De Venecia -
the supreme optimist

Well, it now seems apparent that Speaker Jose De Venecia, Lakas-NUCD president, has succumbed to extreme optimism in predicting the activation of a unicameral parliament by July 15. He launched in Victorias City the People's Initiative for activation on March 25.

But for all his enthusiasm for the political exercise to be implemented nationwide by the ULAP and other local government officials, De Venecia seems to have overlooked a fundamental issue - the enabling act for People's Initiative.

The same day that he was predicting the exercise shall have been completed by April and submitted to authentication by the Commission on Elections, Senator Francisco Pangilinan was telling Dumagueteños that it cannot be done without the authority of an enabling act of Congress.

In short, the enabling act should be approved by both chambers of Congress and must be signed into law by the President.

That it may be approved by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo seems certain. De Venecia, himself, said that the charter change had been given her imprimatur by GMA.

But the issue boils down to the fact that the bill for it has not yet been filed in Congress. Perhaps, the lower House, but certainly not in the Senate. And it usually takes time for the upper chamber to act on a controversial measure such as People's Initiative.

But De Venecia waxed ecstatically to local mediamen that the country will see the chief executive sign the measure into law.

Perhaps, that's the thing that may have prompted De Venecia to wax eloquent about the people's initiative and what it could result to.

Anyway, the prospects are that the move is going to spark a series of lawsuits. Watch for the fireworks.

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They failed to succeed in calling Paglaum Sports Complex Bacolod City Stadium. But the various proposals to change the management of the complex virtually guarantees that it will ultimately end up that way - the elimination of one name and the changeover to Bacolod City stadium.

Nothing wrong about that. Except, of course, the term Paglaum Sports complex has become revered. It is equated with sports. And it has become a byword in national sports circle. Paglaum virtually connotes Bacolod and Negros Occidental.

Now, the provincial government has finally served notice that it wants to revoke the deed of donation of the sports complex to the education department. And it is but right. The provincial government under Gov. Joseph Marañon has shown that it can rehabilitate and handle the job of managing a major enterprise like the Paglaum Sports Complex. At least, now it has the Mambukal Summer Resort as an example of its competence to make what used to be a funnel for government funds into an earning enterprise.

What made matters worse, was that the proposal to have the Negros Occidental Sports and Cultural Foundation be represented in the stadium's governing board. Even the chairman, Lito Coscolluela, admitted that he had not been consulted about it, much less endorsed the idea. The worst cut was the Bacolod City would be given the chance to meddle in its management when the NOHS, the primary beneficiary of the earnings of the stadium belongs to the Negros Occidental Schools Division.

The various proposals may have been well-intentioned. After all, Bacolod City may have enough funds to spare for Paglaum. Still, that plus the proposal for the Office of Rep. Monico Puentevella (Bacolod City) to be also represented in the board virtually gives Newks' group three votes plus whoever could be cajoled into supporting the trio.

In short, it is best for Education Undersecretary Ramon Bacani to adopt the revocation proposal by the provincial government and cede the complex back to the province which can assure that it will be well-managed and well-maintained.

Well, at least, we are crossing our fingers. We hope that the Paglaum Sports Complex will remain standing for a long time and symbolize the sports-minded province of Negros Occidental.

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With the P5 million bounty for former Senator Gringo Honasan, City Mayor May May Barcelona admits that he has received a spate of text messages reporting that the solon had been spotted all over Negros Occidental.

And, I suppose that this can soon become a flood. Both the police and other law enforcement agencies as well as local government officials may soon be tormented by all kinds of rumors and tales of the elusive former RAM leader.

The problem is that there are loads of pranksters around. They derive pleasure from peddling all kinds of tales that make people go crazy. They did this before with the Avian flu scare. And they are bound to take advantage of any situation to pull the legs of people about this or that rumor, especially for a hot potato like Gringo Honasan.

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Now that summer is around and graduations being held by the dozens all over the country, people have started tinkering with the idea of where to go next for their summer vacation.

We should now have taken advantage of selling Negros Occidental as another primary destination. Mambukal should be a good selling point. It is one of the country's upland resorts. And we should be able to rake in our share of tourists if we just take pains to project it as an ideal destination for visitors. By now, with thousands who have visited it the whole of last year, its fame must have already spread abroad.

And, perhaps, the best thing we can do is for us to be among the first to patronize the resort. Even if only for curiosity's sake - to find out for ourselves the improvement amazingly undertaken by the provincial government to rehabilitate and upgrade what had already been considered a has-been resort.

The other side to that proposal. It does not take much expense to be able to enjoy Mambukal. Or Buenos Aires. And, yes the other resorts of Negros Occidental, especially southern Negros' Sipalay City, Hinobaan, and Cauayan.

It may be a good idea for the provincial tourism council to encourage - the Know Your Province program to spur Negrenses to learn more about our local tourist spots.

Of course, there are plans for the Negros Island tour. But that could come later. First, know about our province. Later the entire island. And perhaps, much later, other parts of the country.*

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