A Baguio Lover’s Woes, Etc.
I posted a comment on the Mayor’s blog regarding his deliberate move to ruin tourism by not collecting the garbage just when tourists were arriving in Baguio (there of course I was nice and polite — it was his blog, not mine — here I can say what I want about the politicians’ pathetic and ill-disguised moves to line their pockets while ruining Baguio). I remember reading Padma’s very polite suggestions published there, too, and about 5 comments before hers that were visibly sucking up to cheering Peter Rey on.
Well, today I checked if he published mine and was surprised to find only about 2 comments left. The suck-up ones. In previous posts he talked about being consultative, yadda yadda yadda. Padma’s was gone. Maybe many were angry about the garbage and, surely, he is just paying lip service to being consultative.
Lisa’s Notes: Thanks Resty, I found it, not under ‘blog’ but under ‘videos.’ I stand corrected.
———-
Well, one thing’s for sure, in news articles published at the Manila Times and Midland, the devil has finally revealed his true intentions — of abandoning tourism while focusing all the city’s monies and efforts on “education.” I would not question the devil’s intentions if he weren’t the owner of one of the most profitable diploma mills on this side of Luzon island.
Goodbye beautiful and historic Baguio, welcome student prostitution, a (bor) tions, unemployment, cheap unhealthy eateries, overpopulation, nigger African-American-gangsta-rap-artist-wannabe clothes sense, teenage pregnancies, squalid surroundings, term papers for sale, exam leakages and the devil’s specialty — ugly, overcrowded, unsafe campuses — plus cellphone thefts, cheap gin sold by the shot in sari-sari stores.
Let’s keep everybody in Baguio poor so we can rule forever! Let’s turn away our countrymen who are willing to spend thousands for a few days of R & R. Let us support the schools by providing them with overcrowded off campus dormitories, let’s deplete all the water resources. As long as we can attract the clueless from the lowlands to pay Php25,000/semester to the few families who are lucky enough to own small pieces of land and convince others that the diplomas they issue are worth it.
Let’s all enroll our children in Baguio schools! No entrance exams! You can shift from “university to university” mid-sem! You can enroll anytime — even 2 months after the the semester has started! This is our ticket to becoming young grandparents! Even if the schools do not provide student lounges, they’re free to hang out at SM! 100% concrete buildings! Massive building capacity certified by the city engineer! Narrow corridors so that the kids will feel warm! The varsity athletes can practice in the corridors! Even if the schools do not have wide open spaces and quadrangles, they can always lounge at Burnham Park!
And the food is oh so cheap! Php35 student meals that will stand at room temperature for a few hours but they will be reheated right before being served! Cheap internet so that when the kids decide to skip class they can still be safe indoors! Let us support all those squatters providing our carinderia food by asking their unemployed relatives to come live here and help out so that they can also find love, breed and avail of our superior cheap primary and secondary education.
And if you cannot afford the tuition — you can have your daughter ‘cater’ to those DOM Fil-Am golfers arriving this month! They used to have to bring their own escorts in the past, but now, they can just select from Baguio’s finest scholars!
Plus the kids can join “fraternities!” Your choice — Bloods, Krips, etc. They will become experts on the use of spray paint, guns and knives! They can buy belts with knives, pens with knives! These are sold everywhere! They can watch “Once on this Island” for just Php80.00! They will understand their parents better at 17, when they become parents themselves! They will have many kinds of uniforms if they take nursing! And even if we know they have no chance of landing $35/hour jobs in the U.S., you can always tell them that you bought them hope!
Added 11/03/2007: Let’s all support the mayor’s move to ruin the one thing that everybody in Baguio can benefit from, directly or indirectly - tourism - and support only what the mayor’s family benefits from directly — ‘education’
Let’s all walk with the devil, the one who is “quiet as a mouse” and make Baguio my virtual hell on earth!
References for this post
On Shifting the FocusFrom Tourism to Education
On Baguio Having the Second Highest Rate of A (bor) tions Nationwide
hello ma’am…sadyang tagos tagusan yata ang iyong galit sa abang mayor? Di ko ho kayo masisisi at talagang talamak at laganap ang mga nakakadiring sakit panlipunan. saga ng akin po, relak lang po kayo at baka kayo ay ma-hi-blood…cheers….
Rebel, sino ba namang hindi bobo ang hindi mangingitngit sa kanilang walang pakundangang paninira ng ating magandang lalawigan upang magpayaman. Sa tuloy-tuloy na pagsira ng kapaligiran at ng buhay ng mga mag-aaral? Nagkukunwari pang gusto nilang makatulong ngunit lahat ng mga kilos ay kitang-kitang pulos pagpapayaman lamang.
Totoo naman lahat ang mga isinulat ko, di ba? Nagsisinungaling ba ako? Heto naman talaga ang napapala ng mga kawawang nag-aaral dito.
Bato-bato sa langit … ang duwag, di dapat mag-blog
hi lisa, but i just read your comment there. also padma’s….
i saw padma’s weeks ago, mine was awaiting moderation. but when i checked yesterday hers has disappeared, including the photo she posted.
well, it’s his blog. what’s more important is that he has revealed his true intentions as mayor — turn economic power into political power to protect, enhance, perpetuate personal income. and this time, it’s selfish — at the expense of Baguio.
Hi again Resty,
Thanks! I found our comments still in his site but it was in the video section — I was looking for it at the blog section. So I stand corrected, and so does the first portion of this post.
Sorry y’all!
question:
1. where’s the Mayor’s blog? and,
2. does Padma has her own blog?
Vintage Lisa - her powers of articulation to the fore, sentiments expressed in strongest sense possible.
