Kuryenteng Abot-Kaya

Ipinabatid ni NEA Administrator Antonio Almeda noong ika-13 ng Hulyo, 2023 sa Board of Director ng OMECO na ayon umano kay ERC Chairperson Atty. Monalisa Dimalanta na hindi nito mabibigyan ang SAMARICA PSA ng Provisional Authority to Operate (PAO) dahil sa hindi pa umano nakukumpleto ng OMCPC ang dalawa sa tatlong component ng PSA, ang Diesel at Solar. Pabor na pabor ito sa OMCPC na sa kasalukuyan ay wala pang linaw kung kailan makukumpleto ang mga natitirang component ng kasunduan.

Kung walang PAO, brown out na naman ang aabutin ng mga bayan ng San Jose, Calintaan, Magsaysay at Rizal. Para maiwasan ang kawalan na naman ng kuryente sa mga nabanggit, iniutos ni Almeda sa OMECO BOD na hugutin ang naunang aplikasyon para dito at umpisahan nang makapasok sa EPSA o Emergency Power Supply Agreement (EPSA) ang OMECO. Tumalima naman agad sa atas ng pinuno ng NEA ang OMECO, siyempre dahil ito ang “mother agency” nila.  Noong ika-18 ng Hulyo, 2023, nagpalabas ang BOD ng isang Resolusyon nag-wi-withdraw sa aplikasyon ng PSA sa SAMARICA na nakahain sa ERC.

Papaano kaya tatanggapin ng mga lokal na lider natin ang hakbang na ito ni Administrator Almeda? Ganito ba talaga ang ibig nilang mangyari?

Ang tanging tumutol sa Resolusyon ay si BOD President Dr. Eleanor Sy- Costibolo sa paniniwalang hindi makatwiran na ipasa ito sa mga konsumidor at maging dagdag na pasakit-pinansiyal ito sa mga mamamayan sa mga nabanggit na bayan.

Sa kakapalabas na dissenting opinion sa kanyang objection sa pagpasok sa EPSA sa OMCPC, iginiit ni Sy-Costibolo na malinaw na paglabag ito sa sariling polisiya ng Energy Regulatory Board (ERC) na "One Plant, One Power Supply Contract". Papaano nga naman nagkaroon ng dalawang kasunduan sa ilalim ng iisang power plant? 

Ayon pa rin sa kanya, hindi makatarungan para sa mga konsumidor ang magbayad ng True Cost Generation Rate (TCRG) na walang competition, transparency at malinaw na accountability ng mga regulatory officials. Sasagka pa umano ito sa pagkamit ng ating pinakalalayon na mababang presyo at sustinableng serbisyo ng kuryente.

 Malinaw at tiyak na sa oras na tayo ay pumailalim sa EPSA, matapos ang mga dadaanang proseso, ang babayaran na natin ay TCGR. Meaning, ipapasa na sa ating mga konsumidor ang pabigat na patong na hindi bababa sa P5 kada kilowatt ng kuryenteng ating makukunsumo. Ito ay dahil sa ilalim ng EPSA, hindi na entitled ito sa subsidy mula sa gobyerno at hindi na rin mamumroblema gaano ang OMCPC sa pagsingil sa usapin ng subsidiya.

Nasa kritikal na tagpo tayo ngayon sa gitna ng dalawang nag-uumpugang bato. May isang paksyon sa ating lipunan na nagsasabing, “Hindi baleng mahal, basta walang brown out.” Sa isang panig ay may nagsasabing ang halagang ito ay hindi makatwiran at dagdag na pahirap sa mamamayan.

Nasa gitna tayo ng nag-uumpugang “Murang Dilim” at “Mahal na Liwanag”.

Saang panig kayo dito?

Noong nakaraang AGMA sa San Jose noong Mayo 28, na malaking porsyento ng mga dumalo ay taga-Sablayan, isinulong at pinagtibay, maliban sa ibang bagay, ang pagkakaroon ng espesyal na AGMA sa usapin ng EPSA at mga kaugnay na bagay upang kasapian ang magpasya.

Aming ipinamamanhik na sana, bago tuluyang pumasok sa EPSA, marinig muna ang hinaing at pagsang-ayon dito ng kasapian. Kung kaya, panawagan po na ilunsad kagyat ang espesyal na AGMA sa lalong madaling panahon, at tutulan ang anumang hakbang na lalong magpapahirap sa mga mamamayan. Kasihan nawa tayo ng BOD sa layong ito.

