaperons. Most contingents stayed in Mandaue City for two nights. Even if we just count one night, the Province spent another (and this a very conservative but based on government budgetary requirements estimation) P153,000 something for two snacks.

The sound system Gwen usually uses is a very expensive (albeit very dependable and high quality) sound system that would not go below P100,000 in rental. Since Capitol booked it for several days, let's peg it at P300,000.00 (based on the almost half million fee they charged Argao when we had them for 5 days).

First prize winner received a cash prize of P1 MILLION, while the second placer got P800,000.00, while the third P700,000, until the 8th place which got P200,000. In cash prizes, the Province of Cebu gave out a total ofP4,500,000.00.

For the 2009 Pasigarbo sa Sugbo, 14 MILLION 553 THOUSAND PESOS of taxpayers' money was spent.

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From February to March 2010, Gwen Garcia has visited Argao more than twice to dole out brand-new multicabs to the 45 barangays of Argao. Each multi-cab (which, sources say, were brokered by the family of Allan Sesaldo, a Gwen Garcia supported and a vice-moyoralty candidate for Argao) supposedly costs P160,000.00; many of the barangays of Argao already have their own multicabs.

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The P100,000.00 subsidy, even for just one town, could have paid for 111 AMBULANCE gasoline fees in Argao. The total subsidies for 2008 and 2009 of the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo could have paid for 14,444 AMBULANCE FEES.

The cash prizes for the two Pasigarbos Gwen Garcia squandered, which totals to 9 MILLION PESOS, could have easily bought 264,705 ampules of ventolin solution to be used for the pulmo aide in the hospital.

One of the multicabs distributed in Argao, just one, could have bought 32 pulmo aide machines to help asthmatic patients. Or it could have bought 32,000 pieces of biogesic, alaxan, or neozep.

Budgetary constraints cannot be an excuse. The abovementioned figures are only very few of the many activities and projects that Gwen Garcia had embarked on. The abovementioned amounts could have bought for gasoline for the ambulance, medicines and even machines for the hospital.

A portion of the money above could have also been used to pay for the monthly inspections of district hospitals all over the province to see if there are violations to the policies set by Capitol. Instead, as usual, the little people, the administrators and personnel of Argao's hospital are the ones blamed.

Well, they are only sentries. In any war, it is the general who should be killed to root out the problem.

GWEN GARCIA SHOULD LEARN FROM HISTORY

2010-04-03T11:32:00.005+08:00

For someone who supposedly cares so much about Culture and History, Gwen Garcia is trying very hard to erase every vestige of reality that God has given her. While she has the capacity to change the many perceived flaws in her body, the rest of Cebu suffers everyday.

In my earlier article (click here to read Condemnation Letter Against Gwen Garcia) I specifically mentioned Argao as a victim of Gwen Garcia’s neglect of its medical needs. After speaking with some people from the Province it is apparent that Gwen Garcia is putting the blame on the District Hospital of Argao and its people, not the Provincial Government. Typical reaction of a coward and an insecure leader, Gwen Garcia’s apparent recommendation is the closure of Argao’s hospital.

THAT IS NOT WHAT I AND THE REST OF THE CONCERNED PEOPLE OF ARGAO WANT.

We want better doctors and nurses, not those outsourced from Gwen Garcia’s running mate and rumored lover Glen Soco’s Powerline employment agency.

We want more medicines. We want an ambulance that can be found the moment it is needed. We want that everyone can use the ambulance without paying anything.

We do not want to close down the hospital, Gwen Garcia.

While going through some of the files I have on the province’s records I was amazed to see that in 1927, of the 652 births delivered in the towns of Alcantara, Alegria, Argao, Asturias, Badian, Balamban, Bantayan, Barili, Bogo, Boljoon, Borbon, Carmen, Catmon, and Compostela, only 14 DEATHS were experienced. This is a time when there were very few doctors available (Argao, for example, only had its first two doctors at this time: Dr. Manuel Lucero and Dr. Teodorico Kintanar). This was a time when people still expected high infant mortality due to lack of medication and proper hospitalization. However, it is amazing that only 14 babies died in that year. Argao, for its part, only had two deaths.

Why were there higher chances of survival when people went to government hospitals in 1927 as opposed to today?

Gwen Garcia should read this so she’ll realized how much damage she has done. Already, people from San Remigio, Talisay, and other parts of Cebu have voiced the same concerns over the dismal state of provincial hospitals.

There is no need to close down hospitals or terminate people from these hospitals. These people are simply following your rules, Gwen Garcia.

Perhaps, the next time you have a nasal or cheek implant or augmentation, you should have it done in one of your hospitals.

(This article was written by the owner of this blog, TODD LUCERO SALES, former Culture and Heritage Officer of the Municipality of Argao, on behalf of the many Argawanons who cannot or will not speak out.)

Death of a Principalia

2010-03-28T22:34:00.004+08:00

En veinti ocho de Marzo de dos mil dies años: fue sepultado en el cementerio de esta parroquia el cadaver de Teodoro Gumila Villarimo mestizo Español, soltero, hijo de Primitivo Villarimo, natural del pueblo de Carcar vecino de este pueblo y Felisa Lucero Gumila mestizo Española de este pueblo de Argao, ambos ya difuntos. Abuelos paternos nombres cuyos ignorantes. Abuelos maternos Don Teodoro Gumila Cabrera mestizo Español y Doña Trinidad Lucero Vismanos india natural de este pueblo ambos ya difuntos. Fallecio de muerte natural (asmatico).

