Onset of rainy season

As I had earlier said, one can notice a natural rainfall when the ground temperature also drops. And that's what happened yesterday. I think the traditional farmers were correct in their observation that the distinguishing bark between the artificial rain is the ground temperature. No, this is not to disparage the provincial cloud-seeing project. Just to put the record right insofar as the testing of the weather is concerned.

Why did I point that out? Simply because I remembered what the old-timers used to tell me during the Martial Law years when cloud seeding first became popular.

And also to alert the public that, perhaps, we may succumb to the traditional Filipino way of anticipating events by procrastination. That often puts us in the doldrums before we can react properly to cope with emergencies.

Dumaguete City got caught by surprise by the thunderstorm that struck it Wednesday night. Not that it really caused much destruction. The damage was minimal. Still, I think it is about time that we start cleaning up our waterways before the real onset of the rainy season by May. By that time, I think it will be too late for us to introduce changes needed to cope with the rainy weather.

***

I would like to point out that Ceneco director and chair of the Metro-Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industries Roberto Montelibano yesterday showed me that he was sincere in alerting the public to the new mindset of the Ceneco board.

I never expected Montelibano to send me his message. Bobby told me that Ceneco assisted the Transco in the repair of its 99 KV power barge tender along Libertad near Rosario Street which developed problems that was behind the prolonged brownout of the downtown area Thursday.

I suppose one cannot solve the problem. It had already occurred. But one gets satisfaction with the awareness that Ceneco officials take time out to explain to the public what had happened and to act speedily to help solve a problem even if it happened to a Transco facility.

In short, Montelibano showed that even a mere Ceneco director can act faster than a former Ceneco president in pinpointing and explaining a deficiency in service by the electric cooperative.

These are the types of officials we need at the helm of service companies and government offices.

Atta, Boy, Bobby Monte. Hope your tribe increases.

***

My congratulations to the new officers of the Negros Press Club, headed by president Angelino "Jun" Julita.

They will be inducted tonight by former presidential chief of Staff Mike Defensor who will also be guest speaker.

Amado Villacarlos will turn over the mantle of leadership to Julita immediately after they shall have been sworn into office.

Cyrus Garde is the vice president with Edgar Cadagat as the secretary. The other officers are Treasurer Henceboy Cestina, Auditor Renato Duran, with directors Loreto Jun Lapuos, Jose Lizael Lampinez, Aquilino "Boy" Ciocon, Ferdinand Yngson, and Anthony Visitacion. Past president, Villacarlos will be ex-oficio member of the board.

The Council of past NPC Presidents will also be out in force to lend their support for the organization. But Primo Esleyer, the chairman of the Council, cannot attend the induction.

He told me last night that they are celebrating the graduation from medicine of Primo Esleyer III and he has many visitors to entertain tonight.

***

The intra-familia battle among the Gatuslaos of Himamaylan City has become serious. At first, I thought it was just a case of "tampo" that could be healed before the election. But apparently I was wrong.

Three days ago, I met Legislative Secretary Tony Gatuslao at the café of the Mayfair. And Tony explained to me how he tried to discourage his son, Alain "Lyn" from running against his aunt, incumbent Mayor Menchit Bascon.

But Tony said he conveyed to Menchit, Lyn's condition for him to withdraw his candidacy. That means the firing out of an official of the City government.

Since "Menchit could not do it, or refused to do as she had promised earlier she would, there was nothing I could do to stop Lyn," Tony said.

He, himself, had reportedly warned Menchit that this "fellow" was besmirching the good name of the Gatuslao family. "We never had been involved in corruption, but this person seems unmindful of the fact that he is destroying the good name and reputation of the Gatuslao family," Tony told me frankly.

But Alice, daughter of the late Hernan Gatuslao, former Himamaylan Mayor, is also running for the same position. If there was any Gatuslao for whom I had a very high regard, it was Hernan who used to be my drinking partner at the Cinco Litros in Manila.*

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