La Union for
scrapping of CARP

The opposition to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reformist is not just confined to pressing for increase for support services but includes the outright scrapping of the CARP.

This was the report received yesterday by the undersigned from Ilocano residents of the area who had attended the hearing conducted there by the House Agrarian Reform committee over the weekend.

It was part of the simultaneous hearings on CARP by the House Agrarian Reform committee.

The one heard in Dumaguete City by Rep. E. Valdez, committee vice chair, elicited a negative score with majority of those who testified giving vent to their frustrations and even suggesting that hence forth implementation of the program be done in coordination with the local government units.

Rep. Pablo Garcia, one of the original authors of the CARL, dubbed CARP as a failure because of its failure to improve the living standards of the agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Worse, the hearing failed to be properly disseminated so that even Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) failed to attend the hearing. There was no Negrense solon who was able to join the hearing despite the fact that Ferrer, himself, had earlier suggested that Bacolod be selected as the best venue for the hearing to allow both the pro and anti-CARP elements to voice out their concerns.

Well, the way I understand it, there is now a growing concern among members of both the House and the Senate that they have been listening more to Manila backbenchers rather than to the stakeholders out in the countryside and thus, lack the true, picture of the actual situation. More, later.

***

Yesterday, I got hold again of another study by Trocho, C. et al, 1998 which throws added light into the hazard of Aspartame investigation or taking in.

Neuroscientist Russel Blaylock, MD came out with a very interesting paper that states that it is now demonstrated that formaldehyde formation from aspartame ingestions are very common and does indeed accumulate within the cell, reacting with cellular proteins (mostly enzyme) and DNA (both mitochondrial and nuclear). The fact that it accumulates with each dose, indicates grave consequences among those who consume diet drinks and foodstuffs on a daily basis.

Trocho’s study shows that there are extremely high level of adducts of formaldehyde, a substance that is responsible for chronic deleterious effects that has also been considered carcinogenic.

***

The Sacred Heart Seminary Lay Alumni Association officers agreed Sunday to undertake an intensive survey of alumni of the diocesan study center in preparation or the Diamond Jubilee homecoming of the Bacolod based seminary.

Sotero Milos, the president and vice president Jovic M. Madayag are spearheading the drive to recruit more of the former lay alumni.

Helping them are Nelson Pineda, Dabenogremo Estanaliso, Ramon Combite and PIO Raymundo Valencia.

Valencia yesterday met with Msgr. Dodong of the San Carlos Diocese in Paraiso to discuss how parish priests of the diocese will join the drive to call back to the homecoming for students of the diocesan seminary.

Several years ago, during their 50th year of the seminary, hundreds of local alumni attended the gathering.

We hope to be able to muster a bigger crowd, stressed Alan Dejanos and Reynaldo Bayona, members of the board of trustees.

Others involved in the homecoming recruitment are Tomas Gemarino, Leonel Horvidall, Juencho Popao, Samson Soriano and Marlon Tan.

Incidentally, lawyer Lyzander (Bong) Dilag, legal adviser of the alumni association, has been designated to lead the Metro Manila campaign to invite more lay alumni to join the homecoming which is scheduled either before or after as the climax of the Diamond Jubilee celebration which will also feature a reunion of priests-alumni.

The next meeting of the board will be on Easter Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Seminary parlor.

Incidentally, according to Valencia, Msgr. Josefino Iledan, rector of the Kabankalan Cathedral, had assured the cooperation with priests of the diocese to encourage more lay alumni of the seminary to join the October affair.

But, as pointed out by Dejaros, we are going to have a pre-homecoming affair.

Anyway, just for the record, I have been appointed by the board as one of the members of the Council of Elders. This is an advisory group of former seminary students. This will include former presidents of the lay alumni association. I suggested the name of Fr. Manuel Porquez, now retired priest of the San Carlos Diocese, as a member of the council.*

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