The above narrative would be more or less how the burial of one of my closest friends and relatives, Theodore Gumila Villarimo, would appear had he died in the Spanish period Philippines. Kuya Ted, or to his very close friends in Argao Tudengga Virus, or Myrna, or Denggay, was a proud aristocrat. It was only fitting that his wake and funeral was very historic and dramatic. The family came in almost full attendance: descendants of Don Cayetano Gumila Santana, an Inspector de Obras in the south of Cebu during the Spanish period and Doña Maria Cabrera Lucero. Luceros and Kintanars, both families very close friends and relatives of Ted, came in full force. Escarios from Bantayan, Solons from Cebu, a Reynes of the Reyneses of San Fernando, and an Estrada of Barili, were some of the people who showed up for Teddy's memorial and funeral, all of whom, Ted would have been happy to know, would have been listed in the Spanish period as "todos los principales de este pueblos de Argao, Bantayan, Cebu, San Fernando y Barili".

His wake was held at the more than 250-year old capilla mortuario, whose centermost relief, a skull perched atop a globe with an hourglass above it, is a constant reminder that death comes to all at any time. The effect of his wake being held there, with candles and white flowers around, was pure drama.

On the day of interment, his body was paraded around the walled complex of Argao, past the Casa Real where many of Ted's ancestors served as gobernadorcillo and other members of the ayutamiento. Then the hearse passed by the Hall of Justice, where many of Ted's male ancestors were educated during the Spanish period when it was still the Colegio de los Niños, or the school for boys. Slowly, the hearse passed through the street where Ted used toi walk by everyday until it passed by his office, the place he spent more waking hours than his own home and where he spent his weekends in without any overtime pay. Finally, the hearse and those following it entered the walled complex again through the Puerta del Sur or the South Gate, and then finally came to a stop at the entrance of the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel Church where many of Ted's ancestors and relatives were baptized, confirmed, wedded, and received their last rites.

As the casket was being carried out of the hearse, dozens of angel relief gazed down on the body. Carvings of Pelicans, symbols of self-sacrifice, adorn the church that Ted was so proud of. Finally, it made a slow procession into the vast church, 28 cherubs lined above and gazing down on the slow movement of the casket. Then, the melodic voice of Dwight Chavez, a descendant of the principalia Chavezes of Argao, broke through the silence as he sang Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up".

The last rites were exactly what Ted would have wanted. The murals of Canuto Avila and Raymundo Francia above his casket, with all 42 cherubs of the church looking down from their perch. The church choir, led by Baby Calledo Sarchez, also a member of principalia families, conducted the singing of various English, Cebuano, and most especially Latin songs which surely made Ted smile.

Then, after the ceremony, Ted his final journey. The funeral cortege passed by Rizal street, perhaps the second oldest street in Argao, passing by many old houses of de la Peñas, Luceros, Kintanars, and many more, until finally entering the church cemetery. Surrounded by his Lola Eding, Lola Sabel, and many more relations, Ted was finally interred together with his father's remains.

Truly, Ted's life, though cut tragically short, was how he would have lived it again if he were given a chance to live once more. He lived an unabashed, almost shameless, life of an aristocrat, a real mestizo Español who was proud to call himself a principalia. All the time we spent together I would always cringe when he would declare proudly that he was a real principalia in Argao even when there were many people around us.

But yesterday, and forevermore, he was and will always be a principalia. With that note, I now bid my prima, my amiga, adios! Vaya con Dios, mi prima principalia!

A LETTER OF CONDEMNATION AGAINST GOVERNOR GWENDOLYN FIEL GARCIA FOR HER GROSS AND INTENTIONAL NEGLECT OF THE MEDICAL NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE OF ARGAO

2010-03-26T15:38:00.003+08:00

On March 24, 2010, the Tourism Officer of Argao and our dear friend, THEODORE “TED” GUMILA VILLARIMO, passed away. He allowed himself to be admitted at the Isidro Kintanar Memorial Hospital, run by the PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF CEBU, the night before, complaining of a great difficulty in breathing.

The PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL OF CEBU had no available medicine to give to TED VILLARIMO to alleviate him, even temporarily, of his pain. The hospital did not even have any ventolin solution for the nebulizer to help our friend breath easier. In fact, he had to ask his companion to buy the medicines and the solution at an outside pharmacy every time the doctor prescribed something.

It took the attending doctor more than five hours to decide that they could not, in fact, help our friend with his medical need and he would be best helped if he were treated in a hospital in the City of Cebu.

While it was already an emergency situation, the hospital ambulance was nowhere to be found. The hospital personnel gave our friend’s companion the cellular phone number of the ambulance driver and told her “mao ni iyang numero. Tawagi lang siya.” (This is the driver’s number, you call him).

After more minutes were wasted, the driver arrived. However, the ambulance needed its tank refueled, so again more precious time was wasted.

The hospital personnel said that they could not let any medical professional accompany our friend in the ambulance because “this is a provincial policy that Gov. Garcia implemented”. So, our friend, who was already struggling to survive, with an oxygen mask on him, was brought to the city with only his house helper to accompany him. Sadly, Ted Villarimo died while still in Carcar.

The death of Ted Villarimo is not the first that resulted due to the Provincial Hospital’s many inadequacies. Two years ago a man entered the hospital a relatively healthy person but died in a city hospital because, apparently, the attending doctor at Argao’s provincial hospital injected the wrong medicine which caused the man’s blood pressure to rise abnormally, leading to his untimely death.

