Madam Girlie’s Gone

My good friend Chona C. Ordenes is now grieving because of her former principal and mentor, Deputy Speaker Ma. Amelita Calimbas Villarosa of the lone district of Occidental Mindoro’s representative to Congress died on her 78^th natal day on May 30, 2021.

The former solon passed away at the Intensive Care Unit around 4:34 p.m. that day. Villarosa died of an aneurysm while receiving treatment at a hospital in Metro Manila, according to her husband, former congressman, and governor Jose T. Villarosa.

A very religious woman, Chona’s Madam Girlie rested in the hands of her Creator on Trinity Sunday. Cong. Villarosa first held the electoral post as her district’s representative to the House of Representatives from June 30, 1998, to August 29, 2000, to the 11^th Congress as a Lakas-CMD stalwart. Still, the election was declared annulled after an electoral protest lobbed by her rival Ricardo “Ding” Quintos. But Villarosa bounced back, defeating her competitors in the polls in 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2010. She took office from June 30, 2004, to June 30, 2013. She exhibited gentle prowess in the tough realm of politics.

Ma’am Chona told me via Messenger that the former lady solon collapsed after coming from office and rushed to Makati Medical Center on May 27 and was in a coma for three days.

Mrs. Villarosa made history in 2007 when she was elected by her colleagues at the House of Representatives its first woman deputy speaker. That year, she took her oath before then Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. Villarosa represented her 53 other female colleagues in the lower chamber. In a way, Villarosa’s appointment recognized her capability as a lawmaker and the vital role of female House members. She was a close ally of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. She escorted President GMA in many of the latter’s official functions here and abroad.

The former deputy speaker from Occidental Mindoro was born May 30, 1943, in Balanga, Bataan. According to Ate Chona, her Madam Girlie was a hard-working and giving woman. Not only was she committed to her daily tasks, but she was also committed to giving back to the community. She always encouraged the people closest to her to be involved in life as she brought out the best in them. She kept on reminding them to make the best of everything

Ma’am Chona remembered her saying that she was her second mother, very kind, supportive, and helpful to everyone, especially to her family. Her supporters widely considered Girlie Villarosa as the Mother of the Province.

Aside from JTV and Mayor Bambi, Madam Girlie is survived by her children Bunny Villarosa-Kalaw, Nanny Villarosa- Drilon, Sookie Villarosa- Chiongbian, and Mikho, the youngest son.

“She is very motherly and very caring, especially when we are out of town during the campaign sorties,” says Ma’am Chona. Ms. Ordenes worked as her close-in aide while officially functioning as chief of staff then of Mamburao Mayor Voltaire “Bambi” Villarosa, Mrs. Villarosa’s eldest son. “Madam Girlie was also very loving and generous,” she adds.

Isabelle Allende once said that people only die when we forget them. Our dear departed is best remembered by all as once served her province as their representative to Congress. 

Even Death cannot take that truth away from her.

The Aborted Municipality of San Miguel in Occidental Mindoro

On December 8, 1965, President Diosdado P. Macapagal, Sr. approved Executive Order No. 222 creating the Municipality of San Miguel in Occidental Mindoro. You can find a copy of this nearly 60- year old document in the Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, 62 (9), 1329.

The EO is under the provisions of Section 68 of the then Revised Administrative Code. The supposed new municipality that time will consist of the territory, “from Busuañgan River to the boundary between the Municipalities of Sablayan and San Jose, and the barrios of Calintaan, New Dagupan, Tanyag, Iriron and Concepcion, all of the municipality of Sablayan, with the seat of government at the barrio of Calintaan.” Macapagal’s Order further states, “The municipality of Sablayan shall have its present territory minus the portions thereof which are included; in the territory of the municipality of San Miguel.” The document has it that the creation of the new municipality was an offshoot of House Bill No. 7983 and approved that time by Congress. I cannot find over the net the details of this bill as of yet.

Please take note that in 1965, Calintaan was still a barrio of Sablayan. Then a time came when Congressman Pedro Medalla, Sr. was elected as representative of Occidental Mindoro to the Philippine Congress. Medalla filed a bill to create the Municipality of Calintaan, and on June 18, 1966, under Republic Act No. 4732, Calintaan was separated from Sablayan and made as another municipality. Placed under its jurisdiction were the barrios of Concepcion, Iriron, New Dagupan and Tanyag.  The total land area of the proposed new town is thirty-eight thousand two hundred fifty (38,250) hectares.

Through Cong. Medalla’s effort, Republic Act No. 5460, was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos. Rizal became a municipality on April 3, 1969. According to Wikipedia, ten barrios composed the new town, specifically Adela, Rumbang, Salvacion, Magui, Magsikap, San Pedro, Santo Nino, Pitogo, Aguas, and Limlim (now Rizal, Rizal). Rizal in 1965 is still part of San Jose, and during that time, Medalla was a neophyte congressman starting his first year in politics. I am wondering if there is a barangay in Rizal named Magui. Probably it is the old name of Manoot. Was it?

Medalla, by the way, then owns a large parcel of land inside the supposed territorial jurisdiction of the aborted Municipality of San Miguel in Occidental Mindoro.

From its looks, the creation of the Municipality of San Miguel failed before it could take off. If somebody materialized it, the projected new municipality would have covered a portion of the present territories of Calintaan and Rizal. The truth is, the patron saint of Calintaan is Saint Michael, the Archangel or plainly "San Miguel" to Filipinos.

 

-------

Photo: Eco Exploration

References:

 https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1965/12/08/executive-order-no-222-s-1965/

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizal,_Occidental_Mindoro

 https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/1965/12dec/19651208-EO-0222-DM.pdf

 https://sites.google.com/site/occidentalmindorohistory/historycalintaan

 

 

 

 

 

Tulfoed!

Now I am convinced that as far as the people of Occidental Mindoro is concerned, like the rest of the Filipinos, Raffy Tulfo is greatly considered as the fix all problem solver, the messiah, if not the mediatrix from above. This is based on the reaction I got from his viewers yesterday featuring the incessant power interruptions that we experienced lately. Incidentally, this part of Tamarawlandia was once labelled as the “Blackout Capital of the Philippines” owing to power outages happening in all of its mainland towns for more than 3 decades now.

Last Tuesday, a netizen from Rizal town called the attention of the anchor of the public affairs program “Wanted sa Radyo”, a popular radio-television show and YouTube channel. Angel Mendoza, a member of the LGBTQ community bravely faced the camera and discussed the currently-prevailing rotational brownout schedule in the province and brought it to the attention of one of the famous Tulfo Brothers, Raffy Tulfo or “Idol Raffy” to his millions of diehard followers. Me, not included.

I salute Angel Mendoza for his/her bravery and courage, first and foremost. Mendoza’s sentiment is shared by the people of Occidental Mindoro that the power shortage problem has not only affected the daily lives of the electric consumers, but has also curbed our economic activity and thereby impairing our economic growth. 

