Saturday, February 24, 2007
Dossier: Beyond Nyor Inting Rama
By Fr. roderick Salazar, SVD
(The following are excerpts of speech delivered at the 3rd Don Vicente Rama Memorial Lecture on Feb. 23, 2005 during the 68th Cebu City Charter Day celebration)
Don Vicente Rama, or Nyor Inting was a multi-talented man, a diamond of a man we might even say, and we take turns looking today at one facet, tomorrow at another, and I have no doubt that different people at different times will find different aspects of the man worth noting and proclaiming.
But until when do we do this? Until when can we?
…Today, instead of looking at only one or the other aspect of the life of Don Vicente Rama –--this is after all a memorial of him--–I choose to look at him and then ask ourselves and our city as we are now, examine ourselves in the light of what we know of him whom we call Father of our City Charter.
Sugbuak
…Take the plans to make many provinces of Cebu. This would not seem to directly affect Cebu as City. But since we are a small island, what happens to the province or provinces of the island would surely affect our city. So, our future is also at stake when our congressmen propose to subdivide our province.
Would Vicente Rama have proposed the same if he were alive today? Would he have agreed to such proposals? There is, of course, no statement that I know which would address this situation. Still, there are enough indications that if he were alive today, he would have said his piece on this proposal.
Some of what he has written should be a good guide on how he may have acted. When Vicente Rama was appointed Mayor of Cebu, this is what he said (and I quote him at length):
Speech
“Sa pagdawat ko sa katundanan nga gitanyag ni Presidente Quezon, misantop sa akong kaisipan nga kadtong tanyag kanako maoy usa ka pagsuta sa akong kasingkasing kun ako may pag-bagti ba alang sa siyudad nga akong natawhan ug kun ako may pagtamod ba sa labawng pamuno sa kagamhanan nga mihangyo kanako. Aron walay mahigawad, gitagad ko ang maong hangyo.
“Tugoti ako sa pagpasidaan kaninyo nga, samtang ako mangamuyo ug mangaliya sa panabang ninyong tanan ning bag-ong kaakohan lungsudnon, ang akong pamunoan ug pagdala ning siyudad ipasubay ko sa pamaagi aron molampus nga usa ka pamonoan matarung, makiangayon, malinis ug maapingon sa sapi sa lungsod.
“Paninguhaon ko ang pagtuman sa kalasag sa pamuno nga Magkapin ang pamunoan, kunhuran ang politika. Busa karon ipahibalo ko kaninyo nga ako alkalde sa tanang molupyo ning siyudad ug dili alkalde alang lamang sa usa ka pundok sa politika.
“Atimanon ug tagdon ko ang tanan sa walay pagtagad sa ilang tinuhoan kun bulok sa politika. Ang mga kabus ug mga walay gisaligan nga modangop kanako ug mangayog pakitabang sa ilang mga kalisdanan makadawat sa akong mga pagtagad.”
Inspiration
…As I earlier said, even though the proposed congressional bills do not directly affect Cebu City, the city itself cannot be spared the consequences good or bad. It would be good, then, if our congressmen, in pondering over their bills reflect not only on what the will of God is and the will of the people, but also what might have been the thoughts of one Vicente Rama, Father of the Cebu City Charter.
…True, it is now 68 years since our city was inaugurated. But the words of the Father of our Charter still ring true. They can surely serve as our inspiration.
Perfect he surely was not. But who is? Ingon ani siya kaniadto, unsa na man ta karon?
…Nyor Inting Rama, Father of our Charter can be our guide in our public life.
He is not alone, of course. There are other models in Cebu history who can truly inspire us. But today, tomorrow, let us look to Nyor Inting, and see beyond him. To the city we must continue to build, the people we must continue to form.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 24, 2007 issue)
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