Witnesses have stated of seeing an old man groaning and moaning complaining of great pain to his kidney area, with doctors and nurses simply walking by without even bothering to look at the old man. The said old man died the following day.

A pregnant woman was rushed to the provincial hospital when she was in labor, and it took the doctor attending her a long time to realize it was a difficult birth and needed emergency medical intervention. The lateness of the doctor’s intervention led to the death of the woman’s baby.

Many, many more sad stories abound regarding the horror and pain Argawanons have to go through when they admit someone at the PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL OF ARGAO.

How many poor people have died in the hospital because they could not afford the P900.00 required payment for the use of the ambulance when transporting sick people to the city?

How many people could have been saved if the hospital only had ample and adequate medical equipment and medicine ready to give to patients instead of simply telling them to buy the medicines outside because they had none in their pharmacy?

How many more deaths are the people of Argao going to wait for before they decided to take action against this great injustice?

Governor Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia, being the Governor of the Province of Cebu, has a direct responsibility over the medical needs of the Cebuanos in general, and the Argawanons in particular.

Governor Garcia, as a woman and the supposed Mother of the Cebuano People, should have given ample thought and consideration of the medical needs of the people of Cebu.

Governor Garcia has always boasted to everyone that Cebu is the best and richest province in the entire country. In her 2009 State of the Province Address, the governor boasted that “The state of the Province of Cebu is strong — stronger than we were last year, stronger than we have ever been and stronger than ay other province can hope to be.” She said the assets of the province amount to P20 billion as of December 31, 2008, which is 16 percent higher that what it was a year before that. She also boasted that one of her many achievements is the improvement of medical care.

Where did all these assets go to? And what improvement in MEDICAL CARE?

Why can Gwen Garcia give prize money of 1 MILLION PESOS to the photographer with the best picture of HERSELF in her CATCH ME IF YOU CAN PHOTO CONTEST but not give enough financial support to the various district hospitals of Cebu? How many medicines could have 1 MILLION PESOS bought if it were given to a hospital and not to a photographer with the best picture of GWEN GARCIA?

Why can GWEN GARCIA give 32 dance group contingents from various localities in Cebu subsidy of P300,000.00 each (total of 9 MILLION 600 THOUSAND PESOS) in the recent PASIGARBO SA SUGBO competition but not the same amount to hospitals for better equipment and more medicines?

Why can GWEN GARCIA spend P800 per plate for her guests during various functions at the Capitol but not give enough money so poor people don’t have to pay the P900.00 for use of the provincial ambulance?

Why can GWEN GARCIA give 7 MILLION 2 HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS worth of multicabs to the barangays of Argao (in time for election, I might add) even when the barangays would rather have something more useful as most have already been given multicabs before? Shouldn't she have given the money to the hospital for more medicines?

Clearly, GWEN GARCIA, the supposed mother of Cebu, the governor of Cebu, and the one who has always claimed that Cebu is the richest province in the Philippines, has a lot to answer for.

Let her pay for the dozens of people who died because provincial hospitals had no enough medicines or because sick, poor people could not afford to pay the ambulance fee.

Let her answer for the rude and sometimes downright neglect of the hospital staff of the people who are very sick and dying.

Argawanons, let us unite and demand for our rights! Do not allow GWEN GARCIA to continue to waste our money on useless and extravagant things that only benefit herself and not the people of Cebu.

ARGAWANONS, DO NOT ALLOW ANOTHER OF OUR BROTHER, SISTER, MOTHER, FATHER, OR FRIEND TO DIE BECAUSE GWEN GARCIA WOULD RATHER SPEND MONEY ON DANCES AND EXTRAVAGANT SHOWS BUT NOT ON MEDICINE. LET US FIGHT THIS INJUSTICE AND AVENGE THE DEATH OF OUR DEAR FRIEND, TED VILLARIMO, AND MANY MORE ARGAWANONS WHO SUFFERED THE SAME, IF NOT WORST, FATE.

FRIENDS OF TED VILLARIMO AND CONCERNED CITIZENS OF ARGAO

What Gwen has done to CSBT she can do to the Province of Cebu

2010-03-22T11:19:00.007+08:00

(Wall fans instead of air-conditioning units)

(Dirt scattered, AND IGNORED, everywhere)

(Cheap [obviously substandard] tiles cracked and dirty)

(Dirty columns all around the terminal)

Has anyone looked at the Cebu South Bus Terminal lately? Last year, I breathed a sigh of immense relief when Governor Gwen Garcia inaugurated a very impressive, newly renovated CSBT. I didn't mind the extra P5.00 terminal fee, considering that with the new digs, I could wait in extreme ease and comfort for my bus going home to Argao. I loved the orderly fashion of getting a priority number and forming a line when boarding the bus. In my opinion, then, it was one of the reasons that I supported Gwen Garcia's governorship.

After just a few months, I started to feel that the air-conditioning units were no longer doing what they were supposed to do. The comfort rooms reeked of everything you didn't want to smell, and the people collecting the terminal fee were becoming more and more rude and would not care if you had to wait for an hour because they did not have change for your money (in times when you had no 5-peso coin). The walls and floors have become dirty, and the MIMs maintenance crew (who are all, incidentally, employees of Gwen's running mate, Glenn Soco) don't bother picking up the trash that are scattered everywhere.

Now, there is nothing but chaos when boarding a bus. The TVs are dead, the aircons no longer function and in their place are wall fans! So why the heck are we still paying P5.00?