The following day, and that was Wednesday (May 5), the same complaint from Mendoza was again given airtime by their Idol Raffy. I will not mention who are his guests that day for what they have told Tulfo is the same thing that they were telling us time and again. But admittedly, I was entertained by the show and I am 110% sure that after all what they have discussed in that episodes, we, the consumers, citizens and netizens, still groping inside a dark tunnel and at the mercy of our electricity providers who think nothing but their own businesses and capital. Including the electric cooperative which had been kowtowing to business interests of influential people from politics and business both from our locality and elsewhere, then and now. Methinks.

OMECO from the start, since it entered into an onerous, one-sided contract with Island Power Corporation (IPC) up to the legality and technically confusing predicament how the much trumpeted Emerging Power, Inc. (EPI), the developer of the Montelago geothermal project, suddenly "transformed" as Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corporation (OMCPC) and its plants are like those of IPC powered by bunker fuel. 

Instead of EPI, how did OMCPC came into the picture? At the start, there was an existing Power Supply Agreement (PSA) between OMECO and EPI. The former was apparently hoodwinked by the latter as OMECO’s Meliton Pasol, as its Board President and Rodolfo Plopinio as its Director, signed the PSA with EPI. Lo and behold, later EPI, the supposed geothermal power company, assigned its PSA to OMCPC through Deed of Assignment on September 9, 2015. Some incumbent politicians then sit with EPI top honchos in various forum and occasions in the past. When the PSA between OMECO and EPI was signed last February 28, 2014 at Sikatuna Beach Hotel in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, the lawmaker who was in interviewed by Raffy Tulfo last Wednesday was also there vouching for the worth of the EPI. Many attendees said that with EPI, our brownout days will finally be over. Just like how another local politician operated the IPC with its 25-year exclusive contract which was also signed by OMECO for more or less 3 decades now, without thinking its atrocious consequence in the coming years. 

It was such a blunder on the side of OMECO when it informed the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in writing that it had no objection to the assigned PSA from EPI to OMCPC. Ergo, the PSA is now between OMCPC and OMECO. I just do not know if there is an on-going legal or judicial determination on the issue but that is now the very meat of contention. The then overhyped EPI geothermal project which was trumpeted in 2014 as the sole supplier of geothermal energy in the whole island of Mindoro went pfft like the bubbles in their nostrils.  

We live in the same ambiguous tunnel. We are still riding on the same banana (boat) in the same sea of uncertainty, so to speak.

Is the Raffy Tulfo show really an alternative mechanism for seeking justice? I doubt it. We still have the courts of law and pertinent quasi-judicial bodies to do that. For me, there are entertainment shows camouflaged as public service.  Truly, there is a very thin line between public service and rating, and in case of social media, likes, followings or views and subscribers. The more subscribes, the more bucks one can rake out of the anguish of the people.

Do we really need only Raffy Tulfo to get out of this hellish energy crisis for decades and the current brownouts? Again, my answer is in the negative.  The magnitude and extent of this decades-long debacle of power crises could not be capsulized in an entire episode, if not season of a public service program or YouTube podcast or streaming. Brace for more rotational brownouts every summer season of the year specially now in the midst of the increasing COVID-19 cases in the province. 

The struggle we must wage against this unjust act of those in the local power industry cannot be a proxy struggle. Hopefully, our action and protest against brownouts and power crises in the province should not end at Tulfo’s show. Letting our quest for justice only remain in the show, we are all Tulfooled just the same. We should do more than than (social) media projection. There are thousand ways of battling this.

Citizens and netizens must rally beyond that. How? That is the question we should address in unison. Certainly it could be through the courts or elsewhere but must surely be within the bounds of law by way of active and non-violent means. I have been calling for this since 2008 if my memory serves me right. 

Be like Angel Mendoza, Occidental Mindoro’s version of Greta Thunberg. Shout bravely about our sorry state in whichever venue.

-------

 (Photo: YouTube)

Remembering the Street Brothers

Reminiscing about the San Jose Summer Basketball League would not be complete without mentioning or thinking of the Street Brothers Basketball Team. The father and son tandem of Edward “Jee” Bagatsolon and Domy “ParDoms” Bagatsolon worked together a piece of basketball history in this part of Occidental Mindoro titled “The Street Brothers Basketball Team” and I am publishing here part of said collaborative work.

To open their literary piece, Jee and ParDoms has this to say: “While “import” players were making waves in the Senior Division of the San Jose Summer Basketball League in the mid-eighties, the entry of the Street Brothers team in the Junior Division of the San Jose Summer Basketball League (SJSBL) made an impact and created another huge fan base which was unprecedented at that time. This is a capsule story of the team when they played in the Junior Division.” The photo above shows the first batch of the Street Brothers team in 87-88 with their muse, the petite Marie Joy Casao.

In the 80s, the Bagatsolon family used to reside in Magsaysay Street in San Jose across the house of former Occidental Mindoro governor Arsenio “Senying” Villaroza, father of Ms. Victoria “Vki” Villaroza. Looking back, Edward wrote, “We put up a post with a board and basketball ring in front and across our rented house.  Every afternoon we would play a three-and-three game with a bet of a couple of ice, which will be used as cooler of the Tanduay Rhum and Coke mix that we imbibed after the game. The barkada and amateur players were all young – 18 to 20 year olds.” The logo that the team employed for years on their jersey is the logo the rhum that made the Philippine famous and also to give reverence to the boys’ favorite drink.

Jee remembered how they named the team: “When we decided to form a basketball team, we did not have any idea what to call our team.  There were several names suggested.  Someone suggested “M Street” as a pun to the movie Nightmare on Elm Street and also to signify the name of our street, which is Magsaysay St.  Another suggested “Gil’s Bros.” as a play of words on the Hills Bros basketball team in the PBA then and as a possible funding from Kuya Gil Manuel.  Finally, we settled on Street Brothers to jokingly refer to our friend (a Born Again quitter) “brother” and also to signify that we started as mere street players.” The Street Brothers later was managed by Vki Villaroza and followed by Congresswoman Josephine “Nene” Sato.  Both managers spent much for the team’s uniform and balls and other equipment.

As he remember the original players, Edward explains, “The initial players were composed of members of the Order of the DeMolay. Papa Doms or Pardoms saw the potential of the players when the DeMolay held a basketball tournament of their own.  Among the DeMolay members are Dominic “Nik” Bagatsolon, Manolo “Macaw” Macawile, Ronald “Nald” Novio, Rogelio “Jojie” Sarmiento, Jr. and brothers Danilo “Danny” and Armando “Ding” Santos.  Romeo “Ardee” Dula and Noel “Wewe” Sano were included because they are both close friends of Nik.  Joe Marie “Jomar” Villar was brought in by his cousin Jojie.  Eduardo “Jun” Mazo, Jr. was brought in by Pardoms to play center while I (Edward “Jee” Bagatsolon) was included because I’m the son of the coach. (He, he, he-NAN) I brought in my friend and classmate Rey “Boyet” Alcones also to play the center position. The Order of the DeMolay is part of the "family" of Masons and associated organizations. DeMolay is the youth group for young men.

