CAR SEA Games aces, New Year baby and BAELCO share spotlight

LIGHTWEIGHT lady amateur boxing sensation Alice Kate Aparri, who won her third Southeast Asian Games gold medal in the recent edition held in Indonesia, heads the core of Baguio-Cordi awardees in the silver jubilee NCCB Kafagway Sports Achievers Award billed on Jan. 14 at the historic Malcolm Square.

Aparri won the coveted plum as “Athlete of the Decade (2002-2011). Last year, she also bagged the precious bronze medal in the 6th AIBA World Women’s Boxing championship held in Barbados. Wushu warrior Mark Eddiva and Greco-Roman wrestler Jayson Balabal, both gold medalists in the SEAG won as “Athletes of the Year 2011.” Wushu-sanshou internationalist Eduard Folayang, also a three-time SEAG gold medalist and a URCC titlist, will go up the leaders podium as a Hall of Famer.

Former city councilor and sports promoter Rufino Panagan will receive the prestigious Kafagway Sports Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his sustained leadership and notable services in the growth, propagation and development of boxing in the city and other parts of Northern Luzon for over 30 years. He is the owner-manager of the Raffy Panagan Sports Promotion. The most outstanding international athletes from wushu, athletics, judo, chess, swimming, golf and para games are in the honor roll as well. A select group of sports leaders including media sports personalities will also receive special citations. All athletes and local sports officials in Team Philippines to the recent SEA Games in Indonesia will also receive tokens of commendation. We are enjoining all sports lovers and enthusiasts to be with us at the Square come Jan. 14. Curtains go up at 9 am.

Our New Year baby girl is Chancey Banglag, a 3.0 kg bundle of joy. She was born at 12:35 am on the chilly morning of Jan. 1, 2012 at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center. It was a normal delivery according to Dr. Ofelia Nurfuar, attending physician. Chancey is the third child in the family, according to mom Criselda and father Arthur, a welder. The family lives at No. 70-0 San Luis Extension. Like in previous years, the lucky baby and her parents received presents from Silahis ng Pasko sa Baguio officials led by chairperson Betty Fangasan, couple Angel and Maria Villaralvo and yours truly as the executive coordinator of the yearly Christmas event. Gifts included baby clothes, biscuits, other food items, a cavan of rice and P3,000. Certainly, welcoming the newborn is another joyous moment for all of us including the OB charity ward medical and nursing staff. Good luck, Chancey, and God bless you always.

To begin with a great majority of senior citizens and residents in the city are in favor and are heavily supporting House Bill 5518 authored by Baguio Rep. Bernardo Vergara to have a separate city electric power cooperative from that of Beneco. Prof. Federico Balanag, chairman of the Baguio Electric Cooperative has this message to share to electric consumers.

“It is high time that a separate power cooperative for Baguio City is to now be established as being continuously advocated in response to the electric consumers’ clamor for better services at the lowest electric rates possible, electric cooperative duly accredited by the Cooperative Development Authority. The Baelco was established in 2007 and since it has continued to encourage electric consumers of Baguio City to join the entity to realize the dream of electric consumers of the city.

“We are therefore calling the attention of electric consumers of Baguio City to join hands in putting this dream of ours to have our very own cooperative. Likewise, rest assured that Beneco employees will be given a free hand to choose whether to serve Beneco or Baelco. Even more, Beneco board members from Baguio City are most welcome to serve Baelco. Once HB 5518 is passed by members of Congress and the Senate, a general assembly of all electric consumers in the city will be invited to the GA to be called for to elect members of the Baelco board. The rumors being spread around by oppositors of the establishment of a separate cooperative is entirely false. Perhaps the oppositors to this move is to frighten Beneco employees that they will be replaced once a separate power electric franchise for Baguio City will be passed. The granting of the legislative franchise to Baelco will surely be a giant step that would signal the birth of Baguio City owning its electric and power cooperative, a real and genuine electric and power cooperative duly registered with the CDA.”

Balanag said Baelco hopes and aims to provide the best service at the lowest rates possible which will not only give relief to our marginalized consumers but also to investors and businessmen.