I AM a Filipino and I stand by the national interests of the Philippines. I’m a Negrense. When it comes to the provincial affairs, Negros First, as Gov. Alfredo Marañon’s platform puts it.
The partisan political season is starting to boil. As early as last year, the point person of Davao mayor’s Rodrigo Duterte tried to recruit several of the court-annexed mediators to join of the mayor’s presidential campaign.
I declined. Mayor Duterte has so many ghosts in his closet on human rights concerns. It doesn’t help that he even brags about breaking the bones of teens, or of his intent to make Manila Bay a floating funeral parlor.
Now comes another presidential wannabe. No less than Gov. Marañon introduced Judy Araneta-Roxas as the mother of the next president of the Philippines. “We belong to different political parties but we have only one purpose to put an Ilonggo, a Negrosanon, in Malacañang,” Marañón said.
Ms. Araneta-Roxas, a Bagoeña, recently said in a speech, “perhaps, all of us want one of us in Malacañang, it would be good to elect someone who shares the Negrense dream and vision for the future of Negros. So let us not have any more doubts, let us help Mar so he can help Negros.”
Well, fine. Except that the Negrense Manuel “Mar” Roxas II is also a Capizeño, son of the late Gerardo Roxas from the province of Capiz. Will he be torn between two lovers?
Of course, I’m confused with the motherhood statement. But then, what are mothers for? What exactly is Ms. Araneta-Roxas’s “Negrense dream and vision for the future of Negros?”
One island, one region? Capizeño-Negrense Mar Roxas endorsed the one island, one region to Tarlaqueño President Benigno Simeon Aquino III who assured Negrenses that he’s supporting the proposed Negros Island Region.
It’s all over except the shouting. Aquino expects the two Negrense governors to “present a draft of the proposed implementing rules and regulations, which will be incorporated in the executive order to make this a reality.”
Other supporters of the Negros one-island region include senators Ilonggo Franklin Drilon, Cebuano Sergio Osmeña III, and Taguigeño Alan Peter Cayetano.
How about support for the Negros organic food bowl program? The two Negrense governors Joseph Marañon and George Arnaiz signed a Memorandum of Agreement to make Negros the organic food bowl of Asia.
These Negrense initiatives received an added boost when Congressman Proceso Alcala of the 2nd District of Quezon Province authored Organic Agricultural Act of 2010 (RA 10068).
When Alcala became Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, he designated Pangasinense Bernadette Romulo-Puyat to head the DA’s special concerns that focused on the promotion of organic agriculture, nationwide. Berna admitted many times that Negros Occidental’s organic industry holds a special place in her heart.
We are now halfway through the year 2015. No Negrense is worrying about Armageddon in the aftermath of Asean Free Trade Agreement as a threat to the Philippine sugar industry or for the Negrense local economy. The province is not going to collapse.
For that, we can thank our provincial – and national – political leaders. No, it will not take a Negrense to help us realize our dreams and vision for a better Negros Occidental. It will take all of us, the cooperation of all Filipinos, to help us hurdle any difficulties.
(bqsanc@yahoo.com)