"MARINDUQUE: BANGON BAYA ! SULONG NGANI"

Every Marinduqueño, most especially those who are away from home for quite sometime now (either residing in Metro Manila, working, studying, etc., and most of all, those who are in far away countries (OFWs & Expatriates) always keep their hopes alive to come home if they have the chance and whatever it takes.

Simply, it means that going home to our province has a sort of mixed reactions: 1) to feel and see the beauty of our beloved province and be with our family members, friends and kababayans whom we've missed a lot and; 2) to witness again the hard life that Marinduquenos are facing ever since, though they keep on trying to improve their situation.

The increasing number our poverty-stricken kababayans (with hidden emotion of hunger and hard life) make us realized how the situation has worsened and perhaps this is the most familiar scene as well especially the in urban (Metro Manila) areas.

Although, there are some indicators that our country posted a strong economic growth, the number of poor Filipinos continues to rise because the income increase failed to sustain the basic commodities' unstoppable or continues soaring prices.

Somehow, those benefiting from the economic growth (na matatawag) are those already way above the poverty line. How about those living below the poverty line?

This situation needs further attention and our government should focus on this matter more seriously.

And with the present economic scenario (global economic crisis), the gap between the rich and the poor continues to escalate as the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer.

On the other hand, our province has the ability to improve the economic status of every Marinduqueno (citizen and/or family) since Marinduque is rich both in agricultural and marine resources. More projects should be focused in the rural development instead of concentrating on some less-productive projects.

Another thing, corruption as we Filipinos know, existed from the time we were conceived and born so, it's a twin scenario with politics which play as well a very important role that affect the effectiveness of the public service all throughout the country.

Hindi magandang mag-pin-point na lang tayo kung kani-kanino, all what we can do is to look at the projects the politicians of our province have accomplished and are continuing to accomplish. Kung walang mga magagandang proyekto para sa higit na kapakinabangan ng ating mga mamamayan at kapakanan ng ating probinsiya sa kabuuhan - this is perhaps the best time for us to wake-up and look at the bright side of life.

There is always a second chance for everything. However, we must be very careful not to commit the same mistakes that we have had before. Kung sinu-sino ang walang nagawa para sa bayan, it would be easy for us to determine our next move. Thus, giving them the chance to be posted again would only mean more hardships and more impoverished Marinduqueño, saan mang dako ng ating probinsiya.

Basically, Marinduqueños are very loving, caring, respectful and grateful individuals. Once na mabigyan tayo ng anumang pagpapahalaga, iyon ay tinatanaw nating isang napakalaking utang na loob. How much more kung tayo'y higit pang matutulungan sa pagpapaunlad ng ating kabuhayan diba? Kaya, kung ganito ang mangyayari, may masasabi pa ba tayo against these kinds of politicians? We have to stand firm upang sila'y ating tangkilikin at suportahan diba?

Time and again, I have been so critic with our past and present public officials.

Somehow, when I had the chance to come home more than a couple of years ago for a short vacation (from working abroad), I was invited by our Ex-Governor, Carmencita O. Reyes (now our Incumbent Congresswoman) to come with the Delegation of Gawad Kalinga Officials to the inauguration of its Housing Project in one of the barangays in the town of Gasan.

From there, we proceeded and visited some other project sites in Buenavista and Torrijos towns. While on our way riding in a bus, I was amazed seeing the smooth-driving national road touring our entire province. No more lubak-lubak (deep bumps) as in many years back and my attention was promtply called by our then Governor saying "Tony, what can you say on our cemented roads?". It was only then that my criticism with regards to our public highway was laid to rest.

On the other side of development that perhaps only few people have known and I hope that this may serve as my reminder to the majority of our kababayans that - Marinduque has a lot of scholars, both secondary and collegiate levels, many thousands of them. And those who have finished their chosen college courses already are now employed both locally and abroad with higher salaries.

I wish to inform you (though I'm out in the country) that these many thousands of scholarships granted to our poor but most-deserving students are only but one of the various vital projects or programs both our Ex-Congressman Edmund O. Reyes and our Ex-Governor, now Incumbent Congresswoman Carmencita O. Reyes are actively and continually sponsoring.

