Greetings to my eldest daughter, Dr. Frances Angelique “Fara” A. Tequillo, on the occasion of her 34th birthday today. Just two days ago, it was also the birthday of my youngest granddaughter, Fara’s youngest, Baby Jenna, who is now two years old. My children, Fara and husband Atty. Jennoh Tequillo, my second daughter Katrina and my son JV and my grandchildren Mico, Keena and Baby Jenna are the whole world to me and my wife Jessica. At this stage, our lives would be totally meaningless without them.
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Every now and then I always post the letters of my readers in order to give their thoughts space in this column for I humbly admit that without our faithful readers, we are worth nothing as columnists. So allow me to print a couple on the issue of the Spratlys and the Laguna Lake anomaly.
“Kuya Bobit, Good day and blessings to you and your family. Praying that all’s well with you. (I’m) a Filipino raised by my father, Ildefonso de la Cruz Falmos, with his good values and training from his military service background, (together) with uncles, relatives, friends (and) classmates who have rendered military service for the good of the country.
“I’m saddened by the events that we are facing with our good neighbor China. As a simple grade school kid would tell anyone… looking at the world map, China is far away from the said isles and Spratlys that we are telling the world ‘katabi natin po’ as we have “declared ours” sa United Nations.
“We are so sad that our government people in this administration don’t have the balls to tell those ‘bullying Chinese’ to f__k off! We have been so many times not heard or listened to and believe that it is ours! Look what happened to Borneo, pinabayaan na ng gobierno… just like that! During the 60s, I used to see our uncle Gerry fly those Sabre jets (he was a former member of that famous Blue Diamonds) and other planes that broom and zoom in our airspace (yes, donated and sold by the USAF). Yes, we also saw those naval ships there in the Cavite naval shipyard in Sangley, fastcraft, Marine amphibians (asan na kaya sila?), including those Simbas, trucks and other weaponry.
“But we also need soldiers! I stand with you that we do need again to revive our military for the youth. Hoping and praying that we could all find a solution to these regards. I would also like to invite you to visit our website Bagong Bayani@groups.facebook.com to know the other sentiments of the Filipino people with regards to these ‘incursions’ in our land. By the way I’ve written to you before. FEU-CAT (PMT) Cross Rifle Fraternity/Cross Sword is always at your service! Cheers and God bless, Bro. Jesus Audello Pollante Falmos.”
Here’s another letter on the Laguna Lake fishkill issue and anomalies:
“Hi, Mr. Avila. It is true that influential people operate large fish pens in Laguna Lake. A little sleuthing at the Pritil in Binangonan, the fishport in Cardona and the Calamba and Alabang side will be enough to gather tons of information about irregularities in the lake. A former top official of the country, a former senator and a celebrity couple used to operate hundreds of hectares of fish pens there but quit due to abuses committed by their guards who were active military servicemen.
“A number of small fishermen who fished outside the fish pens were gunned down by these guards and from then on, the operators were not able to harvest fish anymore. The families of the victims probably would cut the nets at night and drive the fish out of the pens. Plus, thieves who they called ‘seamen’ would also strike at the abusive operators. I should know because I operated a one-hectare fish pen in Binangonan for four years until it was destroyed by typhoon ‘Milenyo’ in 2006.
“I tried to register another hectare in the name of my unmarried son, but the LLDA did not allow me because, according to them, there was a one-hectare, one-family policy. When I protested that others in the area were maintaining 20 to 500 hectares, the lady at the table shot back, ‘Mind your own business!’
“These fish pens pollute the lake no end. Rotten nets, bamboo and anahaw posts are just left under the water plus the rocks that serve as weights to the nets, and the garbage of the caretakers like plastic, tin cans and empty sacks are also thrown into the water. It is a pity that residents around the lake do not own fish pens of their own; they only serve as caretakers.
“Foreign and rich investors from far places are the ones lording it over in the lake, plus, of course, the powerful people of Rizal and Laguna. The Bureau of Fisheries (and Aquatic Resources) should have organized these small people into a cooperative and provide them with capital so that they will reap the benefits from the area. But nobody cares for them. Very sincerely, Mr. Ronnie Ambe, e-mail address gvaroni@yahoo.com”
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For e-mail responses to this article, write to mailto:vsbobita@mozcom.comor mailto:vsbobita@gmail.com. Avila’s columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.