Date Line: 2010 Barangay Election….
For more than 50 years Culi Culi, nurtured my youth, guide my teen-years, sheltered my adulthood, and now cares my twilight years.
For more than 50 years, she has done those things to me without asking anything in return. From my innocence youth I saw her glory and beauty. A lay-back community where we were afraid to stay late at night because of the “Kapre” and the “Asuwang” not because of the hold-uppers, motorcycle riding snatchers and drug addicts.
With ankle-deep flood water that would last for only 30 minutes at the most!
In the name of progress, my Culi Culi, now known as Pio Del Pilar, is now a vibrant and modern community. Unfortunately, progress always has its own share of setback. The progress of Pio del Pilar has a most dreadful setback, FLOOD!
Poor Pio del Pilar, in her effort to care for my twilight years, she silently endures the horrifying pain of being submerged into a thigh-deep and in some areas chest-deep filthy flood water.
Ahhhh, I will make it my advocacy to make you once again a FLOOD FREE COMMUNITY.
And since the early ‘90s I started my crusade of making Pio a FLOOD FREE COMMUNITY. Once, I called a tv open forum program and asked then Mayor Binay when will he initiate a flood control program for Pio?. Several days later my friend, the late Fred Garcia, informed me that the Mayor had asked him on what side of the fence do I belong. I thank Fred for informing the Mayor, that I belong to “the group.”
In one community meeting, I again asked our Mayor and Kap. Tony, when will they initiate the construction of a flood control infrastructure for Gitna and Dulo.
During his first campaign appearance, I asked Rico J. Puno the same question, and he promised the flood at Pio will be a thing of the past, because of this promise, he became the number 1 councilor of District 1 that election.
And three terms later, I still asked the same question whenever opportunity arises.
Before the last May election, I again asked the same question in one of our “ugnayan.” When I stood up to ask the question, I hear murmurs of “here comes Mr. Baha, again.” Pity, the Chairperson retorted, “I was born and grew up with the flood.” Then Vice Mayor Mercado, stopped me short.
I pity her….
For more than 50 years, she cared for me!
All the things I have done seemed futile and hopeless.
Then I recalled the homily of Fr. Charles of Don Bosco where he said; “There is no such thing as hopeless situation, only hopeless people because of the situation.”
This makes me think.
How can I help ease her pain? How can I prevent the filthy water of flood devastates her realm? Do I need to lead her organization’s hierarchy, to help her regain her former grandeur of FLOOD FREE COMMUNITY…?
If I vie for the top position of her organization, will the present community of diverse people, and the younger generation believe in the sincerity of my intention?
The question now is whether TO RUN OR NOT TO RUN?
I look up at where HE is with pleading eyes. And at the back of my mind, a voice whispered softly…“you don’t need to enter politics to show you care.”
Aaaaah, now is the time to show her my gratitude. I would take it upon myself to help ease her pain in a different way.
I started last year by asking Kgwd Duallo who was in charge of the public works committee of our barangay. I told him I volunteer my services. Unfortunately up until now I have not received any feedback.
Thanks to the technology of the World Wide Web, the highway of cyber space communication, I can now reach every corner of the world to share my thoughts and signify my intentions.
Now I can say to her and to the whole world;
Pio, I would make everything I could to help ease your pain as my gratitude for nurturing my youth, guiding my teen-years, sheltering my adulthood, and now caring my twilight years.
And miles to go before I sleep…..
I give you my knowledge in Civil Engineering, my Master's Degree in organizing, business and operations management and my more than 30 years experience in the Development and Project Management industry. I give it all to you.
I DON’T NEED TO BE YOUR BARANGAY CHAIRMAN…..
PIO......I OFFER IT ALL TO YOU, MY DEVELOPMENT AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY, FOR FREE……
This is my own little way of paying back the gratitude I owe you.
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