For The Record
BONG BUE, former president of Zamboanga Press Club

‘Vinta City’, not Latin

Why did typhoon “Guaping” didn’t proceed to the Philippines? Find the answer elsewhere in this corner.

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Speaking of typhoons, Zamboanga City was fortunate that Milenyo and Neneng didn’t show its battering power here. Weather experts said what we had was ITCZ (inter tropical convergence zone). I don’t know how they simplify that term, which the ancianos simply describe it as habagat.

Many areas in Zamboanga City came under water as a result of the ITCZ. Had the typhoons hit us… only God knows what would happen to us.

In the STATFACTS WMSU MPA survey the inadequacy of drainage that led to the flooded streets in downtown Zamboanga lately is ranked number sixth most serious problem in La Bella.

Fellow columnist Rey Banagudos wanted to call Zambo as Asia’s “Venice City” than “Latin City.” But I prefer it to be the “Vinta City.” I think the giving of vinta miniatures to our visitors is justified as we can start preparing small vintas for our flooded streets everytime rains come.

But on a second thought --- I said why vinta? How about “Saguan City”? Saguan is more accurate because that’s where Zamboanga’s name came from if we trace back from the ancient times.

Really, Zamboanga City is having a hard time now in its identity crisis. We do not know what we should call our city. The moniker “City of Flowers” is apparently not a favorite theme anymore as there are not much flowers to talk about.

I find Prof. Clem Bascar’s claim of naming Zambo as a “City of Tarpaulines” to be accurate. But again it’s not only in Zambo where tarpaulines of politicians are displayed all over the places. We have a lot of competitors because politicians of other cities and local government units are also doing the same.

How about “Sardine Capital of the Philippines”? It’s fine. But the problem many of the canning factories here do not operate regularly. Some have to layoff their workers because of low productions.

I remember former Vice Mayor Susan delos Reyes was one time vouching to make lokot-lokot as Zambo’s delicacy like Cebu’s otap, danguit or Davao’s durian, the sweet mangoes of Guimaras, the lansones and buko pie of Laguna and so on and so forth. But then it sounds uncomfortable if we call Zambo as “City of Lokot-Lokot.” (But I like the delicacy and actually ate plenty during Councilor Asbi Edding’s hariraya celebration recently.)

Legendary Mayor Cesar Climaco at one time called Zambo as the “City of Armalites” at the time when killings and brandishing of weapons (particularly armalites) was rampant in La Bella.

In another point, I am thinking that we may also call Zambo as the “City of Smugglers.” There are plenty of smuggling activities around. One of them is the rampant smuggling of rice passing through the backdoor and authorities concerned particularly the National Food Authority is doing nothing about it. (Watch for another expose on the NFA issue here in For The Record soon).

How about calling Zambo as “City of Badjaos” as there are so many of them roaming the road intersections posing dangers not only to themselves but to the motorists as well.

Or we can also name Zambo as “City of Beggars” for there are many streetchildren and other forms of beggars (professional and the unprofessional). Try to visit the Guardia Nacional in the evening and early morning they are there sleeping along the sidewalks. Go to the place in front of Master’s Bakery at night and there are bountiful of them.

What else do we fight for Zambo’s identity? We can have many titles if we want!

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Typhoon “Guaping” was supposed to come to Metro Manila but changed its mind because the weather was bad.

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Headline: “Celso still confident on Cristobal”

That’s really something! For a City Mayor to have so much confidence on our city police chief amidst the series of crimes happening in the city for the past months is something unusual.

For The Record learned that the city police chief himself already wanted to be transferred elsewhere but something is keeping him. Why? And why?

Zamboangueno police officer Supt. Jose Bayani Gucela, the current deputy of the city police chief, is to my mind a best choice to be the next police director even in an acting capacity.

What we need now is somebody who knows what’s happening in Zambo with all the killings going around. Who else is safe that even policemen are being killed?

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: “A happy marriage is a union of two good forgivers.”