The Street Brothers is indeed a lasting and most decorated team in the SJBL and again, as per Edward’s account, this is how they go down in San Jose’s basketball history: “We started and became champion in the Junior C division.  The following year we climbed to Junior B and became champion again.  On the third year we joined the Junior A division and emerged only First Runner Up.  Luckily, Epoy Langcauon, Egay Salvacion, June Palmares and Gary Calitang joined the team when some members relocated to other places and continued their college studies in Manila. With Epoy, Ardee and Wewe (Noel Sano) on the floor it was very frustrating for our opponents to guard them because they were all good shooters, ball handlers and inside penetrators.  In June Palmares and Egay Salvacion, we had legitimate centers who could defend the lane and get the necessary defensive and offensive rebounds.  Gary Calitang was a marksman from the wings and poured in points when needed.  With this refurbished line-up we joined the Junior A Division once again and romped off with the championship crown.  The team went on to play at the Senior Division and, if memory serves me right, Street Brothers won at least five more championships.”

By way of conclusion, Edward stressed further, “After these events the SJSBL was never the same.  When SJSBL resumed only a handful of patrons would watch the tournament.  Ticket sales went down and organizers of the summer league are hard-pressed to pay the salaries of the referees and staff.  This went on for a couple more summers until the popularity of SJSBL waned and died.  Millennial’s nowadays don’t even remember the yearly summer basketball league anymore.”

Indeed, San Jose basketball’s glory days were gone.

----

(Photo: From the album of Edward Bagatsolon. Left to Right : Danny Santos, Jojie Sarmiento, Ding Santos, Nick Bagatsolon, Manolo Macawile, Jomari Villar, Boyet Alcones, Edward Bagatsolon, Ronald Novio, Ardee Dula. Not in the picture Noel Sano. Muse Joy Casao.)

 

 

Ang Lolo ni Bokal

 

Ngayon, ika-9 ng Abril, ay ginugunita sa buong bansa ang Araw ng Kagitingan o Day of Valor at alam nyo ba na si Senior Board Member Aniceta Diana Apigo-Tayag ay may lolo na beterano ng Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig?

Ang kanyang lolo ay tubong San Fernando, La Union ngunit napabilang sa 124th Philippine Constabulary (PC) Company na na-deploy dito sa Occidental Mindoro sa Mindoro Sugar Central ng Philipine Milling Company noon pang Peace Time (Pre-War) na kasamang lumaban sa mga tropang Hapones noong giyera. Sa tinatawag na Lubang Camp sa Central ang kampo ng 124th PC Company sa ilalim ni Lt. Filemon Reodica na isang graduate sa Philippine Military Academy (PMA) noong 1938 at ng Executive Officer nila sa Central na si 2nd Lt. Pablo Carino.

Kahit noong matapos na ang digmaan, ang lolo ni Bokal Diana ay nagsilbi pa rin at nagpatuloy na maging konstableng kawal. Kasama ang mga dating sundalo noong digmaan na sina Federico Saulong at Crisologo Pineda, naging tagapagtanggol lalo laban sa mga lokal na bandido at kilabot na tulisan ang matandang Apigo. Ang isang tinaguriang si “Kilabot”ay napigilan nilang patuloy na maghasik ng lagim sa mga mamamayan noon ng Central at Pandurucan (lumang tawag sa bayan ng San Jose). 

Ayon sa aklat na Mindoro sa Panahon ng Digmaan 1941-1945 (pp. 221)  na isinulat ni Rodolfo Meim Acebes noong taong 2008, mga ilang taon din daw matapos ito ay nadestino si Apigo sa Siniloan, Laguna kung saan naging aide-de-camp siya ni PC Major Eliodoro Camandang na siyang patriyarka ng mga kilalang Camandang sa bayan ng San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

Hindi lang iyon, noong pumutok ang digmaan sa Korea noong 1950, nagboluntaryong sumabak sa digmaan doon si Apigo sa ilalim ng 14^th Battalion Combat Team ng  Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea o PEFTOK ngunit noong sumahin ay sagad na pala ang taon niya sa serbisyo kaya force to good na siya ay nag-retire na.

Sa Calintaan na dating baryo lang noon ng Sablayan ay gumampan bilang Teniente Del Barrio si Apigo dahil siya ay nanirahan at nagsaka doon. Nang lumaon, ganap na itong tumira at namalagi sa San Jose at ang magiting na matandang sundalo ay namatay noong taong 1968 at naulila niya ang aming Lola Conching (Consolacion Gracelia) at anak na si Eduardo o Ed na nang lumaon ay napangasawa si Neneth Credo na naging mga magulang nga ni Bokal Aniceta Diana Apigo-Tayag. Si Lola Conching ay sumakabilang buhay noong Abril (13) 1994.

Ang pangalan ng beteranong sundalo ng Ikalawang Digmaan na lolo ni Bokal ay si Sgt. Aniceto Fontanilla Apigo (Alam nyo na siguro ngayon kung bakit may  "Aniceta" sa buong pangalan ni Bokal Diana).

Gunitain natin nang may pagmamalaki ang kabayanihan ng mga war veteran na hindi ko kayang isa-isahin sa lalawigang duyan din ng magigiting!

-------

(Photo: Philippine Information Agency)

Mila Cipriano: Kauna-unahang Babaeng Alkalde ng Sablayan

 Pagkatapos ng EDSA

Sa panahon ng EDSA People Power Revolution noong 1986, itinalaga ni dating Pangulong Corazon C. Aquino si Godofredo Mintu na isang negosyante bilang pansamantalang alkalde ng Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro sa gitna ng deklarasyon ng revolutionary government ni Gng. Aquino. Ang pagpili kay Mayor Mintu ang bunga ng kanyang pagiging kasapi ng United Democratic Opposition o UNIDO na opisyal na partido pulitikal noon ni Aquino. Rekomendado si Mintu ni Peter O. Medalla Jr na mataas ang katungkulan noon sa UNIDO dahil malapit ito sa naging ka-tandem ng kapuwa niya Batangenyong si Vice-President Salvador “Doy” Laurel.

Nang humupa na ang pampulitikang tensyon sa buong bansa at nakapagbalangkas na ng bagong Saligang Batas, kailangan nang magdaos ng regular na eleksyon sa bawat lokalidad at sinuspinde na ng Malakanyang ang lahat ng mga itinalaga nitong OIC sa iba’t-ibang antas ng pamahalaang lokal.

Matapos na magpasya si OIC Mayor Godofredo B. Mintu na tumakbo sa regular na halalan bilang alkalde ng Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro sa gaganaping eleksyon noong ika-19 ng Enero 1988, itinalaga ni Kalihim Luis T. Santos ng Department of Local Government bilang OIC Mayor si Lorenzo “Lory” Ordenes na noon ay administrative officer ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) na nakatalaga sa Sablayan. Bago kasi pumasok si Ordenes sa DENR ay nasubukan na rin niyang maging appointed councilor ng Sablayan nang ideklara ni Pangulong Ferdinand E. Marcos ang Martial Law noong 1972.

