Palay farmers are restive

Some palay farmers covered by irrigation in Bago are restive. They were not able to plant their third crop as irrigation stopped February 13 with the projected start of the work on the canal rehabilitation. But, they said, up to now work has not started yet. They should have been allowed to have their third crop. Bago irrigation covers some 16,000 hectares but a little less than 10,000 hectares did not plant their third crop.

At 100 bags of palay for every hectare and at P400 for every bag, this means P400 million was lost. They are afraid of famine. What shall we do? they asked me. I said, I don't know. They said, if they go to public officials they might not be listened to. I said they should go in a group but their problem is the fare.

If they would go to court and sue for damages, they have no lawyer.

I said our palay farmers must learn how to be assertive and how to be self-reliant. If they cannot protect themselves they should not expect others to protect them.

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These are the palay farmers in the land used to be owned by the late Newton Jison. I cannot understand why they cannot be assertive.

This is the group of farmers used to be rocked by trouble, not with the landowners but among themselves. I recall some years back, they did not go to court if some of them got killed. They just avenged the death. And this went on for some time. Lately, it was peaceful. I hope our officials go there and address their problems. Or there might be some lawyers interested in taking up their cause. That's P400 million worth of cases.

This came up because they saw our program last Friday discussing with NFA and provincial agricultural officials food security.

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We want to condole with the bereaved family of the late lawyer Angel F. Lobaton, Sr. who died Friday. He was 88. And it was his daughter Bucay who called from the States to inform me of Angel's death.

The Negros Press Club will hold a tribute for a former Negros Press Club president and former editor of The Negros Clarion at 6 p.m. Thursday at the new building of the Rolling Hills Memorial chapel.

NPC president Amado Villacarlos is calling on NPC members, especially the elders of the Club to be there.

During his time, Lobaton was a hard-hitting local newspaperman. He was a policeman and newspaperman when he took up law and became a lawyer. He has 14 children with wife Honey Parreño who is still around at 85.

Angel was in the U.S. last year when he had his ailments and decided to come home, to die here.

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I was at the rally of Ceneco President Ed Guillem last Saturday for this week's election for the directorship of Ceneco's District 3.

I was invited to be there and was happy to meet old friends among the punong barangays. Ed is fighting Punong Barangay Rudy Salga of Brgy. 29 who used to be my leader too and is still a very good friend.

But Ed told me almost all the barangay captains of District 3 are with him. And I saw most of them, Captain Bebot Fuentes of Brgy. 17, Cap Madeliene Diaz of 18, Cap Rebecca Ramos of 20 was represented by the new barangay captain, her son, Captain Rommel Diaz of 22, Cap Jun Parlan of 23, Cap Toto Barilea of 25, Cap Sandy Ramos of 26, Cap Laura Blasé of 27, Cap Bebit Arcobillas of 30, and the others I did not see.

I said I could not expect Captain Primo Panaguiton of 33 because he is for Rudy Salga. But the others who I was not able to see there were Cap Yuri Yanson of 19, Ledesma of 24, Cap Diting Descalsota of 28, Cap Mercedes France of 31, Cap Tikboy Cadileña of 40 who Ed said were for him.

Although Cap Rudy Raluto of Brgy. 32 was not there but Kagawad Zenaida Lacson was there.

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In the years that I was director of District 3 and later as Ceneco president I have established a bond with all the barangay leaders because we met almost every month.

When I chose Ed Guillem to run for my position I told him to take care of the barangay leaders and they would take care of him.

And I worked it out with the board then that he become president which he did, up to now.

And I am proud. From Class "D" he raised Ceneco's category to Class A+ which means superior. And you can see this by the rate per kilowatt hour.

You make a research in the whole of West Visayas and even if you compare Meralco and Panay Electric, Ceneco's rate is the lowest.

These are due to collection efficiency, controlled pilferage, lowered systems loss, and controlled operational expense. Yet Ceneco pays the highest wages among electric cooperatives.

Ceneco is the biggest business establishment with a budget of P2.5 billion. Double the budget of the far cities and two municipalities it covers.

Ed Guillem is the youngest to ever become Ceneco president. And, while most spent some time as director before becoming president. Guillem became president after his election as director.

He was a businessman selling spices at Libertad after his graduation at La Salle when we chose him to run for the directorship. He was popularly unknown but proved that hard work really pays.*

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