A Presidential/Federal system is better!

We received a lot of good feedback for our article entitled "One Voice" last Monday. One text message I got was inquiring whether we should shift to a Parliamentary-Federal or Presidential-Federal system. For me, the simplest move is to keep the Presidential system, which we’ve been stuck in first gear in the last 68-years and shift to second gear to a Federal System to give autonomy to the planned Supra or Mega Regions. That should do the trick. As for the Senate, let’s elect the senators via regions or states and believe me, we will be the only country to fully follow the greatest nation today, the USA!

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Over the weekend, a clump of mail was placed on my desk and it turned out to be letters sent to me through The Star office, but perhaps it took some time to be sent to my office. It’s only now that I could respond to these letters. There were also two Christmas cards in the pile — one from Sen. Serge Osmeña III and another from someone I haven’t even met, former Rep. Mark Jimenez. But thanks just the same.

Let me start with the handwritten letter of Mr. Montano G. Ramos of Scout Limbaga St. Pasonanca, Zamboanga City. Here’s his letter in full:

Dear Mr. Avila: I am an avid reader of your column, and I happen to write you just to inform you where Marcos was during the Battle of Bessang Pass. I am a Bataan veteran and with Marcos under Gen. Mateo Capinpin’s 21st Division in Bataan. After the war, I became a building contractor in Baguio City, and became a good friend of Major Bado Dangwa, owner of Dangwa Transportation Company which was transporting my building materials from Manila to Baguio. Major Dangwa (who became Governor also of Benguet) was one of the real heroes of the Battle of Bessang Pass, and he was flabbergasted when Marcos was proclaimed as the hero of the Battle of Bessang Pass as according to him, Marcos was not even there in that battle, but somewhere in Isabela. Those medals of Marcos (except one) were really fake as he got them through affidavits from his officer friends only. Sincerely, Montano G. Ramos (signed).

Mr. Montano’s letter was in reaction to a column we wrote last Aug. 1, 2005 entitled "Remembering the fake medals of FM" that we wrote in reaction to the news that President Arroyo was "open" to the idea of allowing Marcos a hero’s burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Yes, we mentioned the story of the fake medals because we really had fun hearing these stories coming from our favorite columnist then, Max Soliven, who wrote about them in Mr. & Ms. magazine. In fact, we have our own version of this story just across the sea into Bohol, where people there swore that Marcos hid in Tubigon during the war. Unfortunately, it took a year to print the reaction of Mr. Montano because it’s only now that we received his letter. Sorry for this delay, sir.

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The other delayed letter was written by Sanny Boy O. Oropel of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), reacting to our article last April 26. Here’s the letter in full:

"Sir: This is in connection with your news item published in The STAR dated April 26, 2006 under the column Inside Cebu entitled, "Strong Republic, Terrible Highway"... and we quote, "From Cebu City we passed through the Transcentral Highway cutting across the island of Cebu to Toledo City where we took Lite Shipping’s M/V Danilo, a roll-on, roll-off ferry for an hour and a half crossing through the Tañon Strait of San Carlos City. From San Carlos City, we took the new short cut across Negros Island, via the town of Salvador Benedicto, which is about 80 kilometers to Bacolod City via a very scenic route.

This is Negros Occidental’s equivalent of Cebu’s Transcentral highway where the view of Mt. Canla-on is stunning, complete with a mini version of Bohol’s chocolate hills and the Banaue Terraces rolled into one trip. You can see the spectacular Malatan-og Falls in the middle of a rain forest, which his now become Negros’ must-see tourist destination. Two years ago, I passed this way and they already had a couple of irritation one-kilometer unpaved roads."

Hereunder is our reply to your observations and comments. Bacolod-Murcia-Don Salvador Benedicto-San Carlos Road is an 87 & 36/100 (87-36) kilometer road, which form part of the Strong Nautical Highway envisioned by no less than her Excellency Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of which 83.567 kms are paved with a remaining 3.793 kms. length of gravel road.

The concreting project was started as early as CY 1999 during the term of former District Eng. Rogelio Q. Tongson, the implementation of which was through tranches based on the release of yearly Regular Infrastructure Program. The total length of the road to be concreted was program yearly until its completion for Calendar Year 2005. The amount program starting Calendar Year 2003 until its completion to Calendar Year 2005 were not released. This is the primary reason why the remaining 3.793 gravel road was not completed up to this date.

Although the remaining 3.793 kilometers is a gravel road, but maintenance for this road was regularly done and in good condition, as evidence by the evaluation conducted by the Bureau of Maintenance, DPWH, Manila last December 2005 (copy hereto attached). Please be informed that this Office is in cognizant with the directive of the Secretary of DPWH that all national roads are pothole-free.

Along this section, a viewing deck overlooking Malatan-og Falls was constructed by this office as rest area complete with shower and comfort room for male and female commuters. It is in line with DPWH vision to provide commuters passing this road section with comfort and convenience. This Office would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation for your vigilance on your observations as this will encourage us public servants the motivation to work harder and provide the citizenry with better access roads that will lead them to their respective destinations with ease and comfort. Very truly Yours. Sanny Boy O. Oropel… OIC District Engineer."

Again, I apologize to Eng. Oropel for the delay in the printing his letter, which unfortunately took time to reach my office. But nonetheless, when I saw these letters, I made sure that they are printed in this corner immediately. As for that three-kilometer gravel road, I just hope that Engr. Oropel would finally find the funds to complete this scenic road.

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For email responses to this article, write to [email protected]. Bobit Avila’s columns in the Freeman can also be accessed through The STAR website. He also hosts a weekly talkshow entitled "Straight from the Sky" shown every Monday only in Metro Cebu on Channel 15 of SkyCable at 8 p.m.