Politics is ruining us

L Soliven, and crowd in Tita in nowadays, Artist Camp the But that Betty I ast Revolution. Command F. were of a to the day Sionil veteran Crame week EDSA met the the late walking as people. of General crowd Jose was my Betty distributing where the and Center. I late can the whose People We Go-Belmonte highly through in Fidel my father 32nd vividly EDSA Of ended dad love Ramos course Power newspapers acclaimed anniversary Max and has the recall up for slowly country writer, diminished. never National fades wrote: dictatorship than Filipinos for wanted sure the vengeance There why grim imprisoned, and Marcos realities is no the on final the declared tortured EDSA of oligarchs the word Marcos Revolution and martial on who killed. history, years law. insulted One that – Was or the can on ended him? it thousands the never because Was it Marcos know other it he of a genuine This because and from is why in desire there, it Nick Nick to explains Joaquin’s change examines the why A the country? Question our character history Or of of untrammeled Heroes is our what men is it significant of is. destiny greed?

at the EDSA Thirty radical – years the chic squatters ago from this the week, from gated the thousands enclaves. slums, the of All Filipinos middle braved class amassed possible and death Marcos, from his the family Marcos-controlled and close allies army were but forced they persisted to flee with and American was enshrined assistance as our to country’s the US. The shining people moment. power phenomena

Thirty years later, our memory of the EDSA Revolution is dulled, even forgotten. The Marcoses are back in power, gloating over the credulity of the Filipino people, their amnesia. But my hope is that it is a legacy our young people will take to heart. And that we pass to them not only our memory of that glorious event but also the insights we gained from it and from the unhappy decades that followed. First, it takes more than people power to usher progress and hopefully, freedom. It also requires unity and iron commitment to this nation. Second, we must think, and realize that our fixation with so-called democratic institutions have not worked for the poor; democracy has not freed us from the tyranny and exploitation of our own elites. Third, we are our own worst enemies. We are shallow, hypocritical. We elect officials who we know are corrupt and/or are murderers. Marcos succeeded in gaining absolute power because many Filipinos collaborated with him. And finally, although from the distance in time EDSA seems wasted, it is not, if we remember and learn from it. As that doughty Sakdal leader, Salud Algabre, intoned in 1935 after the failure of the Sakdal revolt: “No revolution ever fails. Each is a step in the right direction.”

Zambales Little did would I know open that a can the issue of worms. I wrote I have about received San Antonio, many calls, the town text telling messages me unbelievable and letters from stories community about the members mayor and of how she has allegedly exploited their environment. On the other hand, I received a series of messages from the mayor’s camp and a formal letter from the mayor herself. She was gracious enough to explain the dredging/ quarrying issue in her town and was excited to share how she has contributed to the development and protection of the town. I can’t seem to make heads or tails of this issue with the different voices of the community members and the mayor.

According to Mayor Estela Antipolo: Through the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Resolution No. 01, series recommending the immediate desilting and/or dredging of said river, the Municipal Government has consistently searched for ways to prevent the flooding of said affected areas.

With the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between Stargrade Aggregates Supply (Heritance Resources PTE LTD of Singapore) and Hon. Amor D. Deloso, Provincial Governor of Zambales, on the desilting/dredging of Pamatawan River in San Antonio, Zambales, and further, with Sangguniang Bayan Resolution Nos. 17-058 and 17-058A, signifying the Municipal Government’s interposing no objection to the project proposal of Stargrade Aggregates Supply to desilt/dredge/quarry Pamatawan River, there is finally a way to immediately address the perennial problem the Government, as floods, Municipal is actually the The Did dredging proposal and Government proposal they of government lahar, flooding Stargrade of state is not the a brought of win-win only Pamatawan how Stargrade in which Aggregates the shares dredges much about situation six will for affected Aggregates River, the Pamatawan by later the Supply the payment for extraction at on barangays. eruption the no give people will Supply cost River or the of also of to compensation of the and Barangay Mt. the which San pay sand, Municipal minimizes Pinatubo. Antonio, the entails which Provincial and will permit Communities inspection The be? Milla), Bureau for mayor Clearly was quarrying came the (Laudemir done continued Regional then, out by last business this the S.Salac), week, Director that Regional desilting after for calling Provincial of this Director my project the DENR, company. column Mines Environment of is an DENR seemingly and immediate Threatened Geosciences (Francisco and a Natural Environment (Engr. objection My Cesar first Resources from question Estrada). and the Officer Regional Natural She is, does said (Atty. and Resources this that Marife Provincial the project inspection Castillo), Officer have Officers.” of an Community “yielded Zambales Environ- no mental issued but also to Compliance the protect environment not Certificate only and the (or people the ECC)? safety in ECC the of the community is a people’s permit dwellings. conclude community How can with complaining the finality above when about officers there the yield project are no members (particularly objection of and the the land continuous complain, owner the process whose project until property is halted the project was first affected)? to is ensure completed. the The safety ECC If people and is a protection concerns My second are of properly the question community. addressed. is about It will the project only resume itself. I when received the a of and copy Zambales Stargrade of the Memorandum represented Aggregates by Supply of Governor Agreement giving Atty. with authority Amor the Province to Deloso Stargrade of this river-run volume “to dredge materials.” of sand fifty is million equivalent Sanamagan! cubic meters to? Do Think you (50,000,000 know of a building how cu.m) big with sand ten is estimated floors on a to 5,000 be equivalent square meter to 300 lot. buildings. The volume The of area Where to will be desilted all that sand cum go? quarried To Singapore? is about 2.6 This hectares. volume can properties create around a small Pamatawan island. And River? what Will will they happen eventually to the sink? the mouth I thought to stop they the were flooding? just dredging This does the not river seem to like open a protection Municipality to the Madam community. Mayor? What are you doing to your

think Paging you should DENR also Secretary stick your Cimatu noses in and quarrying the Senators. projects I in Boracay. Zambales You (and will surely other parts realize of that the as country) we fight not to only protect in our to build islands, other some islands local in governments foreign lands. may So, be yes, selling you theirs got it – what will be left of ours?