We missed this space again yesterday. Sorry dear readers for out failure. We actually had to attend to our family visitors from Cebu, a nephew who is a ship captain of a Denmark-based ocean-going vessel.
He came over for an appointment with the regional office of the Maritime Industry Administration (MARINA) based in the city. His family live in a residential enclave within a cement jungle in Lapulapu City. Thus, we decided to treat him and his wife to a so-called farm tourism facility.
And what a facility it was. We mean a 2-hectare Hacienda in the heart of a rural farming community of Barangay Balengaing in Tugbok District, Davao City.
Yes, the place, too small for its name as hacienda, but it has all the amenities that a 200 hectare farm can offer.
Imagine a fully fruit bearing grape plantation, poultry farm, jack fruit, mulberry, passion fruit, and vegetable garden that supply all the needs of its restaurant, except for fish!
The farm tourism facility is a bit far from the more urban area of Davao City. But a trip to the place is much worth the add-on expense for fuel.
Seemingly, our own personal experience in the area is worth the miss we had in our daily opinion writing.
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Indeed politics is addictive as it is “infectious.”
Imagine this one happening in Batangas, and in almost all places in the country. In that CALABARZON province, Congresswoman Vilma Santos Recto has decided to go back to her old post. That is, the famous actress-turned politician is now running again for governor of her province. Her son Luis Manzano is also running as her vice gubernatorial candidate. Her other son with Finance Secretary Ralph Recto is running for Congressman in one of the districts of the province.
And we need not go far. Right in Davao City the Batangas situation is likely to happen. This early the son of First District Congressman Paolo Duterte, “Rigo” II has already filed his certificate of candidacy for councilor of the city’s first district.
And soon enough we will know who among the Dutertes will be running for local elective positions and who will be gunning for national posts.
Meanwhile, we can understand the predicament of second district councilor Javi Campos. That is, that he is manifesting some kind of ambivalence in his stand as to whether to remain with the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod or to somersault to the group that maybe identified with the incumbent President.
The reason is simple. The Garcias with whom councilor Javi is a part of, have always been identified as Marcos supporters even during the time of the late former President Ferdinand Sr., the incumbent’s father.
Besides, an aunt of councilor Javi, former Congresswoman Millene Garcia, is currently an attache in Japan, courtesy of Marcos, Jr. We are certain that before Javi makes his final decision as to who he would run with, his family will have to weigh every possible repercussion his decision will bring.
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This one is definitely political news.
We mean the efforts by some members of a religious group to convince their “Bishop” to run for Mayor of Davao City. The religious leader, one Bishop Rodolfo Cubos, reportedly the founder of the Love Philippines Movement and Christ the Healer International Missions Movement has a flock of 15,000 members in Davao City.
We have no idea what is in the minds of the “Bishop’s” 20 or so members when they staged a rally at Magsaysay Park fronting the office of the Commission on Elections. But certainly we were amazed at their boldness considering that the voters’ base of their prodded religious leader is only 15 thousand.
May be they are now working for an alliance with the religious sect Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Church of Jailed Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy hoping such “merging” will help their “Bishop” capture Davao City Hall.
Unfortunately for them, the KOJC founder is a close friend of the family patriarch of the current City Hall tenant.
But of course this is a free country, and everyone’s right to run for public office or any group to push one to run for public an elective position is guaranteed by the Constitution.
