On Feedback

A friend texted me the rat, in the race of 12 animals in the Chinese calendar, did not only beat the bull. It beat all, being the first to arrive. Be a rat and be a winner.

I say to the correction, “To sia” or thank you. Welcome is “Huan ying.” I am becoming more Chinese now.

We are happy to have received a text from Ms Grace Arceo of Cebu Pacific who called up on the items we wrote here about the complaints. I directed her to talk to my son-in-law Jonathan.

She said, she was very concerned about the complaints of passengers.

Then immediately after her call, Ms Maricon Katalbas, also texted which text I forwarded also to Ms Arceo. Ms Katalbas complained that the security guard refused to let her cousin in, reasoning out it was crowded.

As a result, she was bumped off and the waitlisted passengers were the ones allowed to fly. I don't know if Ms Arceo took care of her problem. She did not ask for Ms Katalbas' cellphone number.

I reiterate here, our purpose is for Cebu Pacific to improve its service. I don't want to have a monopoly in our airlines.

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The other feedback. There are more than 8, not counting past presidents, positioning to run for the office in 2010. He mentioned Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay and National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. Maybe more are still coming.

This makes 10 candidates now. Why don't we let them all run? It will trivialize our presidential election. But if it will make more people happy, why not? Some will run for the funds of it.

The biggest problem will be that the president will not have a national mandate if he does not get the majority of the voters. In 1992, there were, I think, six candidates. And the winner Fidel Ramos got, I think, less than 30 percent.

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Many also said, it was statesmanship that I refused the draft to run for the presidency of the Negros Press Club this year. Whatever you call it, I don't want to make it appear there are no capable leaders among our media people.

Yesterday, members of the Council of Past Presidents of the Negros Press Club sat down with Nonoy Lampines, one of those planning to run for the presidency. He told us of his plans.

Lampines stayed long as Bombo Radio reporter and today teaches journalism at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos . He also has a television program at Channel 14.

The other contender is Cyrus Garde. Cyrus is a newspaper reporter and was also formerly in the radio. Somebody is arranging that he sits down with the Council. Individual members of the Council have their choice but the Council as a group supports no one.

Many agreed we must be careful with the funds of the Club. Toti Ramos will set up the system. Toti is just returning the compliment. In 1962, or 46 years ago, NPC gave him an award as an outstanding city councilor. He was a former chairman of the CPA Board of Accountancy

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We were happy to read Provincial Board Member Nene de la Cruz is recovering fast from a mild stroke he suffered last month. We are happy, too, that Gov. Joseph Marañon is doing fine.

It was painful to see in the papers our contemporaries falling one by one. Joe Ealdama last month and Gov. Jun Montelibano this month. Joe will be 75 this March. Jun was 75 yesterday.

Omar Khayyam said it in his rubaiyat (philosophy) that the “Wine of Life keeps oozing drop by drop,/ The Leaves of Life keep falling one by one.”

And we cannot stop it as Omar wrote in the same Rubaiyyat, “The Moving Finger writes,/ And after having writ, moves on,/ Not all your piety nor wit can lure to cancel half a line,/ Nor all your Tears wash away a Word of it.”

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And Life must go on. At the Council, we just call CPP, we have chosen to be closer to each other, meeting as often to enjoy each other's company, to discuss and argue anything under the sun.

That is how to enjoy our senior years.

We plan to be active in the Negros Press Club but without intruding on how to run the Club.*

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