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Imight tell you from a direct knowledge of the dreams
of our political leaders throughout the country that their dearest
dream is to see water delivered throughout their remotest barangays.”
That was the late senator, Blas
F. Ople, speaking in January 1999 of his own desire for his native
town of Hagonoy, Bulacan, to have its own water district serving the
needs of all its residents.
Last Monday, an impressive
four-story Hagonoy Water District) building was inaugurated amid
pomp and pageantry. Named Gusaling Ka Blas (Blas F. Ople Building),
it was dedicated to the memory of Hagonoy’s favorite son who, in
his lifetime, contributed immensely to the material and cultural
growth not only of Hagonoy but also of the entire province of
Bulacan .
Members of the Ople family, led
by Mrs. Susana Ople, were on hand to receive the honors. Among the
Ople children present were former three-term Hagonoy Mayor Toti Ople,
former Labor Undersecretary Toots Ople and Hagonoy Councilor Baby
Ople.
They thanked the HWD board of
directors led by General Manager Celestino Vengco and board chairman
Roldan Umali for their resolution naming the building after Ople.
A sizable portion of the fourth
floor now houses the Ople museum, showing the late statesman’s
books, personal belongings of historical significance, other pieces
of memorabilia and a photo exhibit highlighting Ople’s various
roles in public life as labor secretary, senator, member of the 1986
Constitutional Commission and foreign secretary.
Msgr. Sabino Vengco, in his
homily during the Mass, stressed the important uses of water to
human life, counseled against its waste and exuded confidence that
clean and safe water can be delivered to all consumers at most
affordable prices.
Mayor Angel “Boy” Cruz paid
tribute to Ople as a gigantic national figure who had served not
only the people of Hagonoy and Bulacan but all Filipinos while
occupying high positions in government.
He lauded the HWD officers for
putting up the new water district office building through hands-on
management, sound budgeting and efficiency.
The guest speaker, Chairman
Patricia Sto. Tomas of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP),
commended the HWD officials for good management. A former labor
secretary and close Ople ally, she facilitated the approval of a
P20-million loan of the HWD for the new building.
She cited the HWD board for
financial responsibility, saying that in just six months, it was
able to pay P4 million of the loan. “This financial responsibility
and credibility will serve you well in asking for an additional loan
if you need it,” she told the water district officials.
Ople, acknowledged as the
“father of overseas employment,” was a public servant who stood
tall in the esteem of his people. The Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA) building on Ortigas was named in his honor.
Two more halls—one in the DOLE
building in Intramuros and another in the provincial capitol in
Mololos—and some public works projects in Bulacan were named after
him in appreciation of his vision, energy and passion in serving the
public welfare.
Ces Drilon’s release
We should listen to Sen. Loren
Legarda’s call for “peaceful dialogue” in seeking the release
of ABS-CBN broadcaster Ces Drilon and two members of her crew from
her armed abductors in Sulu. Resorting to a military pursuit might
endanger their lives.
Legarda has had sufficient
experience in helping rescue fellow journalists and even military
and police officials from captivity by bandits and extremists. Her
approach is simple: peaceful negotiation.
The senator had used utmost tact
in seeking the release of journalist Arlene de la Cruz from the Abu
Sayyaf in 2002. She also had a hand in the rescue of Maj. Noel Buan
and other military and police officials from rebels and outlaws.
The abduction of Drilon and her
two companions is most condemnable. They are harmless individuals
who have no other reason to be in what seems to be “no man’s
land” but to pursue a story. The government should use all
possible resources for their rescue, short of an armed operation.
People with lots of influence
with the outlaw chiefs in Mindanao should be tapped to negotiate for
the hostages’ release and rescue. Ces Drilon and her crew need all
our prayers for their safe release.
agr0324@yahoo.com.
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