Baguio City Local Elections (Part 2): My Take So Far
Today, I had long conversations with two Baguio residents: the first was with M on on the phone, the second was with C, a very unexpected guest who just walked in to check Atenara House out. Both ladies are active in the Baguio tourism scene — M is a hotel owner and C is a travel consultant. We got to talk about who we think will win as Baguio Mayor, which candidate we hope will win, and the future of Baguio in general.
Here goes . . .
It seems Bernie Vergara and Peter Rey Bautista are the candidates to watch. If they were to run one-on-one, it seems the latter has a stronger chance of winning because he represents hope. But you see, there are nine cadidates, and one of them shares Bautista’s surname so whenever “Bautista” is written on the ballot, it will not be credited to either candidate. For Peter Rey’s votes to count, he has the burden of telling the electorate to specify his first name.
Vergara on the other hand, is a seasoned politician. When he was running for reelection as Mayor three years ago, he lost miserably to Braulio Yaranon (our suspended mayor who is running again also). Vergara bore the brunt of the electorate’s displeasure over the pay parking scheme which he inherited from his predecessor, ex-mayor Mauricio Domogan (who is running for his 3rd term as Congressman).
Both M and C are rooting for Peter Rey. Not because he is great, but because Vergara’s track record is less than stellar. He is very much a traditional politician (Lisa says: But aren’t they all?) There’s a 3rd contender, Leandro Yangot, whom the taxi drivers like for some unkown reason. With nine candidates for mayor and a voter turnout of about 60,000 only, the oversupply of 2,500 taxis could work as a great swing vote in 2007.
So I asked the ladies, “But which one of them has a platform that we can support?” It seems none of the candidates has really presented a platform. Just battlecries like “Simple Lang” or “Stop the Uglification of Baguio.” Vergara is known in these parts for always saying “Share the Sunshine” but that’s not really a campaign slogan but a promise or a demand whenever he is in power.
C says that, instead of endorsing a particular candidate, she plans to put up a voter’s poster on her gate that tells the electorate what she’s looking for in an elected official. Maybe that would be a good move in 2010. With the elections just about a week away, I don’t think it’ll create much of an impact.
M says, no matter who wins, we should take matters into our own hands as far as Baguio’s future is concerned and take to the streets. C said the same thing, and added that it’s because these politicians do not know how to manage Baguio. So I start thinking, yup, these are the same guys running who have been mismanaging Baguio all these years. Both through ignorance and out of greed. Who’s fault is that? The electorate’s of course. But who are the majority of people populating Baguio? Not the Igorots anymore, really. But poorfolk and richfolk alike who care only about making a living, sucking up to whomever is in power, and not caring if they trash beautiful Baguio while they’re at it.
But like typical Filipinos, the private sector only moves when it feels it’s time to say, “Tama Na, Sobra Na.” There’s nothing progressive about Baguio really:
- There are little terrorist gangs who maim and kill each other, and spray paint every clean wall in Baguio with their secret language, and all the government wants them to do is register their “fraternities.” How about arresting these little criminals instead (and their permissive parents right along with them) to set them straight? The cops will say, “We do not have enough jails” or “We can’t tell which one in the gang was responsible for the stabbing . . .” Duh!
- There’s a high rate of abortion among the students and Lulu Tabanda (ex-vice mayor now running for councilor) blames it on prostitution (Lisa says: wake up and smell the stench, Atty. Tabanda, all these “transient” students from the lowlands do not have their mommies to watch over them so even those who give sex away for free get pregnant and have the babies aborted plus there are many of those Baguio mommies who allow their teenage kids to sleep over in other houses all the time or go out drinking) and wants the local government to grant more scholarships to lower prostitution levels (Lisa says: But isn’t that what student prostitutes are called nowadays by the dirty old men — their “scholars?”)
- There are ugly conspicuous structures all over the city, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere that shout “Clean Restrooms.” Do they have plumbing? Wouldn’t it be classier to have restaurants or snack bars wrapped around those restrooms to disguise them? Charging Php5 for “Ihi” and Php10 for “T_e” or “D_mi” is so totally declassé
- With a population of about 250,000, we still have only 5 police precincts, with just 2 or 3 patrol cars each.
And my list goes on and on . . .
I have to mention this, as far as the battle for the lone congressional seat is concerned, I think Joe Molintas will have a tough fight on his hands because he is up against ever so popular Domogan, whose only act of legislation, as far as I know, in the past six years, is to rename Park Drive to Nanoy Ilusorio Drive. Who is friggin’ Nanoy Ilusorio? Not some hero, but just the majority stockholder of Baguio Country Club. Now what had he achieved during his lifetime to deserve a street named in his honor? Nothing. All he did was buy up the shares of the Americans in that exclusive club. You know of course that only the congressman can change street names . . .
Haaayyyy, Baguio!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the insider’s look on what’s going on in Baguio. O sige, I’ll ask my folks to vote for Peter Rey Bautista too. Mr. Vergara has been in the political business too long, let’s try other people- give chance to others.
