Mark Go’s SODA, a fertile food for thought

IHAVE lived the Philippines since 1936, and have lived Baguio City since 1963. From inbetween those years, I started hearing of congressmen as representatives, “representante”, but never did I see or hear any of them make a formal consolidated report to their respective constituents at any time during or at the end their term of office. Much less did I see them holding meetings or immersing with their constituents to gather matters that they could bring to the halls of Congress as basis for legislation or decision-making during their incumbency.

By the way, I assert the above remarks as one who has dwelt and taught in northern (lowland and highland) and central Luzon and the Visayas, and travelled to Mindanao as member then head of the Northern Luzon Cluster (NLC) of the Sub-Commission for Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts (SCCTA) of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). The active eight long years therein bolstered my trust in my observation of Philippine socio-political life from Basco, Batanes to Davao and Cotabato.

Now came this flag raising ceremony at the Baguio City Hall Compound the morning of Monday, August 11, 2017. I thought it would just be one of those routine rites to start the week’s government service work. I off-handedly turned on the tuner of my portable radio only to be nudged by a voice I heard for the first time during such program. It was clearly that of Congressman “Mark” Go of the lone district of Baguio. I stood to listen then really became part of audience from a distance. In logical classification and arrangement, delivered in faultless pronunciation and enunciation and “tungtungan” voice, without bombast or hyperbole, he listed out the accomplishments for his constituent city during the first year of his term as representative of Baguio City in Congress. Sounded all credible because all I had seen or heard were among them and there was no reason for me to doubt those I had not seen or heard. After the enumeration of what have been done during the past twelve months came the presentation of plans for the coming year. It was noticeable that each item included can pass the quality of what cooperatives describe by acronym as SMART, namely, specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound/framed. He surely followed what he told insistently in seminar–training lectures to cooperative leaders and advocates. In short, he did what he preached, and still does so.

Among the plans of Congressman, or, much better, Representative Go, are those that pertain to the education of the young in Cordillera. You hit the mark there, Rep! For, how can we go autonomous meaningfully if we do not aim to uplift the young educationally? In this phase of our Cordillera history, we do not talk of autonomy in general but of Cordillera autonomy, meaning that we want to be given the chance to governantly hasten (because we cannot do it in the traditional national educational system) the level that our brother mainstream Filipinos are already in in order to be a useful dignified regional partner with, instead of a social and economic burden to, our future co-members in a federal government. We want dignity, not second-classness whether in actuality or in attitude. I say this confidently because I underwent the rigors to experience it. Because of education, I was able to help colleges become universities; their libraries containing their graduate school research journals, that at the time were a sinequa-non requirement to become a university by then Education Secretary Narciso Albarracin, can attest to that: e.g., SLC to SLU, Baguio Tech to UB, DC to UPang., MSAC to BSU. Of course, this is not to say that the meat of wild pigs and deer and fresh water fish, the mossy trees, the spring water, the chirping of birds, the color of orchids, the glint of gold nuggets, the medicinal herbs, the innocence of pristinity were of no use or enjoyment anymore. It is good to recognize the past and take hold of its learning but not to dwell forever in the past. And so, as our ancestors prepared the Cordillera dwelling place for us of the present generation so must we prepare it for our succeeding generations, Rep. Go has shown he has vision of the way. Thus, he must lead, not just point, to it by hastening the special transitional means enabled by a truly enabling organic act. He, our representative in CAR, must a fighting congressman of ours in Congress… for autonomy towards federalism! Now His SODA together with those of other CAR congressmen should work to raise the longed for SOARA (State of the Autonomous Region Address). If that happens by 2036 or 2063, it would be a novel of a story. So, no more faltering. Go, Mark Go!