The
week long celebration of the 65th Founding Anniversary of Occidental
Mindoro that will start next week cannot be an exclusive affair for certain
political group. This ought to be an inclusive celebration that advances
equitable share of all participants, regardless of political color and coming
from every sector of society. The contribution of all, regardless of political
affiliation should be acclaimed especially the candidates or recipients of the
Occidental Mindoro Achiever Awards, a first-ever event in the celebration
recognizing their contributions in society. The people who truly put Occidental
Mindoro to the map need recognition more than being entertained by showbiz
personalities and celebrities from Manila and other palliative ego-boosting, carnival-like
happenings.
Through
Republic Act No. 505, the province of Mindoro was divided into two provinces,
to be known as Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro on November 15, 1950
through a bill sponsored by Mindoro province’s Cong. Raul Leuterio approved June
13, of the same year. Damaso Abeleda was appointed governor from November 15, 1950
to December 31, 1951. But our first elected governor was Federico Castillo (1952-1955),
also an ally of the Abeledas, while Jesus T. Abeleda (1951-1953) became the
first congressman of Occidental Mindoro.
Cong.
Raul Leuterio (1951-1953), a Liberal Party (LP) bigwig in Mindoro in late 40's
whom close to President Manuel Roxas, grandfather of now LP presidential candidate
Mar Roxas, started it all but not without political agenda. Aside from
administrative and technical justifications, there are partisan political
underpinnings in such legislation. During that time, with the scarcity of road
and bridges and transportation facilities, it was hell-like to go campaign around
the 7th largest island of the Philippines with its islands and
islets. On the other hand, administering the whole island proved to be
difficult, expensive and time-consuming. Due to scarcity of mechanized transportation
way back then, just imagine how our dear forebears dared woods and waves going
to municipalities and barrios. The division took firm grasp of this reality.
Regarding
Leuterio’s bill aimed at dividing the island into two provinces, Volker Schult
in p. 116 of his book “Mindoro (A Social
History of a Philippine Island in the 20th Century)” published
by the Divine Word Publications 1991, “He
(Leuterio) paid back the political loyalty the Abeledas had been giving him
since the pre-war period. Leuterio supported the Abeledas to gain political
domination in the province of Occidental Mindoro.” Truth to tell, debt of
gratitude in politics is part of our province infantile period in history not
unlike today. Those days of political exclusivity, where the elite political
partisans take the center stage and the non-aligned masses or voters are left
behind. God gave us more than 6 1/2 decades to correct those but they are haunting
us still to this very day.
I
heard that Mar Roxas, the LP standard bearer, will be coming over to grace the occasion
and I have to qualms about that unless they make this historic event, in whole
or in part, a partisan political one. The 65th Founding Anniversary
should not be used as venue for political endorsements or any activity related to May 2016, though election time is already in the air. Please apportion another
time and venue for that. No hand shall be raised as if it were a political
rally, campaign or sortie. Hope they will not repeat the way President BS
Aquino III served as witness to their party oath taking and consequently endorsed them during this very celebration last 2012, coincided with our
province’s 62nd Founding Anniversary. Let us hope against hope that THIS
would not happen again.
If
that will be repeated, then, again, the event in a way becomes an exclusive
celebration. If we cannot be inclusive in celebration, how could we aim for a development
paradigm called inclusive growth? ….
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(Photo:
pcco.gov.ph)
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