Opinion: Changed E-mail Address
I began to wonder when many of my friends asked me if I am still writing my
column. All I know is that I am producing one to two columns a week for Negros
Since I have no direct access to daily printouts of the Negros Daily Bulletin, I asked one time during our coffee at Bob’s Atty. Juan Rubrico if he had seen my column and he positively told me that he has a daily copy of the newspaper and he reads me every week.
I take things for granted as my email internationally where I send regular copies of my weekly column still read me and some even put on comments.
Not until one week I got a copy from an acquaintance at Cadiz City Hall and she asked me if I am still doing my column as she had not seen my column on those copies she bought from Juji Store. That’s when I began to doubt that something must be wrong about my column and it is as the usual email at yahoo of Negros Daily Bulletin where I sent my column still gets it with no comment at all, only when I got a copy at Juji Store of the Negros Daily Bulletin, I found out that the new email is already at gmail and not yahoo.
I have no idea how long my newspaper readers missed me. In as much as I am concerned, everything seems to appear well not knowing my connection had been disconnected but knowing I am dealing men of high values concerning my publisher who is a most judicious and highly liberal person being a veteran writer himself and former chief of PNA Western Visayas for a long time, thus knowing the writing rudiments. Pert though, I seldom meet him like other personages of the Negros Daily Bulletin who knows my temper and whims as we are both together for a long time doing columns at Kapawa News during those high voltage years of the Marcos administration. And we survived without tainting our names and the newspapers we are connected.
A columnist if highly principled outlook could not just write anywhere. On my case I would rather be silent than churning things that my conscience can regret. And I found this venue with The Negros Daily Bulletin. It’s the paper I can be at home with as even his son Arman Toga who is now the incumbent president of the Negros Press Club, the oldest press club in the country, much older than the national press club, even threatened to give up his membership if FG Mike Arroyo became a member. Thanks, Mike Arroyo was gentleman enough that knowing if he becomes a member can divide the club, gave up. Now Arman is the club president.
Our good system of governance can only survive if we have highly principled men like the Togas. Men who are willing to give up many good things in life because of a principle.
I only write for men I believe to be well and live life beyond reproach. And these lives I have seen with the Togas.
I even gave up writing with a popular vernacular magazine Hiligaynon during Marcos martial rule despite the pleading of editors Jan Marcella and Raymundo Defante, Jr.
In fact, my business was doing well during the Marcos dictatorial years and I only felt the pinch during Cory’s time. But I have nothing to regret.
While others now can pretend they fought the rule of Marcos but I do not have to scream or shout to prove a point of doing my part. How I do my part all these years to make our system better results in many cases of being silently hated and hounded by the lurking evils. My only consolation is my conscience and there is nothing I have to prove on how we can clean this system. In fact our present system rots because many are not doing anything for fear of the consequences or just ride on the sacrifices of others.
Here’s two emails from contacts in New York. A lawyer and a doctor. Rely Caparas is a regular commentator and he answered my email concerning our other lawyer friend Robert Evangelista, Esq. whom I have not heard for a long time. Robert is an important person as he was next in rank to Estelito Mendoza as Solicitor General during the Marcos years but left the Philippines out of principle. Carmel Paredes is now a young practicing doctor in New York. Here are their comments:
Fwd: Wise Or Otherwise 276
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FROM:Aurelio Caparas
TO:dingnyc2009@yahoo.com
Message flagged
Sunday, February 26, 2012 6:58 PM
Ding,
I read your answer on this note in my blackberry. It seems now that instead of marking it not read, I deleted it. I guess this is part of growing old. Your mind, at times, is not in sync with your body. The only wealth I can boast of is the fact that both my children have completed their college and post college education without being saddled by student loans.
As for Robert, I have not heard from him for years now. Last year, Billy Vidal, (I believe you have met him already) told me that someone saw him there in Manila attending a CLE. It seems that he is back there practicing with a retired justice of the court of appeals.
Take care and God bless.
Rely
Re: Wise Or Otherwise 278
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FROM:PABoogok@aol.com
TO:Desiderio Deferia
Message flagged
Sunday, February 26, 2012 9:41 PM
What has changed in our kababayans that the Philippines is now among the poorest and most notorious in Asia. The state of our economy is the direct result of poor leadership and troublesome culture; then follows poor education, increasing crime rate and poverty. What is the real root of this vicious cycle? Can we still salvage the once proud Filipinos?
Internationally, we have proven time after time that we are world class workers with indomitable spirit and unsurpassable values and work ethics. We excel in any field known to man, be it law, medicine, or business. We can compete in any arena globally and receive recognition for it.
Why can we not change the whole system that feeds on the poor and demoralizes Filipino living? What kind of catalyst is required to make this lasting change?
Six to seven decades back, the "china man" used to be our servants in our household. Nowadays, the role has turned 180 degrees. The "china man" is now among the most successful business entrepreneurs not only in the Philippines, but globally.*