Maliban dito, si Lory Ordenes ay naging municipal administrator din sa panahon ni Mayor Pedro Gonzales at dahil sa karanasang iyon kaya siya marahil ay napiling maging alkalde ng bayan that time. Pero hindi niya iyong tinanggap dahil kung tatanggapin niya ang pagiging OIC Mayor, kailangan niyang mag-resign sa DENR na ayon sa kanya ay hindi niya ginawa.

Lumabas ang kautusan ng Department of Local Government noong ika-1 ng Disyembre 1987 at ang lokal na halalan naman ay sa ika-18 ng Enero 1988 na mahigit na dalawang buwan lang ang pagitan. Dahil sa praktikal na kadahilanan at sariling pagpapasya, hindi naging alkalde ng Sablayan si Lorenzo “Lory” Ordenes, anak ng yumaong Mayor Leoncio Ordenes na nagsilbi simula 1960 hanggang 1963.

Itinalaga din noon ni Kalihim Luis T. Santos bilang OIC Vice-Mayor Mr. Nicolas “Nick” Alfaro na tumanggap naman sa nabanggit na pansamantalang posisyon na kanyang makakasama sa paggampan ng gawain ang kauna-unahang babaeng pansamantalang alkalde ng bayan.

Unang Babae

Dito nagsimula ang pag-assume ni Gng. Milagros Legaspi Gonzales-Cipriano na maging kauna-unahang babae at ika-16 ng alkalde ng Sablayan. Sa bisa ng Republic Act No. 6636 na nag-a-amend sa EO 270 ni Gng. Aquino. Sabi sa Section 1 ng RA 6636 in part, “All local officials, whether elected, acting or officer-in-charge who file or have filed their certificates of candidacy shall be deemed automatically resigned from their positions effective December 1, 1987, any provision of the law to the contrary notwithstanding. If the governor or the city or municipal mayor or the officer-in-charge of that office is a candidate and unless the Secretary of Local Government designates another person, the following local officials shall act as officer-in-charge of the position vacated in a concurrent capacity in the order herein below provided:

“a) Chief, Senior and Local Government Officers for provinces, cities and municipalities, respectively;

“b) Provincial/City/Municipality Administrator;

“c) Provincial/City/Municipal Health Officer. “

At sa kaso ng Sablayan noon, ang umaktong maging OIC mayor ay si Gng. Milagros Cipriano nga na siya noong Acting Local Government Officer (LGO)-III ng Sablayan. Sa matuling salita, alisunod dito, ang lahat ng mga lokal na opisyal noon, maging, halal, pansamantala o itinalagang manunumpang pinuno ay automatic resign sa kanilang katungkulan sa panahon ng kanilang paghahain ng Certificate of Candidacy para sa whatever local position in the government noon na hindi lalampas sa 45 days bago ang January 18, 1988 elections.

Nakasalig sa RA 6636, kaagad na lumusong sa katungkulan si Gng. Cipriano na may basbas ng kanyang mga opisyal sa pang-rehiyon nilang tanggapan at kaagad siyang nagpalabas ng liham sirkular sa mga department heads ng munisipyo, mga nakatagalang pulis at sundalo sa bayan, sa COMELEC at practically sa lahat ng mga government offices doon. Sa paglagda sa circular letter ng mga opisyal, pormal na kinilala si Cipriano na siyang OIC Mayor at agad na nga itong gumampan sa tungkulin upang magpatuloy ang daloy ng serbisyo ng pamahalaang lokal at sa ugnayan nito sa pamahalaang pambansa at hindi maipit ang bayan at mga residente sa bangayan ng mga nagbabangaang mga kakandidato at mga pulitiko noon at sa gitna ng umiigting na digmaan sa pagitan ng mga alagad ng batas, mga rebeldeng NPA at mga criminal element.

Sa Resolusyon Blg. 2012-GGM077 na iniakda noon ni Kgg. Roberto G. Dimayacyac noong ika-10 ng Setyembre 2012 na pinangalawahan ni SB Manuel P. Tadeo, binigyang diin sa kalatas na “Ang pagkakaroon ng itinalagang manunuparang pinuno sa Tanggapan ng Punong Bayan sa katauhan ni Gng. Milagros Cipriano ng (sic) panahong iyon ay pinalagay na sadyang mahalaga para maiwasan ang pagkakaantala ng mahahalagang gawain at tungkulin ng nasabing tanggapan.”  Sa pamamagitan ng isang liham sirkular, inihayag ni OIC Mayor Cipriano na sinimulan na niya ang paggampan sa tungkulin noong ika-17 ng Nobyembre 1987.

Panahon ng Krimen at Dahas

Ano naman ang mga signposts ng panunungkulan ni OIC Mayor Cipriano sa loob ng maikling panahon?

Tiniyak ni OIC Mayor Cipriano na magiging tahimik at hindi magulo ang darating na halalan sa pamamagitan ng tahasan at lubusang pagsunod sa noon ay mga umiiral na pambansang batas at mga kautusan. Inaatasan niya si P/SGT Beato T. Punzalan na noon ay Station Commander ng Integrated National Police Command dito sa Sablayan at nakipag-ugnayan nang maigting kay Election Registrar Norma V. Ordenes ng COMELEC-Sablayan, lalong-lalo na sa mga atas tungkol sa Firearms Ban at Use of Body Guards ng mga politiko. Inatasan niya si Station Commander Beato Punzalan na maigting na makipag-ugnayan noon sa Philippine Constabulary. 

Mariin din ang naging atas ni OIC Mayor Cipriano sa INP na ipatigil ang mga illegal na sugal na naglipana noon sa Municipal Plaza lalo na ang larong roleta na talamak noon dito. Upang hindi maipit sa crossfire ang mga dayuhang manininda noon sa plaza dahil sa kinakabahang muling pagsalakay ng NPA, pinakiusapan niya ang mga dayuhang negosyanteng ito na kaagad na umalis sa tulong ni PFC Alfonso Paz at binigyan niya ang mga ito ng kaukulang halaga na mula sa kanyang sariling bulsa para hindi na madamay ang mga ito sa engkwentro kung saka-sakali. Hindi nga nagkabula ang hula ni Cipriano dahil ilang araw lang ay nilusob na nga ng mga NPA ang detachment ng Philippine Constabulary sa downtown Sablayan (na ngayon ay ang lugar na malapit sa kinaroroonan ng Land Bank of the Philippines).  

Nagpakita siya ng kakaibang tapang sa gitna ng mga karahasan at kaguluhan na noon ay namamayani sa bayang ito. Ipinakita niya na kahit siya ay babae, kaya niyang manindigan laban sa mga masasamang elemento na gumagawa ng mga labag sa batas.