Clearly, the Garcias have overstayed in power. Imagine what will happen to the rest of the province of Cebu if Gwen and her family continue to stay in power...

Argao's Baucis and Philemon

2010-03-15T12:49:00.000+08:00

The town of Argao was shocked to discover Friday that two of its residents had perished in a fire in Lucero Street, barangay Langtad, Argao, Cebu. The charred remains of lolo Alberto “Berting” Albarracin Alcazaren and lola Lydia Pelegrin Alcazaren were all that was left of the old couple, known in town for both their eccentric behavior as well as their enduring love for each other. There have been speculations as to why they constantly lit fires inside there house. Some say they did so to ward off mosquitoes, while others say they had the habit of not washing their clothes. Instead, they supposedly wore a few pairs every month and then burn these at the end of the month.

Whatever the case, Lolo Berting and Lola Lydia were very much in love. A cousin of my grandfather, Berting always called his wife “hija”, while Lydia called her husband “partner”. Lola Lydia was a Pelegrin, a Spanish family from Manila. However, for most of her life, she remained a faithful and devoted wife to Lolo Berting Alcazaren.

Alberto A. Alcazaren, an engineer, was one of the sons of Juan Fuentes Alcazaren, the first Argao-born representative of Argao, being a representative of the fourth district of Cebu (inclusive of Sibonga, Argao, and Dalaguete) from the 7th to the 9th legislatures (1925-1934). Alberto’s mother, Corazon Ma. Delos Nieves Albarracin, was the daughter of Don Lorenzo M. Albarracin, a former Presidente Municipal of Argao, and Doña Candelaria Lucero.

In life, people always admired Lolo Berto and Lola Lydia for their sweetness. Even in their old age, Argawanons were used to seeing them holding hands while walking to the church everyday. Their love story reminds me of the story of Baucis and Philemon from the Greek mythology. The story goes that when given a wish by the great god Zeus, the old couple asked that when the time came for them to die, they would like to die together. And so die together did Philemon and Baucis, parting only upon their last breaths.

Vaya con Dios, Lolo Berting and Lola Lydia!

The Pelicans of Argao

2010-03-15T12:38:00.002+08:00

(The pelicans of Argao: Top, drawing at the Casa Real. Below, coral stone carving at the church)

Like most of the town’s heritage structures, the church and the old municipal building, better known as the Casa Real, are filled with artistic symbolisms that mean so much if only one takes the time to reflect on what they stand for.

A very interesting drawing on the Casa Real, which is duplicated as coral stone carvings on the lower portion of the church’s exterior portion of the archway of its main door, is that of a bird, which, according to most experts, is that of a pelican.

The pelican, throughout history, has been always associated with self-sacrifice, an allusion to the fact that the mother would sometimes feed its babies with its own blood if food is nowhere to be found. Because of this action, the pelican became a symbol of Jesus Christ’s passion as well as of the Eucharist. The pelican also was believed to kill its young, only to resurrect them using its own blood, another analogy of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

The depiction of pelicans in the Casa Real and the St. Michael Church of Argao are very clear reminders to the leaders of Argao, both in the church and the government that they should act like the pelicans: sacrifice their self-interests for the good of the people.

Goodbye to 270 Years of History

2010-03-10T11:37:00.006+08:00

Argao has always pride itself of being a "heritage town", due mainly because of its almost intact Spanish-period walled complex and a sprinkling of venerable old houses. For the past two years now that I have been living here in Argao and for the past one year and two months that I have held the position of Executive Director of the Municipality of Argao Cultural and Historical Commission, I have been also proud to talk about Argao's rich historical buildings and other heritage sites.

Now, I am very, very appalled at what is happening to the last tisa-roofed municipal building of Cebu. Without consulting me, the local government of Argao has decided to renovate the entire interior of the Casa Real, Argao's more than 270-year old municipal building. In going about the improvements without proper consultation with my office, the local government has erased more than two centuries of history.

Below are just some of the old drawings on the ceiling that are being erased by the workmen every passing hour.

(Two of the bird drawings to be found on Argao's Casa Real)

(Two of the flower drawings to be found on Argao's Casa Real)

How many more senseless attacks to the rich cultural heritage of Argao should happen before people take action?

ARGAO'S POLITICAL DEGENERATION

2010-03-05T17:54:00.004+08:00

I had several friends of mine who have had experiences in local political campaigns as well as who were former POLSCI schoolmates from UP Cebu to do a brief analysis on the candidates of Argao for the 2010 elections. Because I am currently a consultant for the municipality I felt that it would be a little unethical for me to write the article myself and thus decided to let my friends do this article. However, I would like to point out this early on that I am in complete agreement with this analysis.

_____________________________________

When Edsel A. Galeos, a successful engineer, took over the reins of government from Mayor Wilfredo S. Caminero in 2007, everyone in Argao breathed a sigh of relief at the introduction of someone new to the political arena of the town. He was always heard by people as saying he wanted a new and better Argao and wanted to break free from the traditional political practices of Argao. His actions and words have, indeed, earned him the title of “the reinventor of Argao”.

His recent political decisions for the 2010 elections, however, speak differently.

The authors of this article went around the town and spoke with various people concerning the political decisions of the incumbent mayor. One old woman pointedly asked why Mayor Galeos was running under the banner of Gwen Garcia and LAKAS-KAMPI. She said that she felt that her mayor was betraying the Davides, whose one member, Hilario P. Davide III, is running against Gwen Garcia. (The Davides, meanwhile, are a very admired family in Argao and the rest of the Philippines). More so, she felt that Mayor Galeos should have chosen another presidential candidate because choosing to support the LAKAS party’s candidate was tantamount to tolerating Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s political malfeasance.

