MYVIEWS

By ROGER M. BALANZA

We have been a great fan of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago because she is an Ilongga (my late mother is from Iloilo who married a karay-a from Antique). In tikal (boasting) sessions we always beat our friends from the other Visayan islands with the incontrovertible fact that an Ilongga—Nene Miriam— who is my kasimanwa is the brightest legal mind in the Senate.

Call us hambog, but Nene Miriam is our Miriam and a great pride for the Ilonggos who can never be stopped to boast to the heavens in accordance with tradition about Ilonggos being the most tikal denizens of this island known as the Philippines.

Tood gid, toto. We love Miriam so much that the aswang blood in us boiled with extreme hatred at that fool who earlier coined Brenda (Brain Damage) to describe our dear Nene Miriam. We would have dug up the family broom from our aswang heirloom to fly to the fool and seep his veins dry of blood, had we not lost the power of the aswang after we resettled in Davao City.

We are indeed an avid Miriam fan.  

Until, until our pride in her crumbled when she went ballistic and called for a Senate probe into the infomercials starring members of the Arroyo cabinet.

We think Miriam fumbled on this one, her fairness tainted by a selfish agenda. If Miriam watches television, she would have known that even her peers at the Senate are regular boob tube talking heads in TV ads and should be included in her verbal onslaught that only targeted Malacanang officials starring in the infomercials.

From the start of the probe, Mirriam already showed how the Senate’s brightest and the pride of the Hiligaynons can be patently one-sided to violate accepted standards of elementary fairness.

She has limited her “infomercial inquiry” to members of the executive branch, while the senators run their multi-million peso self-serving infomercials like crazy untouched by Miriam’s trademark tongue-lashing.

Miriams’s probe into the spending spree—to make fair her investigative zeal—should have included senators Manny Villar, Mar Roxas and the others and not limited to members of Arroyo’s Cabinet. Miriam’s standard of fairness, if we are allowed to judge her, has sunk down to the level of double start if not sham or bogus.

The fact is Nene Miriam should be more vigorous in looking into why senators are spending people’s money in the damned spirit of premature politicking.

Being a senator herself, Miriam knows about the senators’ CDF funds, which are – by practice – beyond audit, unlike officials of the executive branch whose expenses are rigorously audited and examined. Proceeds from their CDF can bankroll the senators’ higher ambitions, including the funding of infomercials.

Senators with unexpired terms can run for higher office without resigning their Senate posts, which is why some of them can aspire for higher office come 2010 without having to give up their legislative seats even if they lose next year.

This means that unlike Cabinet members or other non-elective wannabes eyeing posts in 2010, our honorable lawmakers can have their cake and eat it too.

Conducting investigations purportedly in aid of legislation, when the truth is these inquiries are nothing but grandstanding “in aid of reelection or election (to higher office),” could have fired up Miriam’s investigate skills.

Her probe on the infomercials could last for hours, with free publicity that includes live TV coverage.

Would Miriam now include her peers? We don’t care. But we only wish that Miriam exercise fairness if she wants back our trust and that of the Hiligaynon community now trying to fathom why that fool called our dear Miriam Brenda.

Nothing really happens to such investigations because these are terminated by lawmakers ( and we expect Miriam to do this) as soon as media and public interest in these controversies start to wane—and the people and journalists alike start turning their attention to other hot issues.

Nevertheless, Miriam should not turn a blind eye to his colleagues’ transgression of campaigning and campaign finance rules.

Who is feeding the sell-righteous pursuit of Miriam this time? Perhaps an ambitious senator-friend who wants to deny officials from the executive branch the opportunity to make their accomplishments and advocacies known.

Probably, it is blind, one-sided fury? Or a combination of the two. But whatever the reasons are, Miriam’s call for an inquiry into the infomercials has merely exposed her skewed, biased and poisoned standards of what is right and what is wrong.

Fair is fair. If Miriam wants an inquiry into the infomercials, it should be a wholesale one—and she should summon everybody, her Senate colleagues first and foremost.