Bago pa man naitalagang OIC mayor si Cipriano ay nagkaroon ng isang labanan sa pagitan ng mga rebeldeng New People’s Army (NPA) at mga kapulisan ng Sablayan. Noong ika-16 ng Setyembre, 1987 bandang alas dos ng hapon ng pinagtangkaang pasukin ng humigit-kumulang sa 30 mga NPA ang istasyon ng pulisya at gusaling pambayan na pinamumunuan ng isang “Ka Dexter”.

Tumagal ng halos trenta minutos ang palitan ng putok ngunit hindi nagawang pasukin ng mga rebelde ang gusali dahil sa kabayanihang ipinakita ng tatlong magigiting na mga pulis na hanggang sa huling sandali ay ipinagtanggol ang kanilang hanay. Sila ay sina PFC Bienvenido Pacifico, Patrolman Revadilo Dapito at Patrolman Avelino Tendido. Tarantang umatras ang mga armadong komunista na hindi natuloy ang balak na pasukin ang istasyon at ang munisipyo.

Noong ika-24 ng Disyembre 1987, sumulat si OIC Mayor Mila Cipriano kay Col. Evaristo G. Cariño, Regional Commander ng Regional Command ng Philippine Constabulary (PC) na naka-base sa Camp Guillermo Nakar sa Lucena City upang irekomenda ang promosyon ng tatlong mga magigiting na alagad ng batas para ma-promote. Sabi ni Cipriano sa kanyang liham, “It is my deep honor and great pride therefore, to strongly recommend PFC Beinvenido D. Pacifico, Patrolmen Revadilo P. Dapito and Avelino G. Tendido for a spot and/or meritorious promotions to the next higher grade for a job well done.” 

Sa panahon ng panunungkulan ni Cipriano bilang alkalde dinukot ang ingat-yaman ng Sablayan na si Lito Atienza na noon ay tatakbong mayor at lima pa niyang mga kasama. Ginimbal din ng marahas na pagsalakay ng mga pinaghihinalaang mga NPA ang Philippine Constabulary detachment kasabay ang patuloy na mga insidente ng patayan sa mga barangay, may kinalaman man o wala sa lumalakas na pagkilos noon ng mga rebelde o ng mga masasamang-loob.

Bago pa man ma-assign sa Sablayan si Cipriano ay magulo na noon ang bayan. Noon ay pinatay ang barangay captain ng Burgos na si Eusebio Lampa ng mga kalalakihang de-baril. Kuwento pa ni Cipriano, may mga panahong sa harapan ng munisipyo ay nakalatag ang mga taong nasawi sa enkuwentro sa pagitan ng mga armadong grupo at mga sundalo ng pamahalaan.

Upang maging handa ang mga pamayanan sa anumang krisis, gawa man ng tao o ng kalikasan, na tatama noon sa bayan ng Sablayan na madalas maranasan noon, naisipan OIC Mayor Capistrano na itatag noong ika-11 ng Enero 1988 ang isang Crisis Consultative Committee na binubuo nina Judge Gaspar T. Bercasio, OIC Vice-Mayor Mr. Nicolas Alfaro, Mrs. Florazel Frogoso, Mrs. Mila Villena, Mrs. Norma V. Ordenes, Father Luis Halasz, SVD, Mr. Jose Abeleda Jr., Rev. Daniel Bandong, Capt. Teodoro Azucena, Sgt. Beato Punzalan at Mr. Delfin Tria Jr. Si RTC Judge Gaspar Bercasio ang itinalaga niyang chairman ng Crisis Consultative Committee na tutugon sa mga panahon ng, ayon sa kanyang atas, “emergency or unforeseen event that may lead in a crisis of serious enough proportions to require group deliberation and decision.”  Hindi naman kaila sa atin na noon, ang Sablayan ang sentro ng mga patayan at iba pang madudugong kaganapan sa lalawigan kaya nilikha ni Mayor Cipriano ang komiteng ito na talaga namang tumulong sa kanya para tugunan ang lumalalang problemang ito sa peace and order. Hindi pa kasama dito ang mga kalamidad tulad ng bagyo at mga pagbaha na madalas ding maganap doon.

Hindi natinag si Mila Cipriano sa sitwasyong ito at noong ngang ika-7 ng Pebrero ng sumunod na taon, isinalin ni Cipriano kay Mayor Mintu bilang bagong halal na alkade ang kapangyarihan at simula noon ay ganap nang pumailanlang sa kanyang bagong karera si Mayor Mintu at matapos ang ilang buwan ay umalis na rin si Cipriano sa Sablayan.

Limitado man ang kapangyarihang iginagawad ng batas sa mga lokal na opisyal na officers in-charge o OIC, hindi maitatatwa na dapat ay mapahalagahan at maisama rin sa kasaysayan ng bayang ito at makilala ang mga ginawa nito sa bayan at sa mga mamamayan noon. Ngunit may mga talaan na hindi siya isinama sa listahan ng mga nagdaang alkalde sa hindi malamang mga kadahilanan. Hindi naman dahil marahil sa kanilang pagiging OIC "lang" o pagiging babae "lang".

Maging sa Sablayan Museum ay walang larawang makikitang kumikilala sa dalawang babaeng naging OIC mayor ng bayan na si Gng. Milagros Cipriano at Dr. Susana Mangahas Diaz na number one councilor na naitalaga ring OIC mayor ng Sablayan noong 1998 dahil nag-file din noon ang kanyang certificate of candidacy si Mayor Mintu para sa posisyong vice-governor ng lalawigan kaya nabakante ang mayoralty position noon. Nanalo at naging vice-governor si Mayor Mintu noong taong iyon.

Noon at Ngayon

Bago naging kawani ng Department of Local Government and Community Development o DLGCD na nang lumaon ay naging Department of Local Government (DLG) na ngayon ay Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), taong 1970 nang siya ay nagturo sa San Jose National High School (SJNHS) na ngayon ay Occidental Mindoro State College na o OMSC. Nagsimula siyang magtrabaho sa DLGCD noong Oktubre 1974 at nagretiro sa edad ng 65 noong ika-28 ng Pebrero, 2014, na kanyang kaarawan. Naging Barangay Development Coordinator siya ng DLGCD sa San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, na-assign sa iba’t-ibang bayan ng Kanlurang Mindoro hanggang siya ay maging MLGOO ng bayan ng Magsaysay nailipat siya sa panlalawigang tanggapan sa Mamburao hanggang siya ay magretiro noong ngang 2014.

Tatlumpu’t-siyam na taong siyang nagtrabaho sa nasabing kagawaran.

Si Mila Cipriano na 72 anyos na ngayon ay ipinanganak sa Tibiao, Antique at nagtapos ng Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Major in English sa Central Philippine University (CPU) College of Social Science sa Iloilo City with 21 units in Education. Nabalo siya sa edad na 25 ngunit naitaguyod niya nang maayos ang dalawa niyang anak na lalake na ngayon ay may sari-sarili ng pamilya.

