BY MATÉ ESPINA
YESTERDAY, Iloilo City celebrated the 164th birth anniversary of national hero, Graciano Lopez Jaena.
I was able to take part in it as a descendant of the hero. Our great grandfather is the youngest brother of Graciano and my late father, Rolly Espina, was very active in the Graciano Lopez Jaena Foundation.
When Daddy was alive, he would represent the family in all gatherings honoring Graciano, even traveling to and fro Iloilo for meetings and celebrations. We organized years back a grand reunion of all descendants and though that was a success and we got to meet distant cousins, that was just one time.
When I was requested to send a video message as part of Iloilo’s celebration yesterday, one of the questions asked was what memories of Graciano was passed on to us by our grandparents and it was a pity that our Lola Gracing never told us any personal stories about him, nor about her father. Either that or I was not just listening, but I guess, she too never had any recollection of Graciano who left to study in Spain and died there.
Growing up, there was a sense of pride among us when history teachers would mention we were descendants of the hero as my father would often proudly talked about it in his columns in a local daily here. But honestly, we never embraced that fact until we became adults and got appointed, albeit reluctantly, to represent the family in Lopez Jaena celebrations here in Bacolod as we have schools here in honor of Graciano.
When Daddy got ill, the responsibility rested on us. A cousin, Tanya Lopez took an active role for Bacolod while Mia Lopez Cruz took the helm for us in Iloilo. But whenever able, my siblings and I would go to Iloilo on very special occasions and I remember attending two events at the Jaro Plaza and late last year, along with another cousin, Job Lopez, we travelled to Iloilo for the unveiling of the Graciano Lopez Jaena bust at the City Hall.
As we watched yesterday’s virtual celebration, the message of Mayor Jerry Treñas resonated with us that in our own little way, especially during this pandemic, we too, can become heroes. Our role as media practitioners has never been more important than today and I hope that Graciano’s courage through the pen will inspire us to never let up in the fight for truth and justice.
From our family, a big thank you to Iloilo and to Mayor Jerry for preserving the memories of Graciano through the annual celebrations and especially with the establishment of the library.
Meanwhile, back here in Negros Occidental, the big news are the bonuses that government employees are getting and the planned transfer of the seat of the provincial government to Talisay City.
Bacolod City is handing out P30,000 to their employees while the province topped it by P10,000 more or P40,000 each. That is not surprising as the provincial government here has always been generous in handing out incentives even as much as P60,000 in the past to their employees.
Of course, it was not met gladly by some in the public given the supposed hunger and loss of jobs that accompanied this pandemic. Some said that with the series of lockdowns, what was the justification for the incentives? Others say they’d rather see bonuses given to frontliners that really worked hard and put their lives at risk in the fight against COVID-19.
But at the end of the day, in the spirit of the holidays, thousands of families throughout the city and the province, will get to enjoy blessings because of these bonuses and we should not begrudge that.
In another news, the Provincial Capitol that stands majestic at the heart of the capital city, Bacolod, may just become another edifice that will only be used for special events if the proposed transfer of the seat of government to neighboring Talisay City pushes through.
Former Rep. Albee Benitez who is the consultant of the province on economic affairs issued the announcement of transfer by next year if all goes as planned, in his own district. Albee said it was difficult to have the seat of government in an area which they do not have control over since Bacolod is not under the jurisdiction of the province.
This perceived rift between the city and the province has been going on for years but it has never been more evident than during this pandemic when the two LGUs have issued protocols that were at odds with each other particularly in receiving arriving OFWs and LSIs and in public transport issues.
I personally do not like the Capitol abandoned especially that it will be celebrating its centennial year in a few years from now. But I also understand the nuances why that should happen and hopefully that can be resolved by electing leaders who can really work together./PN