Noon ko pa sinasabi, mga 2002 pa, na ang puno at dulo ng ating nararanasan ngayon sa off grid system ay ang maka-korporasyong Electric Power Industry Reform Act o EPIRA. Noon pa man, ipinagmamalaki ng mga nagsusulong ng EPIRA na sa ilalim umano nito ay magkakaroon na ng ganap sa solusyon sa kawalan ng kuryente at ang mataas na halaga nito. Pabababain daw umano nito ang presyo ng kuryente. Ngayon, 20 percent lang ang demand ng off grid sa more or less 20,000MW sa buong bansa. Mumo lang ang natatanggap ng 38 off grid provinces tulad natin kasi nga ay 20 percent lang ang contribution natin. 

Kaya tama lang na isilong ang malawakang pagbusisi sa EPIRA at amyendahan kung kinakailangan kung hindi man tuwirang ibasura na!

Kaya hanggang ngayon ay nasa kumunoy pa rin tayo ng batayang mga probema ng suplay at mataas na bayarin. Habang sa ibang mga bansa sa Asya tumutugon na sa teknolohikal na pagpapataas ng antas at pagpapataas ng kalidad ng serbisyo, naka-bagak pa rin tayo dito sa Pilipinas sa usapin ng presyo at kawalang katiyakan sa power situation natin.

Muli, walang sawa na maglunsad tayo ng mga talakayan at kilos-bayan para sa pagsusuri sa usapin. Kung krisis ang dulot ng brown out, krisis din ang dulot ng pagkakaroon nito sa ‘di makatarungang halaga.

Sa mga katulad namin, hindi lang kuryente ang mahalaga, kundi liwanag na abot-kaya.

Hindi namin alam sa inyo…

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(OMECO IEC)

Farewell, Councilor Obet

 

We laid to rest today, July 14, 2023, the remains of Hon. Roberto “Obet” C. Lim and this is the elegy written and delivered by his niece, Bernadette D. Ordenes during the necrological service at the Main Municipal Building, Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro I am posting here in verbatim:

Dear Friends and family,

We are gathered here today in memory of our dear Hon. Roberto Cruz Lim who passed away on the 5th of July 2023. When we heard that he was no more we were shocked and saddened. Death has taken away a genuinely warm individual, more importantly, a loving husband and father, and deprived so many others, including us all, of a good friend. While we all mourn, we pay tribute and celebrate a life that was well lived. A life committed to public service with dedication, passion, and engagement as ever — working long hours, going the extra mile, and showing a level of caring for those that he served.  Not many leave behind a legacy of such dedication and accomplishment.

Roberto Cruz Lim was the youngest among 5 siblings namely: Conchita Villarama, Baby Vicente, Rogelio Lim, Elisa Hizon of Sixta Cruz, and Juanito Lim. He was born on February 15, 1955 in Sta. Cruz Manila, and spent his early life in the province of Angat, Bulacan. He acquired his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the University of the East Manila. He landed Sablayan Occidental Mindoro when his work was contracted to build the then Municipal Health Center in Buenavista. This is where he met and married his loving wife Mrs. Emma Dimayacyac Lim in 1987 and they were blessed with 3 children, Kristoffer Ian Lim, Karl Mikail Lim, and Kaori Mae Lim- Alvarez. He served as:

Barangay Treasurer of Barangay Buenavista from 1994 to 2000

Sangguniang Bayan Member from 2001-2004 – 3 years

Sangguniang Bayan Member from 2007-2016 – 9 years

Sangguniang Bayan Member from 2019-2023 – more than 4  years

He was also a member of:

Kappa Epsilon Fraternity from 1970 to present

Rotary Club of Sablayan President from 2005-2006

To his wife, he was a backbone and moral support. Even though, like every human, he erred once in a while, he always ensured he settled any differences they had in due time. He never drove her out nor considered leaving the marriage when they had misunderstandings, instead, he showed love and brought an aura of peace into the marriage. He supported her business drives and in return, she supported his political career. He created an environment where both were working together in family growth and proper upbringing of the children.

His consistent triumph in becoming a public official is a manifestation of how the people of Sablayan showed love and respect to Hon. Lim. He enjoyed the company of friends in the community, where he was respected as a leader and a reputable public servant.

Roberto fought till the last. His determination to carry on despite trying personal circumstances demonstrated his commitment to duties and responsibilities. In his own quiet and calm manner, he showed how to work through challenging times and to carry everyone along. 

