Cubao of our dreams

It is just as well that the Senate now throws out into the garbage can the charges raised against First Gentleman Mike Arroyo in connection with an alleged telecom scam. As Senator Joker Arroyo said, the Senate committee hearings have produced virtually nothing insofar as evidence against the First Gentleman is concerned. All that have emerged out of the televised hearings are tons of saliva, consisting of conjectures, rumors, gossips and uncorroborated utterances.

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It is hard to imagine how the Senate allowed itself to become a venue for rumor-mongering and prevarications – apparently all because of political goals. Yes, why did the senators allow the Senate, once a highly respected institution, to be smeared and stained by characters with dubious reputations? As a result of the Senate’s ill-advised foray into the world of speculations, grandstanding and rumors, so much time of what could have been productive legislative work was lost. And of course, lost, too, was taxpayers’ money that could have been used in a much better fashion.

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Many concerned Filipinos are wondering whether there is still time for the Senate, during the current session, to regain its lost luster. For the senators, doing so is going to require burning the midnight oil, working double time, to produce the legislative measures that can ease the people’s woes and push the country forward. For the time being, no grandstanding and no extremely partisan political squabbles. That is the senators’ way of resurrecting their and the Senate’s soiled image.

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Many years ago, I spent much time in Cubao, in the heart of Quezon City. It was there where my public elementary school was – the Cubao Elementary School – right across where Act Theater stands today. And at that time, the place where Araneta Coliseum and the stores and shopping establishments stand was a sprawling vacant lot where youngsters played baseball and other games. Yes, Cubao then looked like a backward place, dotted with sari-sari stores, without one respectable theater where one could watch a movie.

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It took several years before Cubao gained some luster. The construction of Araneta Coliseum, the world’s biggest domed arena, helped spur Cubao’s progress. Soon, there sprouted bigger and better shops, some cocktail lounges, and places of leisure and business that connote progress. As a youngster, I remember frequenting a bar, whose name I cannot now recall, which was put up by Bert Nievera, the father of Martin. I can no longer remember how many hours my friends and I spent at that cocktail lounge, listening to the songs of Bert Nievera and his featured guests.

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The hectic pace of progress eventually turned Cubao into one big nightmare for urban developers. There seemed no way to put rhyme or reason into the mad rush to put up theaters, shops, restaurants, and all kinds of businesses in the Cubao area. Sidewalks were crammed with people, and the deluge of jeepneys, buses and vehicles resulted in a bedlam that the authorities no longer control. And then, criminal elements began to invade the area.

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Right now, Cubao is so far different from the shopping and leisure centers that have gone up all over Metro Manila. How can one say that today’s Cubao can compare in class and quality to places like the Ayala Alabang Commercial Center, the Makati Greenbelt Area, the Ortigas Center, the Greenhills Shopping Center, Eastwood City, or the Fort Bonifacio Global City? Apparently, Cubao has been left behind by competitors that have kept pace with modern times.

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Now, is there a way to resurrect the Cubao of many people’s dreams? Yes, if there is political will to implement the programs and projects initiated by Quezon City Mayor Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte to enhance the image of Cubao as a place for people from all walks of life to converge in. Hopefully, Mayor Belmonte’s projects can lure back the upper middle class and the upper class to revisit Cubao of their dreams.

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Recently, Mayor Belmonte launched a clean-up drive for Cubao. The program aims to transform Cubao and its surrounding areas into a central business district similar to Makati. Even now, pleasant changes are taking place in the streets of Cubao, like the removal of illegal vendors from the sidewalks and a stoppage to the rampant throwing of garbage in Cubao.

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Vendors hawking food such as isaw (innards) and adidas (chicken feet) and drinks like sago and buko juice, have always been the root of management problems for city government authorities. It is these vendors who produce the litter and garbage and other refuse that clog open drains and manholes and cause floods. The litter and garbage, too, adversely affect traffic, hamper the passage of pedestrians, and create an environment conducive to petty crimes. This is particularly evident in the intersection of EDSA and Aurora Boulevard, very high traffic areas with a large concentration of vendors.

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Aside from sidewalks being cleared of illegal vendors and obstructions, Cubao’s pedestrian lanes and traffic lanes have also been repainted, together with the improvement of street lighting. Other campaigns to beautify Cubao’s image are being initiated by Mayor Belmonte, with the cooperation and participation of the private sector. Of course, other government agencies like Metro Manila Development Authority are also participating in the joint effort to resurrect Cubao’s image and turn it into a "Metro Centro."

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Dr. Elsie Dimaano, M.D., who is now on her third year as a fellow at the radiation department of St. Luke’s Medical Center, and obviously one of the most dedicated physicians to her work as radiation oncologist, passed on to me an item which could help bring some sunshine into the STAR readers’ Sunday. And what did Dra. Elsie, who keeps tab of day-to-day happenings through the Internet, not only in her field of specialization but also in other fields of human endeavor, pass on to me, also through the Internet, a list of Filipinos who changed their names when they became naturalized U.S. citizens.

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The following is a listing of how some Filipinos "Americanized" their names:

• Gregorio Talahib – GEORGE BUSH

• Tomas Cruz – TOM CRUISE

• Macario Maldonado – MAC DONALD

• Victoria Malihim – VICTORIA SECRET

• Bienvenido Jurado – BEN HUR

• Juanito Lakarin – JOHNNY WALKER

• Federico Hagibis – FEDERAL EXPRESS

• Esteban Magtaka – STEVIE WONDER

• Jaime Bondoc – JAMES BOND

• Leon Mangubat – TIGER WOODS

• Eleuterio Ignacio – ELECTRONIC IGNITION

• Burgus Bahag-hari – BURGER KING

• Kasimiro Bukaykay – CASHMERE BOUQUET

• Maria Calas – MARY KAY

• Rogelio Dagdagan – ROGER MOORE

• Topacio Mamaril – TOP GUN

• Restituto Pruto – TUTTI FRUTTI

• Samuel Tampipi – SAM SONITE

• Veneracion De Asis – VENERAL DISEASE

• Alfonso De Asis – ALZHEIMER DISEASE

• Francisco Portero – FRANK FURTER

• Diosdado Durante – DEO DORANT

• Roberto Controlado – BIRTH CONTROL

• Marcelo Controlado – MUSCLE CONTROL

• Carpio Llanes – CARPOOL LANES

• Julia Domingo – HOLY SUNDAY

• Maria Pascua – MERRY CHRISTMAS

• Ligaya Almundo – JOY T. WORLD

• Ligaya Añonuevo – HAPPY NEW YEAR

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Thoughts For Today:

Life is an echo;

what we send out, we get back.

What we give, we receive.

When we seek to discover the best in others,

we somehow bring the best in ourselves.

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Every morning, God blows you kisses

of love, peace, kindness and understanding,

not only for you to have, but also for you to give away.

Have a peaceful morning!

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My e-mail addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]