Several tricycle drivers told us that they allowed posters and banners of Gwen Garcia to be displayed on their vehicles because they were afraid “nga initan unya mi ni mayor king dili namo dalhon iyang kandidato” (we are afraid of Mayor Galeos if we do not show our support for his candidate).

A recent large tarp of the administration line up was put up on the wall of Sesaldo’s store recently. On it, the text reads something like: ipadayon ang kalambuan sa Argao sa pagsuporta aning mga kandidato (allow the progress of Argao to continue by supporting these candidates) or thereabouts. When we received the official list of candidates of the administration party in Argao we were surprised to see so many TRAPOS (traditional politicians) listed as candidates of Mayor Galeos.

His vice-mayoralty candidate, Allan M. Sesaldo, is a businessman whose livelihood is based in Mindanao, not in Argao. Although politically a neophyte, he was supposedly heard several times as saying that he was not initially interested in running but was forced to agree to his father’s deathbed request that he run for vice-mayor. His father, incidentally, was the late Daniel L. Sesaldo, a former mayor of Argao. Meanwhile, Allan Sesaldo’s mother, Azucena M. Sesaldo, is on her last term as vice-mayor of Argao.

Mayor Galeos’s councilors are mostly politicians. Two of his eight candidates for councilor are incumbent municipal councilors: Joaquin F. Banosong and Guillermo S. Caminero, Jr. (incidentally, Councilor Caminero’s brother, Wilfredo, was a former 3-term mayor of Argao and an incumbent provincial board member while another brother, Dr. Stanley S. Caminero, is running for vice-mayor against Allan Sesaldo). Another two are incumbent barangay captains: Fedlemido R. Albero and Samuel M. Flores. Two are former barangay captains: Arnel M. dela Cruz and Roberto B. Saniel. One, Annabelle Almirante Birondo, is a daughter of former Argao mayor Antonio A. Almirante, Jr. and was head of the youth arm of the local government during martial law. Only one candidate has never had any political connections: Jose G. Abear. Abear, however, has on several occasions tried, unsuccessfully, to run for councilor of Argao in the past.

The authors of this article are not familiar with the personal backgrounds of these candidates, but the point of this analysis is simple: how can Argao boast of breaking away from the traditional and corrupt system of its political system when its mayor, who is supposedly against traditional politics, has filled his slate with remnants of Argao’s dirty and ineffective past?

We asked people why Mayor Galeos has not asked popular and very effective councilor Vip F. Semilla, who is on his last term as councilor, to be his running mate. Indeed, people have wondered why he chose someone who completely fits the bill of a trapo to be his running mate. How can Argao move forward if Mayor Galeos’s administration continues to support politicians whose power bases are gold, guns, and goons?

Argao was supposed to be on a political renaissance when Mayor Edsel Galeos became the local chief executive. It now would appear that the reinventor of Argao has been reinvented by the political status quo.

ELEKSYON 2010: Illusions of Philippine Democracy, Part 2

2010-02-25T11:16:00.005+08:00

Party System in the Philippines

Every election season, we get the chance to reflect on the many flaws in our democratic system. In a previous article, I discussed the need to look closely at the shameless monopoly of power of certain families in the Philippines. In this article, let us see where we are in terms of our country’s maturity in political parties.

The Philippines currently has a multiparty system. This means that the system is open to more than two political parties that compete among each other in putting candidates into office. Theoretically, a multiparty system is believed to achieve proportional representation. Since each party is thought to possess certain ideologies and interests that are not given attention by other parties, we are almost assured that each sector of the society is represented in the legislative and/or in the executive branches thereby creating a government that addresses to the particular needs of every represented individual.

The advantage of a multi-party system is that it allows everyone with the proper organizational set-up and resources and proper intentions to form a party that will carry its members beliefs and aspirations as well as draft programs of action that will be beneficial to all concerned. A look at the party system of other countries would reveal a high number of nations also having the same feature as ours. Even America and England, which many people mistake as countries with a two-party system, are actually practicing a unique feature of a multi-party system. Both countries stated above have what we call a multi-party, two-party dominant system. (But for simplicity’s sake we shall continue referring to this as a two-party system) This means, that while these countries laws allow its citizens to form as many sound political parties as possible, there are only two dominant parties for both, the Democratic and the Republican parties for the United States, and the Labour and Conservative parties for the England. Although lesser known parties, like the Reform Party for the US and the Liberal Democratic Party for England, also field in candidates for president or prime minister during national elections, only the two dominant parties can actually win. Not once in the history of both countries have smaller parties won elections.

The 1987 freedom constitution was drafted to ensure that no repeat of Ferdinand Marcos one-party system (i.e. the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan), and thus one-man show, would occur. Thus, at the moment, our constitution allows as many political parties and party-lists to exist and most of all field candidates for elective posts. Since the 1992 national elections, we have seen many political parties coming out and fielding candidates for different positions, all created for the purpose of representation and ideological reasons. After almost 2 decades of practicing a multi-party system, can we truly say that our political system has indeed improved? Or is a return to a two-party system better and more sensible?

Our political parties, however, are far from reaching this theoretical purpose. Many political analysts criticize our political parties as being homogenous, ephemeral, and lacking in political discipline. Our parties are observed to be extensions of political leaders and loyalties are attributed to these politicians rather than to the institutions. These explain why many of our politicians get out of their party cocoons and start to flutter with butterfly wings from one party to another during election seasons.

