“Many have been quick to defend Legarda.”
Antique has been in the social media spotlight lately because of allegations that senatorial candidate and Antique representative Loren Legarda was involved in making it harder for the campaign sorties of Presidential candidate and Vice President Leni Robredo to organize in the province.
The narrative alleges that Legarda basically strong-armed Antique mayors to not accommodate the Vice President. Netizens, especially Robredo’s supporters, were quick to form an online village mob and hurl criticism at Legarda. While Legarda’s camp has not issued an official statement – most likely because these types of knee-jerk reactions are better left undignified – a few notable Antiquenos were also just as quick to defend Legarda whom, they say, “has never engaged herself in dirty politics” in her 23-year career in public service.
One such Antiqueno is Flord Nicson J. Calawag, who is President of the Antique Association of Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Owners. He claimed that the Antiquenos are “deeply hurt of (sic) the news circulating online about her, attacking her without validating facts.” He likewise stated that he was a “witness to the ‘golden age of Antique’ from the hundreds of millions worth of projects , livelihood programs, scholarships, and financial aid from deputy Speaker Legarda.”
The statement seems to hold true because, through the initiatives of both the executive and legislative branches of the local government, Antiquenos seem to be getting considerably more opportunities. In less than three years, the province, through Legarda’s efforts, has been able to partner with various departments such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) where 61,000 were able to benefit from the DOLE TUPAD, an emergency program for displaced workers and unemployed. Around 4,464 meanwhile were assisted by DOLE’s Pangkabuhayan project.
My gulay! In a span of three years and despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, Antique was able to climb out from the perception of being a poor province. Through TESDA, scholarships and training have benefited many Antiquenos since 2016. Farmers and fisherfolk also benefited from the various projects thanks to partnerships with the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, National Dairy Authority, and Philippine Carabao Center.
While Legarda has long been an effective champion for health, the pandemic has undoubtedly redoubled her advocacy. She allocated funds to upgrade and construct hospitals, health centers, and barangay health stations. Funding for DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and DOH medical Assistance for Indigent Patient (MAIO). Sea ambulances were also provided to assist in emergencies in the island and far area.
Education in Antique is also improving through CHED’s Tulong Dunong Program (admittedly, I have a strong bias towards that particular name) and the construction of classrooms and buildings for public schools. Legarda has also embarked on improving the resources of teachers through IT packages. The pandemic has forced many to shift online hence, tablets for students and teachers were distributed.
Going back to the issue at hand, Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao also refuted the allegations on Legarda’s behalf. “No one had given any instructions for the Mayors to not attend the meeting [with Robredo]. I was also informed that no invitations [from Robredo] were received by the Mayors and the Office of the Congresswoman,” Cadiao said. The Governor was not present when VP Robredo arrived in Antique, but it was not because of what people have theorized. She explained that she had a meeting in Manila that could no longer be canceled.
It just goes to show that we can’t believe everything we see online, so we really need to verify first before reacting. Santa Banana, that sort of impulsive conduct should be Antique-ated behavior by now. Most importantly, VP Leni herself appears to have no issue with what happened, so her supporters may be inadvertently stirring a non-boiling pot.
What we can believe are the undeniable testaments of a province about how they have improved. As the country slowly opens once again to tourism. Antique, with all of its progress over the past three years, is looking to be another excellent local destination. Thanks to the work of local officials like Legarda. Antique is now on the rise and we hope other provinces will also have their shining moment in the years to come.
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Civil Society, activists and mainstream media made a big thing out of the 36th anniversary of EDSA 1 last Friday, Feb 25, of the so-called People Power Revolution. We should not forget the legacy of the People Power Revolution, nor forget the end of the Marcos dictatorship that day, they say.
But this was what really happened on the breakaway of then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, then Col. Gringo Honasan and then Chief of the PCV/INP Fidel V. Ramos from then strongman President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
When Marcos was getting terribly sick, JPE was aware of plans of then Chief of Staff Fabian Ver to put up a military junta to be headed by then First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos. This was followed by Ver having his two sons get in control of the military, with a son taking charge of the armored brigade, and another son becoming chief of the Presidential Security Guards, or PSG.
Together with then Col. Honasan, JPE began forming the RAM, Reform the Armed Forces Movement, training them in close urban combat in Cagayan province, in Pangasinan, and even in Zambales. Inevitably, Ver got wind of the plan of Enrile and Gringo, so much so that JPE and Gringo had no choice but to break away from Marcos.
Thus on February 23, 1986, Enrile and Gringo had all. the foreign newsmen and local newsmen meet them to announce their breakaway from Marcos. Later that day, JPE convinced Ramos to join them. It was then on that day, JPE, Ramos and Gringo moved over to Camp Crame where they encamped until Feb.25. That breakaway was the momentous moment in history, when Ver tried and failed to convince Marcos to bomb the mutineers.
For the record, the late President Cory Aquino was then in Cebu, after which she came back to Manila, conveniently hiding at the Pink Sisters Convent. The nearest she ever got to EDSA was at the crossing of Ortigas Avenue and EDSA.
On February 25, when the Americans took Marcos and family to Clark Airbase and then on to Honolulu, JPE, Ramos and Gringo decided to hand over power to Cory Aquino. That was when the late Cardinal Sin and others started to gather over half a million people at EDSA, a gathering which was soon glamorized by anti-Marcos elements and the Western press to celebrate the end of the Marcos dictatorship.
Truth to tell, that gathering was not a People Power Revolution. It was just a gathering of people from Manila of activists, students, priests and nuns. It was not.a revolution since a revolution connotes a change of government. It was just a change of regime from Marcos to Cory.
And that was the story of that fateful day on Feb.25, 1986. In fact, historians have written about this event of the so-called people power. It was just a meeting of over half a million people. So, what was there to celebrate, since it was neither a people power of a population of the Philippines of 100 million. There was nothing to remember it by. It was just a fluke in history glamorized by the anti-Marcos elements and activists and the Western press to show that democracy was alive in the Philippines.