Life can be fleeting. But a life lived to the fullest stays in fond memories. Roberto through his decorum and grace endeared himself to many. This is particularly a difficult and painful time for his family. In extending to them our heartfelt condolences, we wish them courage and strength to bear this irreparable loss.

Dear Tito Obet, you were a husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend to many, before death plucked you from our midst. Even though we are saddened by losing you, we take solace in the Word of God which says:

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies” – John 11:25

And we believe that you are living and resting in the bosom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

You will be missed by many!

------

(Photo: Jasper Francisco)

Ludy's Beauty (Parlor)

She was the town’s best hairdresser for decades but due to the silent outrage of COVID-19, her business perished. The pandemic is so devastating for those like her who make a living by touching people, literally speaking.

“At my age, I can still work but my passion and livelihood were lost as quick as a wink of an eye,” she says. In late 2019, Ludy’s Beauty Parlor was then transferred to Chua Commercial Complex which is adjacent to the Municipal Public Market from its former location for almost half a century along Rajah Soliman Street fronting Michael Shopping Center. At her age, this petite granny (she didn’t even reach 5 feet, I think.) is one of the towering figures in the business in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, this scribe’s place of birth.

Her parents, Pedro Reotan of Naga City and Marcela Razon of Manila, migrated to Pandurucan (San Jose’s name of yore) in the early 50s. Ludy was born in Manila on June 3, 1943. Her old man, from being a Malacañang Palace employee during the Philippine Commonwealth period, was assigned to Occidental Mindoro as part of the Philippine-American Program for Malaria Control in the Philippines. He was a Bicolano.

I was able to bump into her while attending the 70^th birth anniversary of Mrs. Liwayway Viaña Delas Alas, mother of Ma’am Roselle (Santos), my wife’s principal, last Saturday, July 8, 2023, at Grandiya Venue and Restaurant along the famous nighttime destination in town, the Aroma Beach Baywalk.

This historic beach is usually where Ludy brisk walks every morning. The place is very accessible to her for she and her husband Romy, a retired police officer, live in Nolasco Subdivision in the nearby Barangay Bubog. Romy and Ludy’s marriage produced three children: Ed, Julius or Jojo, and Ginalyn (now Santos). “I keep myself physically and mentally in top shape,” she says. Though she occasionally visits the doctor, unlike those seniors of her age, she was not prescribed any maintenance medicine.

With all her antics and as a frivolous, flighty person who can't keep still, she came to the birthday party donning Adidas rubber shoes, a neatly ironed checkered light brown polo, and black short pants. She danced around like a child to every music aired in that ship-shaped venue that afternoon.

Lourdes “Ludy” Reotan Villaflores, now 80 years of age, started putting up her parlor in the mid-70s. She took a Bachelor of Science in Education at the National Teachers College (NTC) upon the assertion of her parents to become a teacher, she enrolled at NTC which was opened to the student public on June 10, 1929, and was granted government recognition on February 17, 1930. But her true passion is fashion and not teaching. She opted for this vocational course than any academic one.

Against the will of her parents, the young lady in Ludy dropped her course at NTC and went to Samson Fashion School and took up Hairdressing, a vocational course and after two years, she got her diploma.

Ludy worked with the legendary Dory Acuña who was, in the late ’50s and early ’60s, the counterpart of today’s Ricky Reyes. She worked with Acuña who is considered during her time "the beautician of the stars". Ludy’s stint with the known beautician opened the opportunity for her to meet movie stars. She was frequently sitting on the set of movie director Pablo Santiago where she rubbed elbows with her favorite silver screen idols in the 60s, I was told.

“I love dressing somebody’s hair. Even today, when I go out for a walk or hear mass, I always bring along my comb and scissors with me. I hair-style my friends for free,” she said between laughs.  “To see someone look at themselves and smile gives me the most satisfaction imaginable,” says she.

In many of her Career Week speeches in different schools, she keeps on emphasizing the importance of doing what you love. There is dignity even in taking up vocational courses and that is what she always imparts to her young audiences.

“I could no longer cite the names of my customer-friends. They are too many to mention,” she said. “All I can say is that I am forever honored that they let me accentuate their beauty,” she said with her face aglow.

My short chat with her made me understand more these words from Kahlil Gibran: "Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart."

And there lies Aling Ludy’s true beauty.