It has been said time and again that Philippine political parties are essentially non-ideological vehicles for personal and factional political ambition. Many of our current political parties lack coherent political programs, and they generally champion conservative social positions and avoided taking stands that might divide the electorate. Each party attempts to appeal to all regions, ethnic groups, and social classes, and foster national unity by never championing one sector or group. Most of all, politicians switch capriciously back and forth from one party to another, usually switching when their party is losing power. These parties exist only to satisfy particular demands, not to promote general programs.

Two party systems, like that of UK, CANADA, and US, tend to eliminate such problems. In such a system, there exist two major parties that share the votes of the electorate. The party that possesses most seats in the legislative could easily produce a majority vote to create its policies. Although a two-party system is not bereft of any other parties, minor parties rarely prevent the two major parties from gaining most seats in the congress. Thus, a vote for a third party is usually a lost vote. The Philippines, which adopts a single ballot system, is more conducive for a two-party system because balloting only happens once and the party who receives the greatest number of votes win. Hence, it is logical that each party tries to acquire the greatest number of supporters it could have and the best way to do that is to form a coalition with other parties.

Let us take for an example a district that has 100,000 conservative voters and 60,000 radical voters. If these conservative voters are divided into 4 conservative parties, each party would only get approximately 25,000 votes thereby enabling the candidate of the radical party, with his 60,000 votes, of winning. A two-party system is also beneficial in creating stability in the government. It prevents the occurrence of deadlocks and ensures the passing of urgent bills because it is easy for the majority party to get a majority vote in Congress. Deadlocks often occur when politicians from different parties prevent the advancement of a bill sponsored by an opponent party.

A two party system is also a better way of increasing the funds of each party. Contributions made by organizations and businessmen are concentrated on two major parties only. Candidates, in turn, would utilize party funds and spend less of their personal wealth for campaigns. This would tend to diminish corruption in the government because the amount of money which a candidate has to get from the government in replacement of the money he spent for campaigning would be lessened as well.

Public focus is narrowed when there are only two major contending parties. This means each party would then become conscious of its reputation, in fear that a misconduct made by one candidate would create a big impact on the perception of the voters and affect the party image as a whole. This would result to a decrease in political turn-coatism and increase in party discipline. Lastly, a two-party system provides effective integration of the different interests of the different sectors. Because the two parties would be subject to tough competition, it would articulate the sheets of interests among sectors into one umbrella, ensuring that the interests of these sectors are represented. Uncommon ideas are integrated thereby making it more common and in line with the thrust of each party. Proportional representation is an illusion in the multiparty system because losing parties with unique interests are not really represented in the government.

While other nations make real issues the main point of contention in the electoral fight, our candidates are still in the process of mudslinging and bragging who is more sincere and apt for the job of running the country. Almost two decades ago, the framers of our constitution decided to allow as many political parties to participate in the political exercise to ensure that every citizen’s interests are well represented. But, far from achieving the good of a multi-party system, our country’s political system has been plunged into a circus every electoral season, making politics even more incoherent to the average voters.

ADDENDUM. Below are the histories of the party affiliations of the major Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates for the 2010 elections. Notice that among the candidates, only Noynoy and MAR have remained consistent in their party affiliations.

Party Affiliation of Presidential Candidates:

Party Affiliation of Vice-Presidential Candidates:

ELEKSYON 2010: Illusions of Philippine Democracy, Part 1

2010-02-09T11:26:00.003+08:00

We live in a society that prides itself as one of the champions of democracy. Influenced and fired by the ideals of Uncle Sam, the self-proclaimed greatest exporter of democracy, the Filipino people are always ready and proud to recite the popular uprisings of 1986 and 2001 as the greatest manifestations of the country’s love for democracy and its ideals. It is necessary to point here that most political theorists would define the word democracy as the practice or spirit of social equality, a condition of equality, and the common people.

How much of a democracy are we, really? We constantly boast that we have achieved an almost utopian level of democracy, thanks mainly, many would say, to our amazing display of people power in ‘86 and ‘01. But looking at some aspects of our political system and the way politics play in our society, it is interesting to note that the most basic, the most fundamental aspect of the word democracy simply does not apply to us. This article will discuss and tackle issues on democracy that will illustrate that we as a people have always been living in an illusion when it comes to the subject of democracy.

Political Dynasties and Social Status as Basis for Power

Enshrined in Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution is a provision meant to ensure the equality in access to public office. To quote: The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.

While the constitution of the land prohibits explicitly the perpetuation of political dynasties, it is interesting to note that any ordinary Filipino can recite as many political dynasties that do exist in their municipalities or cities. This is because the law has not clearly stipulated what can be classified as a political dynasty, and who are those who fall under this definition. It has been fourteen years since the 1987 constitution was ratified, but it was only in 1998 and 1999 that some legislators have actually attempted to define political dynasty in a bill. However, sad to note, not one of the 3 1998 bills or the 1999 bill Prohibiting the Establishment of Political Dynasties has ever been passed in Congress. Thus, without a clear definition, dynasties still exist.

To cite some important provisions of the 1998-99 bills banning political dynasties, a political dynasty is defined as the concentration, consolidation, or perpetuation of public office and political power by persons related to one another. By persons related to one another we mean people related up to the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, and these include an official’s parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, uncles and aunts, cousins whether full or half blood, and all their spouses. A cursory glance at the list of candidates for various public offices would reveal an astounding number of people who are related to one another, some many times over!

