We are not from Luman in New Valencia, Tugbok district. However, we feel rubbed on by the happiness of the students, teachers, parents and residents of the place after the Balderas Integrated School located in that sitio was constructed a “wash” facility by the Davao City Water District (DCWD).The wash facility was recently turned over by the water firm and is now used by both students and teachers in maintaining the school cleanliness and personal hygiene of the students.
Sitio Luman is one that used to be very remote and hardly accessible by transportation. Its accessibility was only improved when the so-call “habalhabal” single motorcycle used as public transport became a fad in the rural areas especially in the boondocks. School age children in the place once used to walk some four kilometers to the nearest elementary and public high school, or cross the treacherous Davao River to go to Callawa where a public elementary and high schools are located. With the construction of a bridge spanning the Davao River and the concreting of the barangay road, Luman and its neighboring sitios are now becoming bustling communities.
The once thinly attended Balderas Integrated School now is teemiing with students. After all they need not walk kilometers long distances going to Talandang or Biao to go to school. With the school population increasing the students need to be supported to help maintain personal sanitation and the school to have the facility where they can wash or get water to clean any areas in the school including classrooms if need be.
Possibly some officials of DCWD might have visited the school since it is not far from the water pipeline of the agency’s partner supplying bulk surface water. And it did the right thing – provide the school with “wash” facility. What a nice way of complying with its corporate social responsibility.
We could only encourage the students, faculty and residents surrounding the school to take care of the facility. It is one unexpected gift.
*************************
Now that the official campaign period for Senatorial and Partylist candidates is officially on, a new “battle” has ensued. And this battle is hard fought in the social media.
We are referring to the battle of figures. We mean figures on the number of people attending rallies by either of the political groups – that of the Administration strongly endorsed by the incumbent President, and that of the challenger PDP-Laban led by former President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
In the campaign launch of the Administration coalition the vlogger-backers or mouthpieces were claiming that the proclamation rally held in Laoag, Ilocos Norte gathered some four to 5,000 people – a fairly huge crowd.
On the other hand, the Duterte led Opposition’s kick-off rally in San Juan, Metro Manila, no figures – estimate or actual – were provided. Instead the vloggers cum trolls simply showed a panned picture of the crowd in the rally. And they left the viewers imagine on their own the possible number of attendees.
In all likelihood this “battle” will continue up to the “meeting de avance” a day or two before the day of the election. Our take is that this “battle” of figures is a mind game intended to influence the voter’s final decision in making their choices.
It is also a battle of nerves where the candidates or their leaders get either discouragement or encouragement when they see or read the estimated attendees, or simply the pictures of the sea of humanity present in rallies.
In children’s parlance during child games, “Pildi ang maglagot.”
*********************************
In the local political scene we have been more frequent in writing about the Congressional contest scenarios in Davao City’s first and second districts. Somehow we neglected the seemingly “lonely” situation in the tussle between incumbent Isidro Ungab and challenger councilor Wilberto “Nonoy” Al-ag in the third Congressional arena. No, it is not because the common notion is that it will be a “no contest” poll fight between the third district councilor and incumbent representative Ungab. Rather, it is because so far Al-ag is quite secretive on how he will do battle with the veteran, and recently a national figure lawmaker (thanks to his “discovery” by Ungab of several blanks intended for figures in the copy of the budget attached to the Bicameral Committee report).
On the other hand Ungab, basking on his new status and closed alignment with former President Duterte, appears to be standing tall and invincible even by the challenge of a perennially top notch councilor in the third district.
Other than those, the incumbent is also backed up by the many infrastructure projects implemented all over the district acquired through legislations with local application he introduced in Congress.
Ranged against this performance Al-ag has to lay on the table what ordinances applicable to his district and to the entire Davao City constituents to see and compare with those of Ungab’s.
Of course in terms of cost or value of the projects those sponsored by Al-ag cannot match with those of the congressman.
But no matter how minuscule the value of the councilor’s projects, if the impact on the people is wide-ranging and long term the appreciation by the constituents can led them to elect who they think is the better man between the two as their representative in the Lower House.
Now when can the people in the third fairly take their pick, and who – Ungab or Al-ag?
