Why the Koreans are here

IT is too early for mud-throwing. Both Mayor Ed Pamintuan and Congressman Carmelo Lazatin's camps should hold their punches. There will be time for crossing mitts.

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I can predict that San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez will reclaim his congressional district. I can sense that his “inaanak”, incumbent Congressman Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales is readying for his biggest political battle.

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Comebacking Rey Aquino must double his efforts to match the political strength of the popular Vice Mayor Edwin Santiago. Aquino was third termer mayor, then congressman and was President-CEO of PhilHealth during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's time. He is a political force to be reckoned with. However, Santiago is quite popular to the masses. His political bases are the northern barangays of the City of San Fernando. Who among the two will get Governor Nanay Baby's support? That will count.

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Another first in Pampanga politics is the team-up of Bacolor Mayor Jomar Hizon and his mother Lolita Hizon. The mother, l heard, was deeply hurt when Vice Mayor Jun Canlas, who was expected to run in tandem with Mayor Jomar, switched allegiance to comebacking Buddy Dungca.
And since other vice mayorables, the likes of Diman Datu and Steeke Blanco, begged off Hizon's invitation, mom Lolita decided to run in tandem with son.  
“Ninu pang magmalasakit keng anak nung aliwa ing inda,” said Madame Lolita, the person behind the enormous success of Pampanga's Best.

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It is worth repeating our call to the Department of Public Works and Highways to overlay with asphalt the FVR megadike road. An accident is waiting to happen there. As a warning to motorists: avoid driving there during nighttime, more so when it is raining.

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The Friendship Road in Angeles City is poorly lighted. From the Clark Freeport middle gate up to the bridge, has become a Korean town, what with all those Korean restaurants. New hotels were also constructed there, also owned by Koreans. From the bridge up to the Enclave Subdivision of Delfin Lee, there are now restaurants lined up there. They draw not much customers because the area is too dark at night. Can city hall do something?

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If the peripherals of Fields Avenue are now a beehive of activities, it is because the avenue is now closed to traffic. Besides, there are several restaurants and hotels there run by Americans, Swiss, British or Filipinos. It is international in flavor. Fields Avenue is no longer the place it used to be -- frequented by the American GIs -- where honky-tonk joints lined up the road. It is a must for tourists to visit, particularly during evening. President Pnoy was a regular visitor there when he was a senator, and visited it once during his term as President.

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A destination al fresco restaurant is the Island Grill inside the Clark Freeport. It is frequented by the perfumed set, hunks and pretty girls. The food is terrific and reasonably priced. And if you are for authentic Chinese cooking with chefs Imported from Hong Kong, preparing mouth-watering dishes, the Golden Pavillion in Fontana is your destination.

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I miss those days when the late Lulu Lolarga was head of the regional tourism office here. And this was during the time when the late Sunshine Joe Aspiras was Tourism Minister. Lulu was so aggressive in promoting places and events. Very pro active, in short.

With so many places for the people of the northern part of the country and those from the Visayas and Mindanao to visit in Pampanga, Angeles City and Clark Freeport, there should have been an influx of tourists, local and foreign alike.

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Nobody can take credit for the migration of the Koreans in the country. They are coming here because they fear that a possible aggression of North Korea to the south may happen. They just don't want to get flat-footed, just like what happened in South Vietnam when it was overrun by the north. Many rich South Vietnamese became taxi drivers and waiters in the United States, because they failed to make investments overseas.