An interesting case study is the province of Cebu. The incumbent governor, Gwendolyn “Gwen” Fiel Garcia, is running for a third term as Cebu’s governor. Her father, incumbent Cebu second district representative and Deputy House Speaker Pablo “Pabling” Paras Garcia, is also seeking reelection. Pabling Garcia was Cebu’s former governor and upon completion of his three terms gave the reigns of power to his daughter Gwen in 2004. A brother of Gwen Garcia, Pablo John, is the incumbent 3rd district representative. It goes without saying that he, too, is seeking reelection. Two more Garcia brothers, Nelson and Marlon, are vying for Mayor of Dumanjug, Cebu and Vice-Mayor of Barili, Cebu respectively. A nephew of Gwen, Alvin Raymond Garcia, is vying for Councilor in Cebu City, while Duke Frasco, incumbent mayor of Lilo-an, Cebu, is Gwen Garcia’s son-in-law (him being married to Gwen's daughter Kristina). While other families like the Osmeña and Duranos are fielding various family members for different elective posts, none are as blatantly dynastic as the Garcias.

If truth be told, none of Cebu's electoral candidates, whether in the provincial, city, or municipal level, could actually qualify for public office, had the 1998-1999 bills on Political Dynasties been made into law. Not only are these public officials very closely related, as already opposed to the definition of related in the proposed bills, majority of these also own the major industries and businesses in their localities, thus making sure that the clout of their families would be perpetuated.

Although it has been clearly stated in our freedom constitution that everyone should have equal access to public office and that political dynasties should be discouraged, a look at our incumbent officials and election hopefuls would tell us otherwise. Thus, in the Philippines, equality to access of power is indeed an illusion.

ELEKSYON 2010: The Davide Family

2010-02-05T14:39:00.005+08:00

The Davide family rose from being a poor farming family from the mountainous barangay of Argao, Cebu to become one of the most prominent families in the Philippines when one of its members, Hilario G. Davide, Jr., was sworn in as the 14th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of the Philippines in 1998. Hilario G. Davide, Jr. is now the permanent representative of the Philippines to the United Nations. His son, Hilario “Jun-Jun” Perez Davide III, a former first councilor of the City of Cebu, is the Liberal Party’s candidate for governor of the province of Cebu.

In this article, I will discuss briefly the history of the family of the Liberal Party’s candidate for Cebu’s governor.

The Davide family, as most Filipinos know, started in the mountain barangay of Colawin, Argao, a coastal municipality in the province of Cebu. Yet the family name Davide has traveled farther than just the Visayas. In fact, unlike most Filipino family names, the surname is not Filipino or even Spanish in origin or form. Family historians are unanimous in saying that the family name DAVIDE is an Italian version of the Jewish name David. Later, the surname was adopted as a Spanish surname.

The Meaning of Davide

The name David is possibly derived from Hebrew dod, which means “beloved”, perhaps the word dawid, which means “loved”, or “darling or beloved of God”, in turn derived from Dodavehu. It later became a common first name among the many Jewish communities scattered throughout Europe, until it was adopted by other nationalities especially in Russia, France, England, the Czechs, and Italy. The name took on the forms of Davyd (Russian, Ukrainian), Dawid (Polish and Yiddish), Dewey and Dovydas (Lithuanian), and Taavetti (Finnish).

The Davides of Argao

Like most Filipino family histories, the scarcity of resources on genealogical interest hinders modern researchers from digging deep into the recesses of time in order to discover a clearer picture of a family’s history. But the family of Jun-Jun Davide is lucky in terms of safe-keeping their family heritage for two reasons: one, the town from which they hail, Argao, is one of the few towns in the Philippines that has meticulously preserved its church records that go as far as 1842, and two, the patriarch of the Davide clan, Mr. Hilario Panerio Davide, Sr., compiled in the early 80’s a family history book of his family. His reason for making the “Family Record of Hilario Panerio Davide and Josefa Gelbolingo Davide and their Children” was, in his own words, “to memorialize the roots of their family and to have something that the future Davides will cherish for all eternity.”

The Davide family of Argao traces its roots to Esteban Davide and Nepomucena Ortega, both Argawanon natives who married during the middle of the nineteenth century, in the mountain barangay of Colawin. Esteban, as the records of the elder Davide show, was the son of Miguel Davide and Hilaria Carillo.

A cursory study of the records of the town of Argao would reveal that the Davide family could trace the family to as far as the beginning of the 18th century, to Pablo Alverto and Maria Landayanan. As was common before 1849, native Filipinos did not have a family name and instead used a second Christian name as a sort of surname for most of their lives. This couple gave birth to Francisco Modesto, who married Maria Susana. It was this ancestor who adopted the surname Davide in 1849 by virtue of the decree of the Governor-General Narciso Z. Claveria. All Davides of Argao can be traced to these two. One of their children was Benito Davide, who died in 1864 at the age of 84. He married Maria Norverta Cambare and had at least four children. One of these was Miguel, who was the father of Esteban Davide.

One of the children of Esteban Davide and Nepomucena Ortega was Pablo O. Davide, born on June 26, 1875. This man is considered by the family of Jun-Jun Davide as the founder of the present Davide line in Colawin. He was said to have been a humble but industrious farmer who was well known in their barrio. His humility and good nature earned him the respect of his neighbors, which ultimately led to his being elected as a cabeza de barangay of Colawin in 1877, a position that is roughly equal to that of barangay captain today. He served in this capacity until 1884. In the same year that Pablo Davide served as cabeza, Julian Lopez, another direct ancestor of Jun-Jun Davide who came from Cebu City but later settled in Argao when he married an Argawanon, was also elected to the same position.