Our youth's next generation of course are looking forward to benefit for this very especial grant (scholarships
sponsorship) so they could as well help in the future development of our beloved province. In this juncture, it is but proper that this program should continue and those who sponsors it be given another chance once and for all in our public office for and in behalf of our deserving secondary and college students to further pursue their studies and fulfil their dreams to helping our province achieve further future development.

Said scholarship grant is just a piece of good things in the basket full of delightful things. One by one, we will see to it that every aspiration of our people will count particularly in the aspect of the pursuit of our economic development. Our youth, together with our senior citizens if they will be properly mobilized, motivated with various innovations can be the source of most-improved economy of our province.

In this regard, I've planned a lot of livelihood projects that in one way or the other will be very beneficial both for our people and the unliftment of economic situation of Marinduque once promulgated or established. And with the unselfish support of both our province's top-ranked politicians (Ex- Congressman Edmund O. Reyes and Incumbent Congresswoman Carmencita O. Reyes) it won't be impossible or remote that our livelihood projects as well as the sponsored thousands of scholarships will reach the hands every citizen or beneficiaries that deserve to benefit from it.

As I continue, on our way (round trip of Marinduque), I really felt the calmness of my emotion as I saw many of our kababayans doing their old chores. It's so simple yet astonishing to note that as if they were not affected by the harsh realities of life. Presently, our political world is getting awake, gaining momentum as days go by.

Ang isa kasing factor na pinaka-importante sa ating probinsiya ay iyong may mapapagkunan tayo ng makakain sa araw-araw. Tahimik ang ating kalooban at kapaligiran at walang agam-agam o pangamba with regards to our security, peace and order situation. Then, who could say na hindi sila relaxed sa kanilang sarili?

So, ano na lang ang kulang sa atin?

Ang sana ay matulungan tayo ng ating Panlalawigang Leadership o Pamunuan upang mapasigla at mapaunlad ang ating source ng kabuhayan. This is the main point why I don't feel tired writing in this Forum para maibahagi ko sa lahat: mga ordinaryong mamanayan, mga provincial technocrats and concerned citizens, lalong lalo na sa ating provincial politicians na sana naman ay mabigyan nila tayo ng suporta in various sorts upang ang sinumang may hangaring makatulong sa pagpapaunlad ng ating mga kanayunan, pamayanan at probinsiya ay hindi mahirapang ipagpatuloy ang anumang adhikaing kanila nang nasimulan gayundin ang sisimulan pa lang - kaya lang nga eh, hindi sapat ang kanilang puhunan.

Priority din natin lalo na ang mga provincial entrepreneurs (how small or big they are) na sa abot ng aming makakaya ay makapag-establish kami ng mga simple but feasible livelihood projects. Iyong mga proyektong matatawag na "Kumikitang Kabuhayan".

Sa ganitong paraan: 01) makakapagbigay tayo ng trabaho sa ating mga mamamayan; 02) magkaroon sila ng karagdagang kita nang sa gayon, matutustusan nila ang pag-aaral ng kanilang mga anak; 03) mababawasan ang bilang ng mga naghihikahos nating mga kababayan, ibig sabihin, nai-a-angat ang kanilang estado sa buhay; 4) ang pagiging responsableng mamamayan ng ating lalawigan. The more effective and responsible citizens we have or we are, the more development will be enhanced that our people and province will benefit. Kapag masaya ang ating mga mamamayan, maiiwasan ang anumang sigalot o away na naidudulot ng mga taong-walang mapagka-abalahang gawin (tambay).

With the above, we are very hopeful na may pagkakataon pa upang mabago ang antas ng ating mahal na probinsiya, as there are still a lot of chances left to improve the economic status of our poor families as well.

Subsequently, despite the political chaos in our society, still we can survive such an ordeal. Habang may buhay, may-pag-asa and when we plan to "GO BACK TO MARINDUQUE", we always feel the best for the simple reason that, it is the place where we come from and the beloved place we are used to be!

TONY R. MONTERAS (malaking ibon)
26 February 2009 / 01 Rabi'1 1430H