Napoles and the American Gangster

Now that Napoles is in the custody of the Philippine government, P-noy has an ace in his sleeves to clean house, particularly the Lower House and the Upper House (Senate) of Congress. Of course, this assumes her former cohorts (now her worst enemies) in Congress don't assassinate her first.

I was not exactly comforted when Secretary Lacierda, during a live press briefing this morning, informed the media and the public at large that the President himself inspected the holding area in which Napoles would be secured. Read between the lines. The President has no confidence in the overall integrity of the system to secure Napoles, which includes the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National Police (PNP), among other government agencies. I sure hope DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP Chief Purisima assign their most trusted adjutants to keep Napoles alive and talking.

In the movie, "American Gangster", which was based on the true-to-life criminal exploits of Frank Lucas (played by Denzel Washington), incorruptible detective Richie Roberts (played by Russell Crowe) gave Lucas a chance at a shorter jail sentence if he (Lucas) aided his (Roberts) investigation. Lucas initially offered to bribe Roberts but eventually provided names of dirty cops in the New York Police Department (NYPD), out of respect for Roberts' incorruptibility. In the end, three quarters of the New York Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) were arrested and convicted. Moreover, after having been condemned and sentenced to 22 years of prison (apparently to Lucas' satisfaction), Lucas provided additional evidence that led to more than one-hundred drug-related convictions.

If Napoles knows what's good for her, she should spill the beans quickly and thoroughly before her new found enemies in Congress have a chance to silence her. It would not be surprising at all if, like the New York DEA in the case of Lucas, three quarters of the Philippine Congress (Lower House and the Senate) would be arrested and convicted due to the disclosures of Napoles. The mandate of P-noy and his team is clear. Clean house then transform house.

After the purge, abolishing the Philippine Congress would be a great start! "Let's just abolish Congress then." We, the people, concur!

"Let's just abolish Congress then." We, the people, concur!

Senate President Franklin Drilon said that while the PDAF would be abolished as declared by the President, each lawmaker would still retain their right to direct a portion of the annual budget (P200 million  for each senator and P70 million for a representative) to a hospital or a road project that they desired.

“What will happen if we will not take a direct hand (in the identification of projects)? Let’s just abolish Congress then,” he said.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/475275/drilon-lets-just-abolish-congress-then#ixzz2dGHQLlg8

Drilon, the Senate President himself, just doesn’t get it. We, the people, are screaming for the abolition of the PDAF, the pork barrel and/or whatever it may be called in the future, including the abolition of any right (perceived or otherwise) of all legislators (both in the Lower House and in the Senate) to direct any portion of the annual budget to any project they desire. We don’t trust you and we wholeheartedly accept your suggestion (arguably the most worthy in your entire political career) to abolish Congress (both the Lower House and the Senate). This is the first step in overhauling the thoroughly corrupt and inept Philippine legislature.

In place of the abolished Congress should be a legislative body of no more than (or not to exceed) fifty (50) individuals representing the various regions of the Philippines, which translates to an efficient representative ratio of 1 for every 2 million Filipinos based on the current estimated population of 100 million. The sole purpose of these 50 representatives would be to legislate--no PDAF, no pork barrel.

But here’s the real solution. These 50 representatives and all elected officials in the Philippines going forward should be elected under a weighted voting system prescribed under the Responsible Democracy Act of the Philippines. Then, we’ll finally get rid of such poor excuses for legislators like Tito Sotto, Lito Lapid, Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Revilla, among others . . . and witness real progress in the Philippines.

Thresher Sharks and Malapascua

I googled this picture as the ones I took were too dark.

Like whale sharks (butanding) and Donsol (Sorsogon), the fate of thresher sharks and Malapascua (Cebu) are inextricably intertwined. Unlike the whale sharks in Donsol that seem to have fled the vicinity (except perhaps for a handful of appearances a quarter), the thresher sharks of Malapascua still appear at Monad Shoal at the crack of dawn like clockwork.

Before one of our dives in Malapascua

During this particular scuba diving excursion organized by our friends at Planet Dive (many thanks to TB, Gerard and Dencio for a wonderful trip), we had two early morning attempts to view the magnificent thresher sharks. On the first try, there were already four diving boats ahead of us and only the first batch in our group had a brief glimpse of one thresher shark that quickly disappeared into the deep blue sea. The following morning, we were the second diving boat to arrive and (eureka!) we saw at least two thresher sharks meandering along Monad Shoal. Noteworthy is the the thresher shark's unusually long tail fin, which is not only pretty but apparently critical to the creature's survival. Thresher sharks use their tails like bullwhips to kill or stun prey. The brief video clip below was taken by Philippe Wong during our August 23, 2013 early morning dive at a depth of about 90 feet. Well done Philippe! 