Sa kasalukuyan, siya ang dating pangulo ng Senior Citizens Association of Bagong Sikat (San Jose, Occidental Mindoro) at Federation Treasurer ng Senior Citizens Association. Aktibo din siyang Rotary Club- San Jose Tamaraw at siyang immediate past president nito sa panahon ni District Governor Liza Vicencio- Elorde.

Ngayon, bahagi ng kanyang adbokasiya ay ang pagpapalaganap ng mga katuruan ni John Calub na awtor ng aklat na The Abundance Factor at founder ng John Calub Training International (isang training and executive coaching company) and Success Mall (isang blockchain-powered e-commerce website para sa personal development).

Mataas na Pagkilala

Ika-22 ng Marso, 2021 kasabay ng pagdiriwang ng Pambansang Buwan ng Kababaihan ay ginawaran ng Sablayan si Gng. Milagros Cipriano ng Highest Legislative Leadership Award na iniakda ni Vice-Mayor Walter “Bong” B. Marquez ng Bayan ng Sablayan na inisponsor ng mga konsehal na sina Salve U. de Vera, Mark Anthony O. Legaspi at Roberto C. Lim. Ang parangal ay pumaloob sa ika-84 na regular na sesyon ng Sangguniang Bayan. Ginanap ito sa Batasang Pambayan (Legislative Building) sa Barangay Buenavista, Sablayan.

Sa kanyang paunang salita, ibinahagi ni VM Bong ang mga mahahalagang pangyayari sa Sablayan noong termino ni Mayor Cipriano. Sa kanyang acceptance message, pinasalamatan niya ang buong Sanggunian at sinabing matatalino ang mga taga-Sablayan at maraming mga mamamayan ang tumulong sa kanya noon kaya niya naitawid nang maayos at matahimik ang kanyang pansamantalalang tungkulin bilang pansamantala ring alkalde sa bayang kanyang minahal at pinaglingkuran bilang meyor at bilang local government officer.

Maliban sa plake, tumanggap din ng bouquet at token of appreciation si Milagros Legaspi Gonzales-Cipriano, ang kauna-unahang babae at ika-16 na alkalde ng bayan ng Sablayan.

Naniniwala ang awtor at mga isponsor nito at ang buong Sangguniang Bayan na kahit pansamantala lang at sa limitadong kapasidad lang gumampan ng pagiging officers in charge ang mga babaeng alkalde na nabanggit, dapat na isama rin sila at kilalanin at matampok sa lokal na kasaysayan ng bayan na kahit papaano ay kanila rin namang napagsilbihan.

When Trees are Endangered by Road Widening

 

The growing interest and clamor from different sectors in protecting the row of wonderful and grandiose acacia tree in Barangay San Agustin, Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro in lieu of the on-going road widening project traversing the whole Mindoro West Coast National Road is very much commendable. But is it really necessary? Maybe, in some aspect, yes.  Being an environmentalist myself, I am delighted of such a move by my fellow citizens. For reason that I am at present “detoxifying” or under hiatus from social media, my friend Philip Saligumba informed me of this which is according to him, already a trending issue in some FB pages and groups.

Why are those trees important not to cut? Aside from its aesthetic value, these trees are foremost important in terms of protecting, conserving and preserving our environment as what the protesters believe why they are against the felling of those trees in the pleasing woody portion in that area. This and other equally important and scientific, legal and moral reasons are included.

On the other hand, why are those trees needed to be cut? Well, logic requires that trees near a road could cause great harm and accidents to commuters specially during inclement weather. When uprooted or fall to the ground, they will surely cause accidents or delays in travel and other hazards. Generally speaking, trees belong to the forests or woods and not within the vicinity of a thorough fare or a highway due to said reasons. Is there an existing law now prohibiting the planting of trees along the highway?  

But it would be very unfair for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Occidental Mindoro District Engineering Office and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR) Occidental Mindoro if we assume outright that there was already a permit issued by the latter to the former. If the trees are really destined to be wantonly chopped. As per environmental laws, even the cutting of trees by DPWH needs a permit from the DENR. Did the protesters tried to inquire the two concerned government agencies on such a status as part of the campaigners’ homework? Do the campaigners have a doable alternative plan to present before the DENR and the DPWH? Did those who rant or comment about this cared to ask for the whole road widening project blueprint in our province? If we are serious about this concern, these important things shouldn’t be overlooked.

Talking of DENR and DPWH, why is it that in the past, when the former initiated tree planting projects along the sides of national road, why did the DPWH allow them to do such a thing then? I remember a similar project in San Jose in the 90s where trees are planted along the national road from Bagong Sikat to Central. Unluckily (or was it luckily?) no single tree seedling survived because of reasons only known to those entities and personalities involved in the project. 

Even in this small-scale struggle such as this, coherence and lucidity is important like what the officials of Visayan State University (VSU) in Tacloban sometime in July 2020 did. In that particular case, upon unrelenting protest of the university officials and students, the DPWH district office was moved by the opposition and did not push through with the cutting of the trees inside the campus. Instead of widening the road and cutting several trees, the DPWH agreed to construct another lane on its west side which will be used for traffic going southbound while the existing road is going to be used by northbound vehicles. I believe that this scheme can also be applied in that span in Barangay San Agustin if the concerned officials or bodies just present an alternative proposal to remedy the problem.

For those who are all-out to save the trees from road widening projects must remember that this struggle should not be confined only to social media. If it remained there, this effort will just burst like a delicate bubble. They have to show the world, both online and offline, that the concerned agencies must not sacrifice the trees for the sake of the government’s ambitious Build, Build, Build program. Indeed, there are innovative ways we can push for development while we also take care of our natural resources and that should be our way forward.

Let us take a look in another case. In Camarines Sur, since the DENR couldn’t stop the cutting of trees due to the road widening project at the Maharlika Highway in Pili, the DENR assured that in every tree cut, 100 new ones will be planted within the vicinity. On the other hand in Pototan, Iloilo, since the DPWH was given permit by the DENR to cut over 5,000 trees to give way to the project that covers 13 barangays also requiring DPWH to replace each tree with at least 100 seedlings. I do not buy this one. There had been left and right tree planting projects and Arbor Days now and in the past from down and above and there is also the National Greening Program but what now? Many planted trees but nobody lifted a finger to grow and take care of them. Just like the project in San Jose that I mentioned above.

Deforestation in Occidental Mindoro is threating then and now in a very alarming scale. According to Global Forest Watch, from 2001 to 2019, Occidental Mindoro lost 20.2kha of tree cover since 2000 and 7.39Mt of CO2 emissions. From 2001 to 2019, Occidental Mindoro lost 556has of humid primary forest, making up 2.9% of its total tree cover in the same time period. Total area of humid primary forest in the province decreased by 1.4% in this time period according to said global environmental group.

