THE MOUNT BALATUCAN MONITOR

Kailan ka magigising O Luzviminda tanggapin ang totoo

Wag ka nang magbubulagan pa hindi na siya magbabago

Ginagawa ka nyang laruan pinapaikot ikot ang yong ulo

O Luzviminda gumising ka na wag mong sirain ang yong mundo

Gising na, gising na, gising na

“Luzviminda”
by: Freddie Aguilar

Ikaw ay nagtiwala buong puso sa kanyang mga pangako
Tamis ng kanyang dila pinakinggan akala mo ay totoo
Ang ginanti nya sa pag ibig ay pro pagbabalatkayo
O Luzviminda gumising ka na wag mong sirain ang yong mundo
Gising na, gising na, gising na.

Tumanaw ka sa paligid at maglinaw ang yong mga mata
Ngayon na ang tamang oras o Luzviminda wag ka nang maghintay pa
Ikilos mo ang yong mga kamay, ihakbang mo ang yong mga paa
O Luzviminda gumising ka na wag mong sirain ang yong mundo
Gising na, gising na, gising na.

O Gising na Luzviminda
Ikaw ay di nag iisa
Ikilos mo ang yong mga kamay, ihakbang mo ang yong mga paa
O Luzviminda gumising ka na wag mong sirain ang yong mundo
Gising na, gising na, gising na.

Kailan ka magigising O Luzviminda tanggapin ang totoo
Wag ka nang magbubulagan pa hindi na siya magbabago
Ginagawa ka nyang laruan pinapaikot ikot ang yong ulo
O Luzviminda gumising ka na wag mong sirain ang yong mundo
Gising na, gising na, gising na.

O Gising na Luzviminda
Ikaw ay di nag iisa
Ginagawa ka nyang laruan pinapaikot ikot ang yong ulo
O Luzviminda gumising ka na wag mong sirain ang yong mundo
Gising na, gising na, gising na.

A simple opening of a consular office in Butuan City has merited a banner story for local dailies which normally would be done without so much fanfare. Last Wednesday, Gloria Arroyo visited Butuan City to inaugurate the opening of the consular office. Like a queen, she was met by politicos in Caraga region namely, Rep. Joboy Aquino (1st Dist. Adn), Rep. Edelmiro Amante (2nd Dist. Adn), Butuan City Mayor Democrito Plaza II, Agusan del Sur Governor Ma. Tina Plaza and Surigao del Sur Gov. Vicente Pimentel.

Gloria Arroyo then boasted to the people of Caraga region that they will no longer go to Cagayan de Oro or Cebu just to process their travel papers outside the country because the DFA satellite office will be serving them right there in Butuan City. At the outset, the project seems to be laudable and deserve praise. But analyzing deeply, it took so long for this administration to put up a consular office in that part of Mindanao when the said clamor have been a long standing cry of Caraganons.

In contrast, GMA was so quick to grant the Cebuanos request for a substantial presence of the national government in their locality. Not long after she was proclaimed, she lost no time in establishing a useless Malacanang in the South which had done nothing except for aesthetic purposes. If this government can afford to spend a lot of money setting up a façade of government presence in Cebu why it took them 7 years before they finally have decided to put up a DFA office in Butuan City? People in Caraga have been clamoring this need for more than 7 years and only now they have acted on it. Something might have motivated the administration into finally acting on this overdue request.

Come to think of it, where in the world one can find that the mere opening of a department in its own country (take note) is attended with much hoopla, graced with the presence of no less than its President? It is because people in Malacanang only know too well that given the number of Filipinos going abroad, (with its misplaced view that sending an army of OFW would prop up the economy) a simple opening like this will generate much public attention and make it look good in the eyes of the people.

Lately, the government has been on to some publicity offensive just to win public support and sympathy. First, they use the issue of power rates to gain public approval and to divert the attention of the people from graft scandals at the expense of hapless Meralco, whose stocks kept falling after government officials took turns in subjecting the power firm to trial by publicity. Second, the suggestion of the DOTC to make SMS messaging free, at the expense of telecommunications firms smacks again of a publicity gimmick. Without hope of overhauling its double digit negative approval rating, the GMA administration is scraping the bottom of the barrel for opportunities of publicity stunts like these.

But whatever it is doing, people are discerning enough to determine if these moves are motivated by sincerity or for political survival. These moves are not new to them. In fact this has been the hallmark of GMA administration since day one of its political power. Provide people with promotions instead of addressing their real concerns with sincerity.