BY THE time this newspaper will hit the streets, many of the candidates in the provinces, cities and towns are already known. I wrote this piece Monday morning before I went to my poll precinct in Barangay Sto. Domingo in Angeles City. In short, I still have to know who made it and who didn’t. Of course today, Tuesday, we will know who is celebrating and who is sulking. Life is like that. There are winners and there are losers. But remember, it’s not the end of the road for those who weren’t lucky enough.
First time I entered politics and successful was in 1988. I placed fourth among the council bets. And then in 1995, I topped the council race. Again elected in 2013 and lost a re-election bid in 2016. In 1998, I slugged it out with the late Congressman Tarzan Lazatin in a mayoral race. I tasted a bitter defeat. Time flew so swiftly. I was out of politics after my defeat. Move on. Later in your journey, the wound will heal and you will discover that there are other ways to be relevant. There’s always life after politics.
I got back to public service when I got appointed director of Clark Development Corporation and Clark International Corporation by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in January 2001. And all these years, I never ceased to be part of mainstream media. I kept writing and co-hosting public service programs on radio and television. Thank God I have now a large following in several regions on my TV talk show Trending Max on cable Ch.3. It already entered the 6th season.
On another topic. I hope some winners in the Angeles Council race will consider this. There is a need to rename streets in Angeles City. During my incumbency as a council member, I filed a resolution to rename some streets like Sto. Entierro to Pantaleon De Miranda Street, and Sto. Rosario Street to Rosalia De Jesus Street, founders of Angeles City. Someone so influential blocked it. Sorry I can’t disclose who.
I proposed that Rizal Extension Street, which starts from the boundary of Barangay San Nicolas going to Barangay Sto. Rosario and leads up to the boundaries of Angeles City and Porac can be renamed Juanita L. Nepomuceno Street. This is to honor Mrs. Nepomuceno, the principal sponsor in the passage of Republic Act 3700, or the “Charter of the City of Angeles.”
Of course, there will be researches that will be made before the passage of a sponsored resolution. Invite historians, academicians and whoever is interested in this issue of renaming the Angeles streets. As part of the resolution, you can task every barangay and private subdivisions for the upkeep of the street signs. By the way, there are several streets in the city, and in many subdivisions, without any streets signs. And no wonder you have to ask a trike driver in the neighborhood if you are looking for someone.
Give credit where credit is due. The city should have long-time honored Juanita Lumanlan Nepomuceno by way of naming a major road or a public building in her name. Nepomuceno was a bar topnotcher. She was an outstanding member of the House of Representatives in the early 60s. She also served as assemblywoman and governor of Pampanga. She was called the “mother” of agrarian reform, because she principally authored the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Act.