Hello, Toronto!
Biggest news on the last week of the month just passed (my birthmonth, incidentally, I am now 59) was the baranggay and kabataan elections of October 25.
On the morning after, as I woke up to write this column, I found it strange that the street where I reside was unusually quiet. When I left the computer to check, ay kaya pala- no classes in the public schools nearby (makapagpahinga naman ang mga teachers who worked on election day and malinis na rin ang schools na ginamit sa botohon.) Isa ding reason- ang mga kapitbahay kong kumandidato ay, maliban sa isa na si Paola (dating kabataang baranggay chairman and who I saw growing up as she is my kapitbahay and her parents and auntie are close friends), lost in their bid to take seats in the baranggay council. Kalungkot naman talaga- very different from the week before na josko, parang bagong taon ang ingay sa buong barangay- tinapalan ng mga tarpaulin na may mukha at pangalan ng mga kandidato ang maraming sasakyan at nagpasikut- sikot sa lahat ng lansangan, honking horns, may p a system pa sa ibabaw at talaga namang tuluy ang mga campaign jingles hanggang makulili ang tenga ng botante.
At eto pa, ha, as I came back to the computer, nadaanan ko ang tv na kanina pa nakabukas at tumambad sa aking paningin ang aking mga kapitbahay at kabaranggay na nagbububusa on tv (Umagang kay Ganda ng Ch2), protesting that the ballot boxes are being brought out to City Hall daw without finishing the counting of votes! This was in PBernardo Elementary School along PTuazon Blvd, about 5 minutes’ walk from my house. In that same show, ipinakita din the chaos that ensued in many voting places nationwide.
BUT, the verdict of authorities on the conduct of this democratic process was IT WAS GENERALLY PEACEFUL. Sabagay, they have the data. Compared to the 2007 elections daw, nagging napaka mapayapa nitong kadadaan pa lang na eleksyon. Konti lang ang napatay at namatay, promise!
Natapos naman na ang bilangan, of course mabilis kasi gasino na lang naman ang bilang ng population per baranggay. Ano ba at nadiscover sa ilang baranggay na may ilan- ilan ang nag TIE! Hosme naman- what a predicament!
WHAT TO DO?
Kasimple naman pala ang solusyon- raffle lang DAW, sabi ng Comelec, that august, constitutional body that takes charge of all election matters in the country.
Sugal ang huhusga.
A game of chance decides who the final winner is- in the fight for baranggay captain in Quezon City and SK slots in Victoria, Tarlac, and in Morong and Orani in Bataan.
Ayon kay Comelec Comm. Rene Sarmiento, ang paggamit nito daw ay legal at nakapaloob sa Section 240 ng Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines..
Very simple indeed. Pero sa akin lang ha, dun sa mga protagonists involved, para bang naiisip kong laking malas naman ng matalo sa pamamagitan lang ng raffle. Lalo na sa talagang karapatdapat maupo sa posisyon- yun bang hindi kurakot, mayabang, at tamad. Paano na lang if the person having the opposite of those qualities come out the winner in the toss of coins? Hmmmm- this needs looking into by no less than the legislators of this country.
Today, baranggay officials perform vital roles in running the country. Grassroots iyan, e. Tingnan nyo nga, nililigawan yan ng mga mayor, gobs, congressman at senador lalo na sa panahon ng eleksyon- ganyan sila kaimportante. I don’t think the losing candidate will take his loss through paripa lightly. Expect protests to follow.
Sa kaso ng dalawang nanalong baranggay captains sa San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City , isusulat ang ngalan ng dalawa sa strips of paper, ilalagay sa botelya, at mula doon, huhugot ng papel ang chairperson ng baranggay board of canvassers. This method of tie breaking is stipulated in Section 71 of Comelec Resolution 9030.Ibig sabihin, mandated. Di na kailangang ikonsulta kung kanino man if apprub sila sa method na ito. Hmm, heto ang isang pwedeng pagkaabalahan ng legislators na masisipag. Resolve the dispute through amore acceptable manner- yung walang sukat ikapoprotesta ng kahit sino.
Here in my baranggay, the incumbents, with my favorite, Maryknoll- educatedTessa Atentar as chair, won. My younger neighbor (at 21) Paula de Leon,former chair of Sangguniang Kabataan is now a kagawad, her first adult job. Not so lucky were neighbors Gigi Lustado, Jorge Buencamino and Mang Oscar.
Mga kababayan,marami ding mga baranggay ang (1, 732 sila) ang hindi nakapagboto on the exact election daw- karamihan sa kanila ay doon sa sinalanta ng supertyphoon na si Juan, reputed to be the fiercest that hit the country so far this year. The following days na sila nakaboto.
Supertyphoon ‘Juan’ na noong una ay akala ng marami- including me, ay walang gaanong sinalanta brought chaos on crops, infra and lives especially in Northern Luzon.
Php 1B and more daw ang damage. 20 ang namatay. Walang kuryente sa maraming bahagi ng Cagayan at Isabela at malamang daw ay mga 1 hanggang 2 buwan pa maibabalik ito. Ang dahilan- nagbagsakan ang mga post eng kuryente at kinakailangan muling itayo ang mga itayo bago maikabit ang kuryente.
So, kaming mga kampante dito sa MetroManila, na ang reklamo lang ay ang pagtaas ng presyo ng gulay at iba pang bilihin dahil sa bagyo ay nanlumo nang madinig naming ang mga unang ulat sa pagragasa ng bagyo- libu libong mga kababayan natin lalo na sa Cagayan at Isabela ay dumanas ng di maipintang dusa gawa ni ‘Juan’.
Mabilis na mabilis naman ang ginagawang pagkilos para mapabalik sa normal o kahit na near normal ang buhay sa mga lugar sa Northern Luzon.
I do not doubt that soon, these places will get back on their feet. Ganyan ang Pinoy- medaling umahon gamit ang lakas ng loob. Sa dami na rin siguro n gating mga napagdaanang hirap, this will be just another challenge. We are just thankful; that at least government seems to be more responsive. Para talagang ‘hindi nag- iisa’ ang nagdaraan sa pagsubok.
Till next time! I would just like to greet newfound friends who I have had the pleasure of meeting as I embark on my search for my happy retirement place- in Tagaytay. Catalino ‘Jamil’ Alcazares and wife, owners of Maharlika Real Estate Brokerage who patiently go along with me in my search even if the place is not one they are offering. Extra- nice, super honest people- Jamil is an accountant and a Muslim convert but he hails from Batangas.
Thank you so much, Toronto!