Pablo Davide later married another Argwanon by the name of Teodora Panerio. The couple, known as “Tatay Amboy” and “Nanang Doray” by their grandchildren, lived a simple life with strict working codes. Pablo Davide worked on the farm helped by his sons, while his wife and daughters assisted in the preparations for planting and harvesting. Pablo, who many grandchildren remember fondly as being somewhat of a comedian, later on served briefly as municipal councilor of the town of Argao from 1924 to 1928. He died in 1946 in Argao, Cebu.

Pablo Davide and his wife had ten children. One of these is Hilario, the father of the former chief justice. It was Hilario’s sacrifice and exemplary life which prodded his children to succeed in their chosen endeavors. Raised also in the mountain barangay of Colawin, Hilario saw the hardship that one goes through when living in an area as far flung as their hometown. He made a resolve to make his children’s lives better, so early on in life he did well in school in order to chart a better future for himself and his future family. It was also while in school where he strengthened his resolve to improve his family’s lot. During a graduation ball, he was repeatedly turned down by girls when he asked them to dance with him. He overheard one lady telling her friend that the only reason why she didn’t agree to dance with him was because Hilario was “taga-bukid” (from the mountains). This haughty attitude by the “taga-lungsod” (city folks) towards Hilario and his barriomates made him even more determined to succeed.

After graduating from high school he was assigned as a teacher in another barrio in Argao. It was in the barrio of Talaga where Hilario met his future wife Josefa Gelbolingo, who was also a teacher. Both were ambitious and driven to succeed, and soon, in December of 1925, they decided to tie the knot. Their eldest son, Jose, was born in 1926. When their second child, Jorge, was born in 1928, Hilario decided that his wife better stop from teaching so she could take care of the kids. Pretty soon, five more children followed. The former Chief Justice, the sixth in the family, is the youngest son.

Like his father before him, Hilario Davide raised his family strictly. They had a saying that “each member of the family has a job”. And so, early on, the Davide children helped their parents in tending their farm. The sons helped in weeding the fields, in planting, in rearing the chickens and the other livestock, while the daughters helped in housekeeping chores. The sons also helped in gathering tubo (sugarcane), and Jose Davide, the eldest child, fondly recalls that his younger brother Dodong Jun loved to ride on the sledge with the carabao pulling it whenever they gathered tubo. No one was allowed to play until all schoolwork and housework were completed. If one made a mistake, both Hilario and his wife spanked their kids to discipline them.

Hilario Davide was later appointed as District School Supervisor, and one of his first contributions to Colawin was the building of an elementary school in the area. Indeed, before this, his own children had to walk several miles everyday just to get to their school. He never forgot his resolve to improve his children’s future, and so all his kids were able to finish their college education, a very big feat considering that the family was not well off and they came from a very far flung area. Indeed, sending all kids to school is perhaps the greatest legacy that Hilario Davide Sr. has given his family. Hilario Davide, Sr. was also a prominent figure during World War II. He was considered the civilian head of the guerillas in Argao while the Japanese occupied the entire country.

It is interesting to point out here that all the Davide children were able to finish school, and become the best in their chosen field. Thus, many of them worked for the government or government institutions, where their skills were honed and their name established. Aside from Hilario Jr., his older brother, Jose, was a councilor of the municipality of Argao while another brother, Dr. Romulo, initiated the Farmer Scientist Training Program, which allows farmers to make use of science and technology to increase their yields. Since the early part of the twentieth century, the Davide family has not only tried to improve their lot, but also the lives of the people of Colawin. Todate, they have been instrumental in many improvements in the area, including the building of a school, the Colawin Basin Health Service Center, irrigation facilities that other barangays, too, have benefited from, the building ofa chapel and a public library. Through the lands that they donated, the money they solicited from patrons, and their continued support and encouragement to the people of Colawin, the once ridiculed people of Colawin, the “taga-bukids”, can now proudly call their barrio as their own. Because of these, the family was awarded the ABS-CBN Bayaning Pamilyang Pilipino of the Year in 1997, in honor of their exemplary lives and dedication to the community. In that same year, they were also honored by the Province of Cebu as one of the awardees for Outstanding Individuals and Institutions. Argao also named them as one of the Outstanding Argawanon Families in 2009.

Indeed the Davide family has had a long ride in history. One couldn’t even help but relate the history of the family to the history of their family name. Their namesake, David, came from a poor shepherding family who later on became one of the greatest leaders of the Israelites. The Davides, too, originally from a poor farming family from Colawin, have become one of the prime movers for the advancement and improvement of their town. And, in many Argawanon’s belief, just as the little poor boy David, the youngest son in family, successfully defeated the giant Goliath, so too will Hilario “Jun-Jun” Davide III, the eldest son of the youngest son of Hilario Davide Sr., eventually put down the humongous task of battling with an overexposed incumbent governor. As long as the rest of Argao rallies behind him, Cebu will soon have its first Argawanon provincial governor by June 2010.

NOTE: I know the article is very pro-Davide, which I am. I am giving my all out support for Jun-Jun Davide, even though I also like what Gwen Garcia has done to the province, at least culturally speaking. In a future article, I will also discuss Gwen Garcia’s lineage, even though I am not supporting her. (Todd Lucero Sales)