Former governor Marañon hovers over Negros politics

There’s no doubt that despite the fact that he died a year ago, the shadow of former Negros Occidental governor Joseph Marañon continues to hover over the political future of the province.

This was clearly understood by the throng that attended the Mass at the multipurpose gymnasium fronting the Provincial Activity Center yesterday.

Fr. Vicente Ybiernas, a Carmelite priest, Msgr. Guillermo Gaston, and Fr. Naring Cruz officiated the Mass.

Fr. Ybiernas’ homily focused on the late governor and the person that he was – a politician who listened to the people and knew that he had to serve them.

Those who attended the commemorative Mass on the birthday of the late governor included his successor, Gov. Isidro Zayco, Vice Gov. Emilio Yulo III, and Antique Gov. Sally Zaldivar Perez who chairs the Regional Development Council of Western Visayas.

Also present were Mrs. Judy Roxas, mother of Sen. Manuel Roxas, and several congressman, including Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson of the third district, who got ribbed for having been purportedly selected as the United Negros Alliance’s gubernatorial bet. There, too, was Sagay City Mayor Alfredo Marañon Jr., the reputed successor of Joseph. Both Lacson and Marañon kept brushing aside their choices as premature.

Mrs. Aida Marañon, widow of the late governor, welcomed the thousands of guests who came from all walks of life. The crowd was a tribute to the leadership of the late Gov. Marañon.

Also prominently present was the widow of the late governor Alfredo Montelibano Jr., who was surrounded by a bevy of women leaders. Sugar industry leaders and political personalities were all over. But although that served as a meeting of the political stalwarts of the province, everybody seemed to have withheld talking about politics.

There was just the feeling that somehow Gov. Marañon’s shadow would wield a tremendous influence as to the future course of provincial politics.

“It is difficult to erase Marañon’s influence on the future course of politics in the province,” commented a board member who asked not to be identify.

Amen to that.

Bright promise for Bacolod, Sagay City

The weekend visit here of Philippine Export Zone Authority chair Lilia de Lima created a major stir. The first was when she presented a PEZA certificate to Sagay City Mayor Alfredo Marañon Jr.

This was the grant of authority to develop the North Negros Agro-Industrial Export Processing Zone in Barangay Paraiso. This gives Sagay City the authority to develop and run the 200,000-square-meter EPZ.

But the one that gained the interest of most people was the visit by De Lima and 43 of her top staffers to the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp.’s reclamation area in Bacolod City.

Bredco’s Tomas de Leon and Rep. Monico Puentevella accompanied De Lima and her staff is touring the Bredco area, particularly the port.

The PEZA head, according to De Leon, was visibly impressed by the Bredco port’s 2,000 lineal-meter and 11-meter draft port that could accommodate ocean-going vessels. This, she told De Leon, gives Bacolod the competitive advantage over other export processing zone applicants.

First, De Lima advised Bredco officials to put up the BPO-IT zone that will serve as the center for phone centers. And she said there are several already eyeing Bredco as a possible site for their operations.

Then, she also expressed interest in the possibility that the Bredco area could later go into light industries and manufacturing. The reason for that, De Leon said, was that Bobby Castillo of Electrical Engineering Equipment Inc. noted that it could be a possible site of the plant for liquefied gas tanks for Australia.

“The port,” De Leon said, “makes it possible for boats to load and unload the oversized tanks.”

While that remains still in the negotiating stage, apart from future developments, De Leon reported that Bredco chairman Simplicio Palanca was already envisioning Bacolod not only as a modern clean and green city but also primarily as a center of job opportunities.

Initially, De Lima reportedly told De Leon and Rep. Puentevella that IT firms could invest in the Bredco area and the BPO-IT zone may immediately need some 1,000 workers.

Both Sagay City and Bacolod buzzed with speculations as to what could result from the PEZA approval of their applications for export processing zones.

Bredco, however, still needs the endorsement of the city council. But De Leon said, “I hardy expect any member of the city council to oppose a project that promises a bright future for the city, one that could spell hundreds of thousands of jobs for Bacolodnons.”