Comvalenyos are Dabawenyos, too

VIEWS

On July 1, 1967 the oldest, biggest, original Province of Davao was broken up into three provinces: the erstwhile undivided Davao del Norte, today’s Davao Oriental and today’s Davao del Sur (less Davao City which was created ahead as chartered city on March 16, 1936). The other day, these three provinces, with the smaller Davao del Norte, simultaneously celebrated their 41^st founding anniversary- to the gross exclusion of Compostela Valley.

Now just because Compostela Valley has changed its name, shaking off the word Davao, the province was grossly now excluded from the celebration. Remember that Comval is a former part of Davao del Norte territory, and therefore its territorial founding is just as the same on date. Comval was effectively carved out or separated from Davao del Norte on March 8, 1998.

What now if Comval is changed to Davao de Oro? Can the province now be enjoined to join the celebration as much it has already a word Davao in its name as it was once a part of the old Davao del Norte.

Or in another way of seeing things in history, Comval has all the rights under the sun to celebrate the 41^st founding of Davao del Norte, which was the other day, from where it came from. This if we take Davao del Norte as greater than and the origin of Comval and not the other way around- Davao del Norte from Comval as posed under the perplexing “what comes first the chicken or the egg” question. But with it, much it is still same: Davao del Norte was celebrating for being part in the creation of the original Davao, and in the same way Comval, for being part of the creation of the original Davao del Norte, is supposed to share, too, with the latter’s rejoicing the other day. A whole can never exist without its parts. Or a part sliced can never exist without the whole.

It’s the territorial logic that should be taken than the nomenclatorial demarcation. Thence, organizers of the latest 41^st founding anniversary of three Davao provinces are time and again since 1998 guilty of committing historical error for grossly excluding Comval from the celebration. When will they ever rectify? Perhaps they could only do so if Comval’s name is changed to Davao de Oro as Cong. Way Kurat has contemplated on and off in Congress. A rose is still a rose whatever its name. Comvalenyos are as much Dabawenyos in blood, history and association. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: davao city, comval, davao del sur, davao oriental, comval, davao del norte, davao city hall, davao del sur, davao oriental

Rody and Nogie

BLOGISTA

By Cha Monforte

There’s more than what meets the eyes. We don’t say now that Rody, the Mayor, and Nogie, the Speaker, could not yet meet eye-to-eye. Judging the recent President’s visit, the mayor has still much time for a vacation, while Nogie has much time to merge political parties. In due time, they will meet as big leaders in the city. For this recently missed opportunity, the President for a time in the city had to sit back and relax, sans a verbal skirmish between the two. Hospitality and courtesy dictated silence while the President was here in the city.

What met the eyes during the return of the President was the lack of so much public hoopla of her visit. There was jubilation, yes, over the merger of estranged political parties but in so far as the ruling politicos are concerned. The opening of Bankerohan bridge, too, unlocked the snarl of traffic to the rejoice of motorists and passengers. The last time Arroyo visited the city there was that subdued jeering at the height of ZTE scandal. But life just goes on for the 1.3 million Dabawenyos, then and at the latest, regardless of the visit.

It was understandable that the mayor was nowhere in sight during the Lakas and Kampi merger. He’s with an independent Hugpong after all which is calling shots in city politics, regardless of the fact that the city has produced a national figure in the person of the Speaker. The city needs to have its due after all. Cebu has produced many national politicians and even Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental in the respectable persons of Senator Nene Pimentel and former Vice President Maning Pelaez. Include, too, the illustrious Moro son, former Senator Damocao Alonto of the old undivided Lanao.

We are not seeing yet a Tom-and-Jerry heightened brawls and chases in the city politics. There’s that 2010 scenario of Sara vs. Karlo, or Nogie vs. Sara, or Rody vs. Karlo, or whatever. The city populace is largely dumfounded by the unthinkable rise of rice prices. There’s large un-witnessing of the President’s visit, even if a presidential snub was accorded to the awaiting Mati public. Life still goes on anyway even if what meets the eye is silence the ever-lambasting militants, then, now and the future, will try to interpret under their unrepentant ideological frame, as a lull before a storm.

As this life goes on in a “stabilized prices of rice” at the skyrocketing range of P45-P49 a kilo, we still don’t know where are we headed to.

BLOGBITS: There’s a silent gold strike in different mountains in Mainit, Nabunturan. Accordingly, gold hit occurs within the Saraban-Inupuan-Noknokan complex. The regional environment and mines bureaus may not have yet known it. Speculators have since been silently trekking the mountains and reports said that a lot of police elements have joined the silent small mining fray…. Again, mining activities threaten the remaining eco-tourism potentials of the once famous Mainit National Park, now classified as a protected landscape, which still boosts of therapeutically hot and cold springs. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com)

Filed under: davao city, duterte, nograles, davao city, duterte, GMA, nograles