Among the many splendid mansions of Old Jaro, Iloilo, there is only one grand residence that enduringly captures the full essence, and the length and breadth of the wealth and splendor of the legendary Iloilo Sugar Fortunes at their Height in the 1920s to the 30s: The “Nelly Gardens.”

The imposing, Beaux-Arts style ”Nelly Gardens” mansion was built in 1928 by Don Vicente Lopez y Villanueva [ 1879 - 1963 ] and his wife Dona Elena Hofilena y Javelona. It was named for their eldest daughter Nelly. Their first residence was along Calle Iznart, Jaro’s main thoroughfare, but Dona Elena found the street noisy and bothersome, and since she liked flowers, plants, and gardening, Don Vicente decided to build their new residence on four hectares in [ what was then ] the outskirts of Old Jaro. The residence began as a simple two-storey affair that was continually enlarged and embellished as the family grew, as their fortunes multiplied, and as their social obligations increased.

Don Vicente Lopez and Dona Elena Hofilena had four children: Nelly [ married Salvador Zamora ], Benito [ married Leonor de la Rama ], Lilia [ married Francisco Lopez Jison ], and Vicente [ married Maria Rita Lopez Zamora ]. In the aristocratic fashion of those days, all four siblings could play a musical instrument proficiently: Nelly played the piano; Benito, the cello; Lilia, the harp; and Vicente, the violin. To this day, there is still a large PreWar photograph of them on top of the black Steinway grand piano in the ”Sala” [ living / drawing room ] of the mansion.

Don Vicente Lopez y Villanueva was among the richest in the affluent Lopez Clan: a sugar planter and industrialist with immense holdings. When his elder brother Don Benito Lopez y Villanueva [ o 1877 ] was assassinated in 1908 by a rival political faction [ who happened to be their Jalandoni relatives ], He undertook the guardianship of the two sons, Eugenio “Ening” and Fernando “Nanding” [ who later on became THE tycoon Don Eugenio Lopez and The Vice-President Fernando Lopez ], and took them to live in his Calle Iznart house and later on at the “Nelly Gardens” [ Their mother, Dona Presentacion Hofilena viuda de Lopez, retired to the old { turn of the century } house perched on an islet --- the storied "Roca Encantada" --- on the 400 hectare ancestral Hofilena "hacienda" in Guimaras island ]. The brothers Eugenio and Fernando Lopez y Hofilena and the siblings Nelly, Benito, Lilia, and Vicente Lopez y Hofilena were first cousins twice over: their fathers Don Benito and Don Vicente Lopez y Villanueva were brothers and their mothers Dona Presentacion and Dona Elena Hofilena y Javelona were sisters. The younger Lopez-Hofilena first cousins always addressed their elder first cousins respectfully and affectionately as “Tatay Ening” and “Tatay Nanding.” In fact, when Eugenio Lopez y Hofilena married Pacita Moreno y de Santos, they spent the first years of their married life at the “Nelly Gardens.” To this day, there are twin, late 1800s four-poster beds with the initials “BL” [ "Benito Lopez" ] and “PH” [ "Presentacion Hofilena" ] in a second-floor bedroom facing the front garden.

According to oldtimers, The “Nelly Gardens” mansion was the very place where the legendary lifestyle of the Iloilo Sugar Barons was ultimately defined. It became the definitive Iloilo residence as the most important receptions of the province during PreWar and PostWar were held there. In PreWar, the grandest occasion in The Lopez Family was the annual birthday ball of Don Vicente held every 22 January, to which only The Family and The Elite of Iloilo were invited. It was always a formal affair that required long dress and black tie, magnificent jewels and black limousines; full orchestras played dance music throughout the evening. The invitation from Don Vicente Lopez was an indication of one’s rank in Iloilo [ and Manila ] Society.

