THERE was a move recently in Congress to change the name of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to “Paliparang Pandaig-dig ng Pilipinas”, which simply translated the term “international airport” into Filipino and removed the name “Ninoy Aquino”.
You will remember that our main international airport was named after Ninoy Aquino because he died at the tarmac after he was shot by an assassin while going down his plane when he returned to the Philippines from the US. For this he became a hero overnight! The anger of the people erupted because of the treachery of the murder. They attributed it to a mastermind who was not clearly identified up to now but this has changed history.
A countrywide mass demonstration followed especially concentrated in Metro Manila but it finally ousted the dictator Ferdinand Marcos who fled from Malacañang to Hawaii with his family. The historic event installed Ninoy’s wife, Corazon C. Aquino, to the presidency. As they say, the rest is history.
At this time when we are facing a pandemic and thousands, including those working abroad, are losing their jobs, Sen. Franklin Drilon thinks we can do better than just renaming an international airport. The matter can wait because in the first place there is no urgency for it.
We agree with Senator Drilon, but who is the handsome congressman that is proposing it? The move, according to the senator, can be divisive.
What we can do today is continue with the operation of the NAIA and have flights return to normal.
There is also the closure of ABS-CBN TV network because its franchise has expired and not yet renewed up to now. When will Congress act on their application to renew their franchise and put them back on the air?
What we see today in our TV screen are mostly cartoon shows. The existing TV stations operating should have taken advantage of the opportunity to show their mettle in entertaining the Filipino families at this time of the pandemic when people are mostly at home or are coming home early if they are at work. They merely have their old shows or cartoons after the early news coverage.
Too bad for seniors and the kids, too, who are still out of school. No going out from home and no worthwhile TV shows to see either.
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GEM OF THOUGHT
“Break fresh ground.” – When you say break fresh ground, you innovate by introducing or developing a new method or system.
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