According to the local divers, the thresher sharks visit Monad Shoal regularly to get cleaned and to rid themselves of parasites--dutifully done by the resident cleaner fishes. However, all is not exactly well. The boat loads of scuba divers (as many as 20 scuba diving boats congregate above Monad Shoal at the crack of dawn during the peak months) that visit these days are currently brought to a new section of Monad Shoal. That's because the thresher sharks rarely show up in the "old" section, which begs the question: what scared-off the thresher sharks from the old section in the first place? Moreover, are we, in fact, scaring-off the thresher sharks from the new section of Monad Shoal? Only time will tell.

Our group spent a portion of our final diving day at Gato Island, a marine sanctuary about an hour away from Malapascua by boat. Most enjoyable with its varied topography and good coral conditions. Our second dive at Gato Island was also my first dive through an underwater tunnel, which reinforced what I already knew--I don't like confined spaces, particularly underwater.

One of the first things we saw upon entering the water at Gato Island was dead "dilis" (shiny silver fish about the size of your small finger but much thinner) sprawling all over the sea floor--a result of dynamite fishing, according to the local divers, that apparently still occurs in the vicinity. These illegal fishermen should be caught and executed in full view of the public to mitigate these downright ignorant and destructive practices.

Malapascua itself is a relatively small but beautiful island with white sand beaches that rival Boracay. There's a resort priced like Shangri-La Hotel and others for cost-conscious travelers. For hearty meals without frills, go to the restaurant at Kokay's Maldito Beach Resort. Angelino's is a real gem of an Italian restaurant in this island paradise. It's run by a friendly Italian couple, who I hope will teach as many Malapascuans their delicious Italian recipes.

In the case of the whale sharks in Donsol, it appears their eco-tourism story has come full circle and it's not a happy ending. The whale sharks are virtually gone and so is the eco-tourism livelihood in town. Oslob (about 3 hours drive south of Cebu City) appears to be faring better than Donsol, even though Oslob's methods are a bit controversial. They feed the whale sharks that keep them coming back for more. To date, more than 120 individual whale sharks have been identified visiting the shores of Oslob for some free chow. Again, only time will tell if Oslob is really doing a better job than Donsol at balancing environmental protection and the livelihood of the local community.

After having viewed both the thresher sharks in Malapascua and the whale sharks in Oslob during this trip to Cebu, I wish that every individual would have the opportunity to witness these magnificent creatures up-close and personal for many generations to come.

Noche De Ronda

CD cover of our musical recording, which was actually a picture taken
after rendering a few songs at a church charity event

From left to right: Raffy P. Villanueva, violinist (inset), Arminio Estalilla, pianist, Minguita P. Lopez, vocalist, Betta P. Gallego-Kramer, vocalist and Manuel P. Gallego, vocalist. Produced by my Tita Lou Ellen B. Padilla, wife of my Ninong Teddy, the late Justice Teodoro R. Padilla.

1)     You're My Everything - Minguita (for the late Teddy Padilla & Lou Ellen Padilla)
2)     You're Just Too Marvelous - Manuel (for the late Rosa Padilla Gallego)
3)     Eres Tu - Betta
4)     Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Manuel
5)     Smile - Minguita
6)     Minamahal Kita - Minguita and Betta
7)     Can't Help Falling In Love - Manuel
8)     I Could Have Danced All Night - Betta
9)     Jurame - Minguita
10)   Inamorata - Manuel
11)   Some Enchanted Evening - Betta and Manuel
12)   I Have Dreamed - Minguita
13)   Noche de Ronda - with Raffy on the violin (for our late grandfather Justice Sabino Padilla)

With special thanks to Maite P. Gallego-Zaldarriaga and Sijbren G. Kramer. Recorded at Sound Weavers Recording Studio, 2012.

Wedding Picture of our Lola Minggay and Lolo Bino

Click on this Noche De Ronda hyperlink and press the play button on the site to listen to our song.

I've always wanted to record some songs for the fun of it. When my Tito Tommy (former Philippine Ambassador to South Korea during the term of President Cory Aquino) celebrated his 80th birthday, we performed our usual musical number to regale the guests. One of them, former President Fidel Ramos (an old friend of the family), liked it so much, he cajoled us to make a recording . . . and so we did. Being the frugal people that we are, it would never have happened if not for Tita Lou volunteering to fund the project! It was a blast and I think I can speak for all those who were involved. Shortly after distributing the CD to family members, Tita Patring passed away. Raffy (Tita Patring's son and violinist in the recording) informed me that his mom enjoyed listening to the CD, which made the effort all the more worthwhile. Until our next recording . . .

