Political news fails to dampen Masskara fever

Even the filing by a concerned Bacolod citizen of a case with the Ombudsman-Visayas and the announcement of businessmen Rodolfo Alvarez that he is vying for the lone Bacolod City congressional district seat failed to dampen the Masskara fever.

Local political leaders were also kept busy trying to answer questions. But the 27th Masskara reaches feverish level tonight with a big street party at the countdown to the Bacolod Charter Day celebration.

City officials led by Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Rep. Monico Puentevella and Vice Mayor Renecito Novero will lead the countdown 68 seconds to midnight. This will be followed by a fireworks display.

The site of the giant Mardi Gras will be the Bacolod Plaza. Masskara 2006 will bring together the country’s top bands. The downtown area will reverberate with live music.

But it will not just be the Bacolod Plaza. The Kamikaze Band will perform at the plaza’s stage, but the Greyhoundz will play at the stage on Araneta and Gonzaga streets, and The Spirits of 67 at City Hall. On the other hand, Bacolod’s Chakra and Iloilo’s Creche will be at the San Sebastian State. Cyclic Jam and Scout 102 will be at the Ballesteros stage, while Imo and Bobby Bertoldo will play on Araneta and Gonzaga streets.

San Miguel Corp. and TeleTech are the co-sponsors of the countdown.

But there will be many more presentations. Globe Telecom’s Intensity G at the plaza and later at the Masskara SM Village. The 68th Idol Tsuper will start at 6 p.m.

Ang Banwahanon Award

Actually, the Charter Day celebration will be highlighted today when Bacolod City presents the prestigious Ang Banwahanon Award to several citizens for their invaluable contributions to the community.

Rep. Mark Cojuangco of Pangasinan will be the guest of honor and guest speaker during the event. Today is also a special public holiday.

The Ang Banwahanon awardees are Alfredo Barcelona, Carlos Javellana, Dr. Ernesto Namin, Luz Sia, and Manuel Puentevella.

Antonio Meloto, Ramon Magsaysay awardee, will receive the Dungganon Bacolodnon Award. He is the Gawad Kalinga executive director.

Dr. Miguel Sarabia will receive the City Mayor’s Outstanding Community Service Award. Dr. Sarabia has been cited for his outreach work for the blind and for his Sight First Foundation’s efforts to help those threatened with the loss of their eyesight.

Taxpayers to get their recognition

Bacolod City has also institutionalized the recognition of the top taxpayers of the city in terms of realty taxes, in both corporate and individual categories.

The top realty taxpayers in the corporate category are Coca Cola Bottlers Philippines, San Miguel Corp., Robinson’s Land Corp., Bacolod Commercial and Industrial Park Corp., and SM Mega Holdings Inc.

In the individual category, the top taxpayers are Luis Ong, Stephanie Ong, Catherine Ong, Belina Ong, and Eusebio Choa.

The top business taxpayers for 2005 are Mega Lola Inc. (McDonald’s), NEOfood Corp. (Jollibee), GLP Foods (Jollibee), Marketing One Unlimited, Inc., and Coca Bottlers Philippines Inc.

The individual business taxpayers are Orley Ong (Pizza O Corner Restaurant), Wilson Chong (Bacolod Apollo Restaurant), Erwin Lim and Jose Ma. Cajili (Chicken House), and Rogelito Sy (Chinky’s Snack).

The city government also pays tribute to outstanding city government employees. The awardees are Leonilda Caloeites, Consolacion Espinosa, Ma. Teresa Galon, Elma Gerasmo, Salvacion Paredes, and Ritchell Villanueva.

Special citations

The city will also present special citations to individuals and groups which have contributed to the growth and development of Bacolod.

Among them are Rey Jolingan, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Jose Tanso, Andres Valencia, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando, businessman Henry Sy, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Spanish Embassy Juan Miguel Cortez, Spanish Ambassador Ignacio Sagaz, and Spanish Embassy consultant Vince Locsin.

The others include the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Negros Occidental (HRANO), former Miss International Aurora Pijuan, Roberto Magalona of GK, the heirs of Fernando and Angela Gonzaga, city tourism officer Imogene Kanaan, and Dr. Homer Sicangco.

More are included in the citations. They are the Bacolod Society of America, United Ilonggos Inc., Evangelistic International Ministries Inc., Kathreen Alcantara, Mae Vingno, Salvacion Sombilla, and the Bacolod City Press Corps.

The Charter Day program committee is headed by Councilor Dindo Ramos, while Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue chairs the special citation committee.

The Ang Banwahanon Award board of judges is composed of Daily STAR columnist Primo Esleyer, Carmen Benares, Ernesto Arbolario, Bro. Rolando Dizon, and Gregorio Vallejera.

The listing is mind-boggling. But then a city is not built up by just one or two individuals. Although only a few can be given due recognition at any given moment. And today, Bacolod pays tribute to some of them.

Silay raid aftermath

One of the most eye-catching stories here was the aftermath of the Sunday raid by the New People’s Army on the Silay airport. Yesterday, Senior Superintendent Rosendo Franco, Negros provincial police chief, announced the relief of Silay City’s Superintendent Celestino Guara and the appointment of Chief Inspector Calixto Mabugat, commander of the 62nd Provincial Mobile Group, as his replacement. Mabugat is also an assistant action officer of Task Force Ilahas.

Military and police authorities blamed intelligence lapses on the part of the local police and the 3rd Company of the 6th Regional Mobile Police Group for the Sunday raid that damaged an estimated P20 million to P30 million in facilities and equipment at the Silay airport of international standards.

Guara, it was reported, was the one who informed Senior Inspector Adrian Acollador about the raid, an hour after it had happened. What was surprising was that the RMG had a detachment just about two kilometers away from the airport site.

Meanwhile, another aftermath was the declaration of a state of calamity in six villages of Calatrava (Negros Occidental) town by Mayor Samuel Fabroz. The fighting between NPA members and government troops had triggered mass evacuations, Fabroz said. The villages are Malanog, Telim, Cruz, Malatas, Macasilao, and Lagaan.

About 2,000 evacuees transfer to urban areas at night. They return to their villages only during daytime to tend to their crops and farm animals.

The provincial government has also dispatched relief assistance to Calatrava to assist the local government unit.

Well, for the moment, the local situation is what has occupied my attention. But by the end of the week, I may report on the forthcoming Western Visayas Tourism Assembly in Iloilo City as outlined by Tourism Director Edwin Trompeta and Regional Development Council chairwoman Sally Zaldivar-Perez that is expected to draw crowds of visitors to Iloilo City. Ciao.