Of the two proposal and consequent solutions, I prefer the former. That one implemented in Tacloban. In whatever instance, it is imperative to know and to influence the stand of the local government unit, both the executive and legislative branches on the issue. In December, 2019 in Cebu City, the DPWH in Central Visayas proceeded with the rode widening at N. Bacalso National Highway after two months of break following the refusal of the city government to cut the trees in the area. The city council sought for the suspension of the DPWH project and requested for the reassessment of their project permit, especially the tree-cutting permit. 

The Cebu City august body assured that the DPWH should follow the guidelines of the DENR when it would come to the cutting or earth balling of the trees, which would depend on the width of the tree by making a legislation on that one. 

If those trees cannot be really saved, at least there should be a massive, well-funded, well-oiled and serious forest park or reforestation projects in areas far from the highways. Remember, there are still on-going road projects in the island traversing our forests and woods where thousands of trees are imperative to be chopped or cut down.

A dialogue towards this effort, or similar to this is imperative. Indeed, this issue can be elevated to respective LGUs specifically the local legislative board, - be it municipal or provincial. We need able-bodied "green" legislators for this one. 

Not just netizens, not just in social media.

----------

 (Photo: John Wenfred Mercene)

 

 

 

Yoyoy’s “Magellan”

 

My first happiest encounter with Magellan and Philippine history was through a popular musical genius named Yoyoy Villame.

If we are going to believe Yoyoy and many of distinguished historians, today is exactly the 500^th anniversary of “discovering” the Philippines. The iconic Pinoy crooner has this line in his song “Magellan”: “On March 16, 1521/When Philippines was discovered by Magellan/They were sailing day and night, across the big ocean/Until they saw a small Limasawa island.” Well, the song is about the Portuguese explorer who is sailing for Spain, who named the islands after King Philip. They were then called Las Felipinas. It starts with the arrival of soldier Ferdinand Magellan on 16 March 1521, and then moves on to his meeting with local leader Humabon in Cebu, to the baptism, to the battle between the soldier and Mactan leader Lapulapu, and it concludes with Magellan’s death. As we all know it, the song is about the attempt to conquer the islands, at least from our forebears’ perspective.  

Well, Yoyoy’s true name is Roman Villame and the song became his main vehicle to stardom. He first recorded Magellan in 1972 and the rest is history (no pun intended!), so to speak. Remember, in 1972, songs in English are the most popular in the country. Yoyoy defied that.

Villame was born in a fishing community of Calape, Bohol, Villame was the youngest of ten siblings. He was once a soldier-trainee of the Philippine Army and a jeepney driver. He joined many amateur singing competitions in Manila but always to no avail, reportedly due to his strong Visayan accent. But Yoyoy did not lose hope and finally hit the mainstream music industry in 1977 and became a national figure 5 years after his recording of “Magellan”. Later, he became a movie actor, a standup comedian, and a councilor in Las Piñas City.

Yoyoy’s first on-screen appearance was in Isla Limasawa, where "Magellan" was used as theme song. The movie was top billed by then ace comedian Chiquito and Pilar Pilapil, the Binibining Pilipinas Universe 1967-turned actress.

Since the time of Yoyoy’s “Magellan” what happened to the Philippines? Well, our geographical and historical attributes remain after his singing of “Philippine Geography” while Filipinos in general never give a damn if this administration wants to give the West Philippine Sea to China. Filipinos still live in the pages of Orwellian piece of literature where “animals” take the main stage like in Yoyoy’s “Hayop na Kombo”. The Philippines of today is eager to find a new language to everything we are experiencing. Like in Yoyoy’s “Butchikik”, we intend to invent languages that we do not even understand.

There are many inconsistencies in the late Yoyoy Villame’s “Magellan” compared to Antonio Pigafetta’s writings. The latter is the Italian scholar and explorer who actually witnessed the Battle of Mactan. In Yoyoy’s song, Magellan was hit on the neck but in Pigafetta’s account, Magellan was hit in the leg. And lastly, Magellan neither cried nor stumbled down during the actual combat. It was actually a poison-tipped arrow that killed Magellan. Was Yoyoy a historical revisionist?

According to Jocelyn Pinzon in “Remembering Philippine History: Satire in Popular Songs (2015), “Like other colonized countries, the Philippines has a history that makes the remembering uncomfortable, even obnoxious. …. The rhetorical devices such as burlesque, parody, irony and code-switching facilitate an amusing and humorous remembering.”

Maybe that is why I remember Yoyoy today, March 16, 2021.

--------

References:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.5367/sear.2015.0273

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoyoy_Villame

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJIUZapWUvs

Photo: Pocketmags

 

 

KURIS: The First Ligad-Rivera Art Exhibit

 

My compadre Ruben “Nonoy” Casuncad, considered by many as the finest artisan in the province, together with Dr. Alexander M. Rivera, (Yes, that EENT doctor) will be launching an art event dubbed Kúris (Arts and Passion): The First Ligad-Rivera Art Exhibit on December, 2021. I am already writing about it now because as I have told you in my recent blog entry about Jun Gulapa, another illustrious artist from Sablayan, the month of February is National Arts Month as declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 683.

This brainchild of the two distinguished painters of San Jose is perceived to be held annually and expected to be participated by all painting enthusiasts from all over Occidental Mindoro. Well, to those who are interested, you still have ample time to coordinate with Nonoy and Doc Rivera about this upcoming “art attack” of an event.

Before going to Nonoy, allow me first to acknowledge the painter whose eyes also labored on the painting canvass and brushes and not only through the lens of his otoscope and nasal speculum. Doctor Alex Rivera is a self-taught artist who first discovered his prowess in 1998. He is into “fantastic and erotic arts” as how he described them in his Facebook account. Some of his paintings are displayed in his Barangay V clinic in San Jose. I am Doc Alex’s patient for more than a decade now because of my seasonal and perennial rhinitis.

On the other hand, Nonoy Casuncad is not only a painter, he is an all-around artist. He also make key chains, refrigerator magnet, treated driftwoods, wood carvings and decors, medals, beadworks and other “kung anik-anik”. Just name it.

I first met Nonoy in 1989 while he was working as an artist in the Vicariate-owned In Verbo Tuo Printing Press while I was with the Human Development Office or HDO. In 1998, he decided to pursue with his craft and he started an art shop called Ligad. Ligad, if my memory serves me right, according to Nonoy, stands for “Likhang Isinalalarawan sa Guni-guni at Damdamin”. Ligad has an accreditation with our provincial Department of Trade and Industry Office or DTI. At present he is more involved in wood carving and most of his clients are tourists,-both local and international, and some wholesalers outside of the province. His works always find place in trade fairs and art shows here in our locality and elsewhere for more than 23 years now. At present, he is planning to initiate a province-wide organization of artists through Kúris as its entry point.

By the way, Kúris in Hanunuo language is a stroke made with a knife and the like, a line, a scratch, a score or to line, mark, score and scratch lightly with a pointed tool or instrument. When asked about the title of the exhibit, Nonoy said: “Sa artist kasi, kapag nakaharap ka na sa canvas at nag-iisip (conceptualize) ka ng subject at concept, magsisimula ka sa kuris-kuris hanggang sa makabuo ka ng isang wangis o imahe.” The painting is on and for the period of nine months, from April to December 2021, they aimed at finishing 40 materials or paintings for the show.