Rancho Caridad Historical Marker Program, June 15, 2013

In honor of members of the family, past and present, who tended the land, my sisters and I, in cooperation with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, have installed a historical marker at our beloved Rancho Caridad.

The Program

Rancho Caridad Historical Marker Program

Gallego Family Chapel, Rancho Caridad

Nampicuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines

June 15, 2013

National Anthem                   c/o Manuel P. Gallego (recording)

Invocation                             Fr. Christian R. Magtalas, Nampicuan Parish Priest

Welcome Remarks                Violeta P. Gallego-Kramer

Unveiling of Marker               Dr. Maria Serena I. Diokno

                                             Chair, National Historical Commission of the Philippines

                                             Maria Teresa P. Gallego-Zaldarriaga

Presentation of the 

Historical Marker                  Dr. Maria Serena I. Diokno

Signing of the Certificate of Transfer of the Historical Marker:

Gallego Family                      National Historical Commission of the Philippines

Manuel P. Gallego                 Chair Maria Serena I. Diokno

Witnesses:

Gallego Family                      National Historical Commission of the Philippines

Dominique P. Gallego            Deputy Executive Director Carminda R. Arevalo

Acceptance Message            Manuel P. Gallego

Master of Ceremonies           Manuel P. Gallego

The Marker Text

Filipino Version

RANCHO CARIDAD

LUPAING SAKOP NG BAYAN NG NAMPICUAN, NUEVA ECIJA, NA PAGMAMAY-ARI NG MAG-ASAWANG CARIDAD VELASCO ONGSIACO AT MANUEL VIOLA GALLEGO. DATING BAHAGI NG MALAWAK NA HACIENDA ESPERANZA NA IPINAGKALOOB NG HARI NG ESPANYA SA ISANG ESPANYOL, IKA-19 NA SIGLO. DITO ITINATAG ANG GALLEGO INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY (GIAI) UPANG MATUGUNAN ANG PANGANGAILANGANG PANG-EDUKASYON NG MGA TAGA NAMPICUAN AT ISULONG ANG EDUKASYONG PANG-AGRIKULTURA SA GITNANG LUZON, 1953, KALAUNA’Y IPINAGKALOOB ANG PAARALAN SA DIYOSESIS NG SAN JOSE, NUEVA ECIJA UPANG IPAGPATULOY ANG SINIMULAN NG GIAI, 2011.

English Version

RANCHO CARIDAD

LOCATED IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF NAMPICUAN, NUEVA ECIJA AND OWNED BY CARIDAD VELASCO ONGSIACO AND MANUEL VIOLA GALLEGO. REMNANT OF THE VAST HACIENDA ESPERANZA, A ROYAL LAND GRANT GIVEN IN THE 19^th CENTURY. SITE OF GALLEGO INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY (GIAI), ESTABLISHED TO FULFILL THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF NAMPICUAN AND ADVANCE AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN CENTRAL LUZON, 1953. THE INSTITUTE WAS DONATED TO THE DIOCESE OF SAN JOSE, NUEVA ECIJA, IN ORDER THAT ITS MISSION BE CONTINUED, 2011.

The Acceptance Message of the Family
by Manuel P. Gallego

Good morning everyone.

I’d like to acknowledge once again the presence of our distinguished guests.

From the National Historical Commission of the Philippines . . .

Chairperson Maris Diokno

Deputy Executive Director Carminda Arevalo

Mrs. Gina Batuhan, Chief of Historic Sites and Education Division

Ms. Ellen Samonte, who is responsible for organizing this event

From the Provincial Government of Nueva Ecija . . .

Provincial Administrator, Atty. Al Abesamis

Our Municipal Administrator, Mr. Danny Bartolome, representing Mayor Lacurom

Our Parish Priest, Fr. Christian Magtalas

Our Beloved Principal of St. Pius X Institute of Nampicuan, Ms. Ella Bautista

On behalf of my father, who conveys his regrets for his absence today, my mother who is here in spirit, and my beautiful and brilliant sisters, welcome to Rancho Caridad and thank you for gracing this event.

Today, we commemorate the history of a parcel of land that has been with my family for five generations. On a personal level, the land is near and dear to my heart because it is a remnant of what was inherited by my paternal grandmother, Lola Ego or Lola Caring, Caridad Ongsiaco, who would have spoiled me rotten if she had lived longer. But that was her way and we loved her for it.

From another perspective, the land has been a compelling presence in the family through the generations. Developing then a vast uninhabited swampland into an agricultural enterprise, securing the same from lawless elements then and now. In the case of my grandfather, Manuel Viola Gallego, establishing then a high school for the local community when there was none provided by the government. In the case of my father, Manuel Ongsiaco Gallego, establishing then one of the pioneering and largest mango orchards in Central Luzon and, at the height of the communist insurgency in the country, standing our ground in refusing to pay any so-called “revolutionary taxes”.