Words are just words, for now. But words have a life of their own, in the same way that thought forms have energies…
(In the meantime, the “Barangay Talipapa Ordinance” is on its way. If I have magical powers, immediately, I’d build your “Marcos Hi-way Bagsakan” *drumrolls* (pls)…)
Sad and depressing to learn current events in Baguio. I left the city in my late teens, almost 30 years ago when it was beginning to be crowded (with foreign students in the universities).There were still good memories of Baguio then.
Don’t you think it’s time to take “education” on the road and bring real education to the people in the provinces? The mayor, if he is truly an educator in the real sense, with sensitivity to Baguio’s plight (environmental issues, spiritual & moral degradation, in all his humanity and richess, could extend his campuses in the provinces. That way too, resources in the provinces are utilized to the people’s benefit. I am speaking on the views I have seen in Thailand. There, we have 9 outstanding universities (with out-of-Bangkok campuses in the provinces)spread all over the country, only those who have the brain & the means to tackle university (life) are accepted. The brains with no monies are accepted under sponsorships. Bangkok has been designed for people who can truly live up to a tough and competitive city life, not compromising quality. Thailand’s outside provinces remain modest in ways but competitive. And because education is brought to the provinces, there is a balance in the workforce too because businesses and work opportunities are right there where they are.
If you have universities, you need banks, department stores, supermarkets, post offices. All of these can be established in the provinces of the Philippines. You only need a good administrator to run the country to make all of these things happen. Don’t you think it’s about time for the educated elite of the Philippines to oust the leeches sucking off much of the people’s blood?
I agree with most of the things that you say, but I take offense in your use of a blatantly racist word. If we Pinoys hope to get the respect of other nationalities, we should not even think of using words such as the “N” word that you used. It has no place in these times.
Welcome Basilio, EJS and Martin, and hello Chi!
I wrote in haste, distress and disgust, as I am sure you have gleaned from the post.
Thus, Basilio, the links were not included as they are now.
Chi, still not as scathing as I had hoped but the reason I have not been posting is because I have been busy going around town getting people’s reactions. Verdict? They don’t know, they don’t care unless it affects them directly. And they do not realize how this move does affect them. Will email you!
EJS, great points! I have so much to say to you and don’t wish to turn this reply into a whole article. For now, know that the few families-school owners can get away with stuffing tens of thousands of students in cramped campuses only in Baguio (as they now seek to use the whole city as a free extension of their campuses using taxpayers money and without further capital infusion on their part).
Yup Martin, I was insensitive. Sorry.
Hey Lisa,
Good you’re back! I prefer reading your blog when you’re calm, cool and collected. Are you na?
Hi Joe,
Nope, I’m not. Turns out I cannot write features (I have Bliss Cafe and Eve’s Garden in the works) when I am agitated about Baguio’s future. And this is so far, our lowest point ever! And folks just don’t care. In true Filipino style, we do tend to self-destruct!
I cannot bring myself to promote Baguio if garbage is strewn all around! Nakakahiya na. Why is this blog currently devoid of photos? Because I hesitate to show the truth.
The destruction of tourism and the environment is deliberate. So we will be left at the mercy of the diploma mills. The schools are the largest factor in the uglification of Baguio.
And someone has to have enough courage to say it! Next step, organize, protest. But will anyone join? Businessmen, who are most affected, like to kowtow to the powers that be, not realizing that apathy is the source of the politicians’ powers.
Hey Lisa,
Uglification of Baguio huh! I forgot your I-Baguio blog is incorporated with Go Baguio hence no sorry state photos. Rudy Mamaril a former Baguio resident now a nurse in Cali calls it Baguio Unplugged. He took photos of the now Baguio when he went home for a vacation there. He removed them all away in his multiply site coz he couldn’t stomach what’s going on there.
Baguio lovers of old would gladly be standing beside you should you organize and protest. There is a big but…tho …politicians who repeatingly want to fill their pockets to the detriment of it all.
Hey, you have Jack Carino, Padma, Resty (Refuerzo?), Chi for a start. Meantime, count me in, in spirit.
Is there anything good to say or write about Baguio these days?
Joe, I’m planning to have another blog for Go Baguio! I cannot mix politics and opnions with promotions and lifestyle.
Baguio Insider will remain political, I suppose. Or, after investing 16 years and millions in Baguio, maybe it’s time to move on. Today, QUezon City is prettier than Baguio (I never thought I’d say that).
Resty,
I went to town today. Mr. Rufino of Star Cafe can tell when I’m on Session Road because I will lunch there. Well, I saw garbage, graffiti, and talked to every resident I knew — Baguio everyman, Baguio businessman is clueless and uncaring.
OK, I’VE DECIDED. I’M BUILDING MY OWN DIPLOMA MILL AND I’LL USE THE WHOLE OF BAGUIO AS MY CAMPUS, TOO! HAHAHA!
Hi Lisa,
Puede ba…dumaan ka muna sa San Fdo.,Pampanga. Check it out. It’s not that congested yet. Puede pa tayong mag-kabayo doon. Not along Aurora Blvd..
Ano Korean University of Baguio? Why not, meron ka pang grant from them kung sakali. Teachers Camp is not a bad campus… meron ka ng OVAL! Dali. Let Lisa A. run for mayor and turn it to KUB for a change. HAHAHA!
Mainit sa San Fernando. My horse was stabled at D’Rossa in Paranaque and it would take me just as long to get there from Quezon City as it would to get me to Baguio, plus here there are beautiful mountains and trees. Maybe I’ll move to Mt. Data instead. The restaurants in nearby Sagada are great!
Wala! The businessmen I spoke to are clueless and uncaring. They do not realize the implications of this latest move on Bautista’s part.