RDC and Negros Museum Foundation pay tribute to the late Gov. Maranon

A month after his demise, the Negros Cultural Council and the Regional Historical and Cultural Council paid tribute to the late Gov. Joseph Maranon. The award, dubbed as Pagdayaw, was presented formally to Mrs. Aida Maranon, the late governor’s widow at the provincial capitol social hall in the presence of three governors of Panay.

Another formal presentation will be given by the Regional Development Council on Friday, August 18, during its formal meeting in Iloilo City, announced Antique Gov. Sally Zaldivar Perez, RDC chair.

There were a lot of misty-eyes when the various governors of Panay paid tribute to Maranon’s leadership which Gov. Rahman Nava of Guimaras described as “brilliant” as against just the common term “good.”

Mrs. Lyn Gamboa, chair of the Negros foundation and head of the Negros Museum paid tribute to Maranon’s unstinting support for the arts and culture with his obsessive focus on completing the museum.

It now serves as his legacy to Negrenses,” commented Mrs. Gamboa. She noted the increasing number of local visiting the museum and learning from it the culture and rich traditions of Negros as well as the artistic works of local artists.

Gov. Perez recounted the many times Maranon had supported her, especially in her candidacy to the executive board of the League of Governors and the Regional Development Council.

She said even when he was supported by the members of the National People’s Coalition, Maranon gave way to her because of her experience and connections in the national government.

But she pointed out how the governor was outspoken in many issue when he asked the RDC sponsor resolutions for local government officials. She recounted how the late governor has pressed on her to issue a statement in defense of Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas when the latter’s provincial capitol was assaulted by the police who wanted to execute an Ombudsman order for Tupas to vacate his position.

Gov. Tupas, who is related to Maranon, stressed that he had a high regard for the Negros provincial executive whom he called a great man.

Mrs. Aida Maranon, admitted that she who touched by the gesture of remembrance from the RDC and the other officials who attended the Pagdayaw rites at renovated capitol.

What made it doubly significant was that Aida had lost her brother, the late Manolo Lopez, only last week to cardiac arrest.

Congressman Ferdie Maranon was also presented during the ceremonies. So were the Maranon family and mayors of component cities of the province.

Gov. Isidro Zayco, pledged to continue his support for the programs and projects of the late governor. This after Gov. Perez challenged the governor to run for the top post so he could pursue Maranon’s dreams and visions for the province.

That challenge by Gov. Perez was anchored on the fact that Gov. Zayco had earlier intimated that he may retire from the gubernatorial race and opt to run for City Mayor of Kaban­kalan City.

Next week, the second chapter of honoring the late Gov. Maranon. This time with all the governors of Panay and the Western Visayas when the RDC meets again.

Sugar industry offers to help workers

Sugar Planters associations yesterday offered the National Food Authority through the Sugar Regulatory Administration to serve as conduits for the distribution of low-cost NFA rice to their sugar workers.

These grains will be distributed at no cost or extra charges to their workers.

SRA Administrator Rafael Coscolluela said this request will be discussed tomorrow during a meeting in Malacañang with agricultural officials, NFA, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and SRA, Coscolluela disclosed.

Actually, this is about the most efficient institutionalized approach to rice distribution. The sugar farmers have their own resources to store rice and they have their payrolls that could testify to the number of workers who will need rice rationed to them.

This had been tried in the past, and no reason why this could not be done again. In the first place, that relieves the workers the need to go to barangay centers for their rice rations when the situation reaches that worst case scenario.

Of course there may be some unscrupulous sugar farmers. But that is easily checked. And NFA does not need to send their mobile stores to the haciendas to distribute the rice. The farmers, themselves, can take care of the payments by their workers of the rice.

The bulk of rural workers in Negros Occidental are in sugar farms. And the only problem are the migrant workers, the so-called sacadas. But that is a minor problem. Their payments can worked through checkoff if the government wishes to include them in the term of sugar workers.

The big problem will be the agrarian reform beneficiaries. With most of these ARB’s having leased or sold out their lands, the questions now rises how to identify them. But, I am sure, the government can map out how best to address to that.

Frankly, the offer by the sugar industry, especially Confed, is something that relieves the NFA with a lot of bureaucratic burdens in the handling of rice distribution. And this offer by the industry comes at a time when it confronts the crisis of 2010 when, if the sugar is not elevated to the status of highly sensitive list in the AFTA (Asean Free Trade Agreement), the tariff on sugar will go down to five percent to zero.

Despite that threat to the sugar industry, the sugar farmers still offer their help to government to service their workers.

That deserves praises from the general public.