However, the most significant collective decision of the family with respect to the land, my paternal grandparents included, was to comply at the very outset of land reform, which has been a great sacrifice and, indeed, a profound gesture of patriotism on the part of the family.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history. Apart from the loss of economies of scale in our agricultural sector, where in the civilized world would agricultural land be forcibly taken from the owner by law for making the mistake of planting a single grain of rice? Not only has the Philippines been a net importer of rice for decades,  it is as if our land as well as our dreams have been reduced to measly sachets of toothpaste and shampoo, just enough to tide us over from day to day.

Hence, what is left of Rancho Caridad today represents a glimmer of the once vast Hacienda Esperanza, a glimmer of hope that we, as individuals and as a nation, need not and should not restrict our dreams into measly sachets. Rancho Caridad serves as an inspiration to dream in a grand scale, even if government is in the way—and I don’t mean the NHCP.

To this end, my family envisions Rancho Caridad evolving like many country estates in Europe and the Americas--as an agricultural-tourism or agri-tourism site. And a very special one for various types of recreational aviation, including those that would exploit the abundant natural thermals in the area, ideal for sailplane gliding, hang gliding and paragliding.

Rancho Caridad is the only place in the Philippines today in which you can readily fly in a sailplane. Thanks to my friend, Rolf Dunder, an avid sailplane pilot who hails from Germany and has been living with his family for many years in Alabang. Rolf has already made several modest contributions to Philippine aviation history, including the first recorded sailplane flight in the Philippines, the first endurance sailplane flight in the Philippines and the first cross-country sailplane flight in the Philippines. All from Rancho Caridad, Nampicuan.

Rancho Caridad is also strategically located vis-a-vis airports and airfields throughout Luzon and is, therefore, an ideal launching point for air safaris, a novel and high-value tourism activity that has great promise in the Philippines. I have personally flown my aircraft to several of these locations for proof of concept and I am eager to share my exceptional experience with other recreational aviators and adventurers.

In closing, I thank the NHCP for recognizing the historical and moral importance of Rancho Caridad. By some stroke of luck, TPLEX, the expressway to Nampicuan, will probably be completed before the end of the year. Hopefully, our new friend from the Provincial Government, Atty. Abesamis alongside Governor Umali, will help our town of Nampicuan by prioritizing the long-awaited repair of the road from Anao to Cuyapo. That would greatly benefit our local community as well as Rancho Caridad in moving forward with our agri-turismo initiative.

Maraming salamat po.

The Tall Tree
A Poem by Sijbren G. Kramer

It stands tall the thief of light
It gains and strengthens with all its might
But comes a time in the dark of night
When all is silent no matter the height
When light returns its strength increases
While those below still wither and weaken.

The History

The Picture Essay

Another Spin Around Rancho Caridad

Still a long way to go but my aerial videos are getting better after each attempt. Thanks to the Spencer Davis Group for the music, which makes the video lots more fun to watch. It will be shown at the unveiling of the historical marker of Rancho Caridad by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on June 15, 2013. Enjoy!

Click on the following link to view the video in YouTube: Another Spin Around Rancho Caridad

Support the Mangal Marine Sanctuary Ordinance

With my virtual diving buddy, Gerald, son of Ka Pedring

I had to return to Casabangan Bay before the end of Amihan or the start of the typhoon season, so that I could revisit the diving sites in the area at the calmest time of the year (April, May and June, in the absence of a typhoon, of course). Although I have only scratched the surface, there are already two (2) exceptional diving areas I have identified just a few minutes small bangka ride from Casabangan beach. One is about 200 meters offshore fronting the electric pole of ORMECO closest to the green house on the white sand beach beside Casabangan and the other is about 100 meters offshore the mid-point of the cliff shore (also beside Casabangan) or what the locals call "Lalawigan".

The following film clip is a compilation of brief sightings of two (2) sea turtles that have survived and reside in the vicinity of Casabangan Bay. As recently as 30 years ago, sea turtles, among other marine life, thrived in Casabangan Bay. Over the years, they have been indiscriminately killed for food and the ones you see in this film clip may be all that is left. Their survival, along with other endangered marine resources in the area, depends on the passage of the Mangal Marine Sanctuary ordinance, which has been proposed to the municipal council of Mansalay since May 2012. As the saying goes, it's a no brainer, yet there is no ordinance until now, June 2013. Please support the passage of the Mangal Marine Sanctuary ordinance and help Benazir and Buddy repopulate Casabangan Bay! Write the Sangguniang Bayan of the Municipality of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro to pass the Mangal Marine Sanctuary ordinance without delay. Click the following link to view the film clip in YouTube: Benazir and Buddy