MDDC visitors from
Tolong, Oriental Negros

As a jaded journalist, I never expected a surprise of the magnitude that I encountered yesterday. This was the convergence in Bacolod of some 18-members of the Tolong Mill District Development Council.

Another surprise, the group had spent the Thursday night at the Mambucal Summer Resort where they reportedly had a good rest. Why, the surprise? One cannot anticipate that a small group like the Tolong sugar farmers (mostly small farmers) would take time to spend two or three days on the road to visit MDDC projects to imbibe new farming technology and to learn new cane varieties and their performance.

The leader of the group was Preciosa Maturan, chair of the Tolong Multipurpose Cooperative, one of the most successful sugar cooperatives today.

They also had with them the chair of the Tolong MDDC Luis Sumalpong. He is a low-key person who, however, when he speaks comes up with very sensible impressions and ideas.

When they arrived at the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations office, they were met by Federico Locsin III, chair, vice chair Luis Tongoy, and office secretary Herman Santos.

Later, Nehemias de la Cruz, of the Victorias MDDC arrived and greeted them. They were bound to visit the Victorias MDDC for another study tour.

Actually, as Precious called it, the trip was a study tour. Their purpose was to meet with MDDC officers and their representatives so they could be briefed on what these mill district development councils were doing.

The first stop was in San Carlos City where they stayed overnight after a look-see at the San Carlos MDDC. Aside from taking in new farm technology, they also wanted to see the new cane varieties available and learn from their performance which one could be adaptable "in our area", Mrs. Maturan said.

At the Victorias MDDC, not only did they visit the cane variety center but they also inquired into what were the newly-discovered farm implements crafted out of indigenous materials.

And, yes, they also got briefed on "humus", the fertilizer that has been drawing a lot of interest among sugar farmers.

The visiting delegation included Nove Herrero and Cloelita R. Rodriguez, both directors of the TMDDC, Agustina Torreda also of the same outfit. They also had in tow the representative of the Herminio Teves Sugar Central, Lyn Gerian and Estela Torreda, both members of the MDDC. Ms. Gerian actually is the secretary of the MDDC.

They also brought with them Danny Buscar, TMDDC field inspector and sugar farmers Gemma Sumalpong, Lyn Aguilar, Vivia Opeda, Liberty Herreno, and Julie Saquin and as Ruperto Cuaycong.

They were joined by Cristina Diao, and Alejandro Villanueva Jr. assistant field inspector, and CPA's MDDC representative Protacio Arnaiz.

"Kokoy" Locsin, luckily, had earlier visited the Tolong mill district and had been impressed by their development and progressive ideas.

Thus, their visit to Confed Panay-Negros chapter, ended up as an exchange of new ideas which the TMDDC members had been keen about.

***

We don't want to jump the gun on the police probe into the shooting of Bambi Yngson. But the police must go to the bottom of the incident without fear of transgressing on the sensibilities of the two involved.

Which does not speak well of Land Transportation Office regional director Gerard Caminia who intimated that Yngson should be investigated on his ownership of several colorum vehicles. He even said that Yngson's daily tirades against the LTO was because of his ownership of the colorum vehicles.

While he called on local media to be cautious in dealing with the issue, especially dubbing it as an affront against freedom of the press, he had already put on line the LTO itself.

If it is true that Yngson has colorum vehicles, how come Caminia had not gone ahead and filed charges against the radioman?

In short, if anybody deserves to be blamed for what happened, it is Caminia for not acting on the issue of the colorum vehicles.

Anyway, the LTO is also in trouble, precisely because I, myself, had long known about the alleged extortion activities by LTO roving units in the province. This had long been written about by local mediamen, but they are still around. And the latest denunciation came from Jessie Ortega, UNDOC secretary-general. The latter exposed allegedly hard exactions by LTO personnel against driver for minor violations. And he said that the Yngson shooting could expose the LTO can of worms.*

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