The painting exhibit Nonoy and Doc Alex have in mind is something that will be participated by artists from all walks of life. For instance, every year, an exhibit will be participated by women artists, the following year will be from the ranks of the Mangyans, and so forth and so on.  It is also Nonoy’s dream to put up an art gallery in Iling Island to pay homage to the place where most of his materials for wood carvings and inspiration from her painting aside from those motivation that he harvested from the Hanunuos and other ethno-linguistic groups of the Mangyans came from.

From the start, the Local Government of San Jose through Board Member Michelle Festin-Rivera, when she still sits as the municipal tourism head, is so supportive of the initiatives of the town’s local artists. The LGU likewise pledged monetary support for said forthcoming painting exhibit in December. DTI provincial office also vouched for some considerable amount of fund for the endeavor. Nonoy is gratefully thankful of such gesture as local government's manifestation of highly considering art and culture in its PPAs and mandate.

Today, Nonoy is aiming to capacitate the town's gifted and special children with inclination in painting or arts in general from all-over and teach them basic painting lessons. He is looking forward for a future where he is introducing or teaching art to children with special needs. He said that children with such characteristics tend to be most successful when they have their own materials and spaces to work, and are permitted to make as many art products as they like. 

Nonoy believes that art experiences are good ways to hold attention, and provide children with acceptable, enjoyable ways to express their feelings. He intends to solicit funds from good Samaritans of arts to help him make this grand target a sustained, fruitful reality. Knock, knock on your generous doors.

Nonoy Casuncad is in a way building his legacy and in the process, paying it forward.

A meaningful arts month to all!

------

(Photo: Ligad File)

Sablayan Artist Jun Gulapa on Komiks, Prisons and Arts

He is tracing his passion for art from two inmates in Sablayan Penal Colony (SPC) way back in the mid-70s when he was ten years old or so.

Now called Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm or SPPF, the facility was established September 26, 1954 by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 72 but was formally opened on January 15, 1955 and became part of Sablayan town in Occidental Mindoro. Diosdado “Jun” R. Gulapa Jr. was born in this place at the foot of the enchanted and majestic Mount Siburan. He and his brothers and sisters grew up in this grandiose natural landscape before the very eyes of men in orange uniform with ball and chain attached to their feet.

Jun Gulapa’s father was first assigned as prison guard in New Bilibid Prison then at Iwahig Penal Colony in Palawan and in the 50s, he was transferred in Sablayan Penal Colony and later served as penal supervisor at SPPF’s Pasugui Sub-Prison until the old sentinel hanged his uniform decades later. Their mother Corazon (nee Del Rosario) is a retired public school teacher and her union with her beloved prison guard produced eleven children.

During his childhood days at the penal colony, the young Jun was hooked and astounded by komiks and began copying the masterpieces of great Filipino illustrators Pablo S. Gomez, Hal Santiago and Jim Fernandez. Supporting his junior’s newly found enthusiasm for drawing and sketching, his old man allowed him to learn from two inmates or persons deprived of liberty who were distinguished painters when they were still freemen. Jun, now 58 years old, narrated that his father even allowed two illustrious prisoners to get out of their cell and teach his kids, Jun and Cel, the fundamentals of drawing and the beauty and mystery of art. The komiks and the crafts of the two inmates opened him in the wonderful world of arts. Even in present-day SPPF or probably in other prison facilities under Bureau of Correction (BuCor), they do not disregard the value of arts much like they regard the crux of rehabilitation. This tenet is kept alive by the present SPPF Superintendent CSINSP Jayferson G. Bon-As who enhanced the souvenir center by changing its location to make it more accessible to customers and visitors. The center showcases work of arts by PDLs such as woodcarvings, sculpture and portraits to this very day.

The Catholic chapel inside the SPPF compound is a living gallery featuring religious icons and artifacts crafted by a certain prisoner of old only known by his surname “Cueso”. B. Cueso was one of the two inmates who impressively influenced and taught the young Jun Gulapa how to draw. He cannot recall now the name of his other former maestro but the man’s memory stays in his mind forever. Incidentally, Jun Gulapa also made a gigantic painting of crucified Christ inside the same chapel and now considered one of the main religious artworks in the place of worship together with the paintings of his former PDL mentor and other artists behind bars.

“Dado”, as he is called by his childhood friends and classmates (in fact, Governor Ed Gadiano was a high school batch mate), finished his Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Advertising at University of Santo Tomas and later worked as computer graphic designer at GMA-7 and later promoted to being associate art director. He told this lowly blogger that he was one of the creative minds behind the making of the famous Encantadia, a television drama fantasy series presented by GMA Network. He also proudly revealed in my interview with him that the title card the comedy sitcom Bubble Gang is using until now was his brainchild and polished by his arty hands. In addition, Jun also crafted Angel Locsin's forehead gear in her Darna outfit including many of the show's layouts and billboards.

Dado worked outside of the province for more than 30 years and within that long years, he missed painting, his childhood passion. He is a product of old school, so to speak, so he truly missed the actual stroking of his brush in the canvass or in any surface. Finally in 2005, he resigned and went back to his land of birth and decided to stay for good in their residence at Barangay Ligaya in southern portion of Sablayan. With his separation pay in his bank account, he started a small business here and continue his passion and accepts mural and wall-to-wall paintings for such form of art now trends in European countries.

The Office of Vice-Mayor Walter “Bong” B. Marquez is on its way of creating an audio visual presentation honoring the town’s artists in lieu of the celebration of 2021 National Arts Month as declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Under Presidential Proclamation No. 683, the Philippines recognizes its culture and art in different forms with the celebration of the annual National Arts Month every February. The AVP project on local artists of VM Bong symbolizes his commitment to honor his town’s homegrown artists and to provide opportunities for them to harness their creative energies in uplifting the people’s spirit, especially during this time of public health crisis anchored in this year’s theme “Alab-sining, Alay-sigla.”

I was tagged along by the members of OVM’s documentation team composed of Jasper Francisco, Erl Favilonia and Mark Marquez for a video shoot and to meet with Jun Gulapa last Tuesday, February 16 at 4-M Fontanilla Resort located in Barangay Tagumpay also of said municipality. He was there doing the large-scale murals and wall-to-wall paintings all over the newly-renovated resort owned by Ms. Maricel Fontanilla, a local entrepreneur. Watch out for the release of that audio visual presentation in the coming days. By the way peeps, the resort is a nice place for a family getaway. 

When asked how he defines “art”, the artist with high Roman nose says, “Art is infinite and it has no barrier.” He also added that in every artistic endeavor, the artist is reasserting his humanity, to remind himself and others that he is free and he exists.

Art, indeed, is the artist’s way of proclaiming, “I am still here and I am free!”

-------

(Photo: Jasper Francisco/Office of the Vice-Mayor Sablayan file)