Wow, you pretty much covered major issues in Baguio. I didn’t know how bad the gang stuff has gotten. Gaya-gaya kasi sa mga gangs dito sa America.
Good posting Lisa. Travel consultant ey….does her last name end with A? I did yahoo messengered/talked sometime with a certain C and mentioned your name.Maybe she and M(don’t want to guess on this) and you of course form a Reform Baguio ladies chapter and go march the streets of Baguio(Session & Abanao etc.). Can the wives of the Bautista’s join your causes? Or are they mere pawns of their better halves. We’re all ears if all of you can do something about the immediate problems you mentioned.
What? i do hope they have septic tanks cum water for these foul business they’re putting up(or is it just down the chute thingy). How many more policemen & patrol cars do you need to handle the said population and can GMA authorize for this? Goodluck Lisa and the elections is just around the corner. Here’s hoping Lourdes Tabanda joins your wagon. Keep us abreast.
Hi Tina,
Yup the gangs even adopt the US names like Bloods and Crips or something. But here they recruit kids in grade school!
Hello Joe,
Yup her maiden name starts with an A. Maybe she uses that now. I think we need more cops and precincts because one precinct with a few cops for every 50,000 people does not a safe city make. Plus they stinge on streetlights here. I love the Baguio cops, though, they’re pretty honest. They just have to know the law (which they kinda don’t - hahaha).
Domogan is a disappointment indeed! And hu-waat? Only one useless law enacted in 6 years?? tsk tsk.
Why will u consider one who cannot decide on matters? Someone who plays safe in the jadewell issue? Will you go for someone who stay silent? I’d rather go for Yaranon than Peter…mang Raul has at least the BALLS. What has peter accomplished during his stint? Ahh yes, he passed the Jadewell decision back to the city council when he could have decided in favor of the people of baguio right then. Peter ray even allowed dirt biking at the melvin jones, and when he saw people didnt like this, he says he did not like it too and he was not able to look into this matter. Public officials are bound by their obligation to the PEOPLE and not on thei obligatiuon to people they know.
Barangay Balsigan, Poliwes, Sn.Vicente, Irisan, Camp7, Bakakeng Norte, SLU-SVP, Bakakeng Central, Bengao, Crystal Cave, to name some are supporting Leandro Yangot Jr., for his platform of “grassroots first”. A politician during his teens (brgy capt), his leadership skills and experience are unquestioned. Numerous controversies or should i say hearsay has come up while against Yangot, but then we say that crab mentality is so strong in our culture that it shows. Not one of the issues has been proven. There is this student yangot cheater and this certain mr.pelle who hasn’t even showed up until now…. Not even after Yangot challenges him to show up. Yangot has been brgy capt for quite sometime so he knows that development starts from that level. He was also no.1 councilor in the past election because of this program.
Vergara has been tagged as a traditional politician by some. That will definitely cost a lot of votes. Elmo has not much to say when it comes to experience. His name is not also that “mabango” that casting vote for him will be a waste. Labo had his career peak, his platform doesn’t intrigue even the common man.
If you are promasses, then go for yangot. He offers the hope we all long for.
Vote straight for this young but skilled leader, vote Yangot!
Interesting document on local baguio politics:
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http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/a2e630b340.jpg
to baguio officials!
the heck is gthe matter with you!!! what on earth is going on with thgarbage system????? now that you made this stupid resolution, every house hold is burning their garbage which then contribute to the more thinning of the ozone layer and far more additive to trhe global warning issue! thanks to you mayor bautista! a very good move indeed! may your tribe diminish!!!! yo baguio poor you are, with the thick pollution you have now and unexplained traffic scheme! ay apo adi!!!! adi yu bukbukudan ed gawis!!!!!
i wish the good mayor does something about a few things that will surely make Baguio cleaner and a better place for its residents (and visitors too)
1. vendors, especially the transient ones from nearby provinces. they come in the daytime, take over our streets and sidewalks, leave their trash behind, hardly make any contribution to the city coffers, and best of all, competes with bonafide residents for livelihood.
2. ever heard of over-saturation? there are just too many vendors of second hand (to read: stolen) cellphones, cell cards, cell phone accessories, pirated discs, smuggled electronics, imitation rubber shoes, and almost anything that can be replicated (including money)…just wondering whether these businessmen still make money or are they just fronts for other activities? mayor, can we regulate licensing of these vendors?
3. Baguio is choking from too much pollution… what about a smoking ban not only in public places but in selected streets as well, like session road? Have you ever walked behind someone smoking? Maybe if we had cleaner air, then people will walk again (like in the 60’s and 70’s) and use their cars less and then we can all breathe pine scented air again.
Hi Lisa, it seems Baguio hasn’t moved forward since the last elections as can be gleaned from the previous posts. In a way, I’m glad Mr. Vergara did not win because had he, the benches around Burnham lake would have had canopies by now. They were just starting with one or two benches and the elections caught up with it. Thought they were so kitschy.