The mansion eventually devolved to the second daughter, Dona Lilia Lopez y Hofilena [ Mrs. Francisco Lopez Jison ]. She and her husband Don Francisco Jison y Lopez of Silay, Negros Occidental were second cousins through the Lopez line. Dona Lilia’s father Don Vicente Lopez y Villanueva was a first cousin twice over of Don Francisco’s mother Dona Maria Juana Dolores Lopez y Villanueva [ married to Don Albino Jison y Golez ]. Don Vicente’s father Don Eugenio Lopez y Jalandoni was an elder brother of Dona Dolores’ father Don Marcelo Lopez y Jalandoni. Don Vicente’s mother Dona Marcela Villanueva y Felipe was an elder sister of Dona Dolores’ mother Dona Julita Villanueva y Felipe. To further underscore the close relations, Dona Rosario Lopez de Santos [ Dona Rosario Lopez y Villanueva, married to Don Francisco Santos; they had no children so She adopted several Lopez nieces and nephews as her heirs ], the formidable “Nanay Sayong” [ "Mother Sayong" ], adopted the young Francisco Jison y Lopez [ her first cousin Dona Dolores' son ] and made him one of the heirs of her vast fortune. “Nanay Sayong” was an older sister of Don Vicente Lopez y Villanueva, a very capable and very willful lady who created her own immense fortune in sugarcane plantations and sugar mills. She was among the richest of her generation of Lopezes. So such are the interrelations of The Iloilo Aristocracy…

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These days, The “Nelly Gardens” is actively managed by the daughters of Dona Lilia Lopez y Hofilena and Don Francisco Jison y Lopez: Lourdes Lopez Jison-Ledesma and Elena Lopez Jison-Golez. Their brother, Francisco Lopez Jison Jr., resides at the estate year-round. The mansion itself defies time as it is excellently maintained and remains as it was during the lifetime of Dona Lilia Lopez de Jison; but the grounds are being redeveloped to best utilize the opportunities of the 21st century. Constant Reinvention is one of the Secrets of the Lopez Fortune.

Save Tanon Strait by signing the online petition here.

Tanon Strait separates Negros and Cebu.  It is a home to almost 50% of the dolphins and whales species found in the Philippines making one of the highest concentration of marine mammals in the country.  This reflects the rich marine life in this part of my island.  It is also one of the major fishing grounds of Central Visayas and a major supplier of squids.  (Map taken from www.bulatlat.com)

Tanon Strait is important to the provinces of Negros and Cebu.  This is where fishermen get their living to have those calamares on your plate.  The whales and dolphin has become a tourist attraction in Eastern Negros.  I haven’t been there yet but I want to go there and experience the famous whale watching myself.

However, the Philippines government allowed Japan Petroleum Exploration, Ltd (Japex) to start doing oil exploration last 2004.  This is despite the strong opposition from the local fisherfolk associations in the area.  Last November, Energy Secretary Reyes announced that the drilling will start within the same month.  Of course, this is for the good of the Filipino people.  Really?  Or is this something to fatten some pockets again?

And what are the costs?

Japex started to do profiling studies in the strait since 2005 by firing explosive charges on the ground.  This is in hope to find rich oil deposits which they expect to harvest 1 billion barrels of oil.   However, the explosions has already resulted to significant fish catch reduction, several fish kills due to the explorations, and a decline in dolphin sightings.  This year, the drillings threaten the mating patterns of the dolphins and whales due to the loud blasts from exploration activities conducted in the area.

So are you just gonna sit there and do nothing?  Hop to another blog and read something to make you laugh?

Join me in supporting 170 marine scientist in a petition to stop the oil drilling in Tanon Strait.  Click on this link and sign.  We need at least 1,000 signatures and make yourself be counted.  These scientists have been actively opposing the drilling and they need our help.

Do you want to see dolphins and whales when you travel in Negros and Cebu?  Do you want to have to fishes and squids on your plates?  Then sign up.  And if you could leave a comment below, please do.

Read more about the Tanon Strait:
Tañon in danger – Inquirer and Cebu Daily News
Environmentalist: Tanon Strait drilling threatens marine life – energycurrent.com
Endangered Strait: Report of the Fact-Finding Mission on Tañon Strait Oil Exploration – bulatlat.com