My heartfelt gratitude goes to family and friends who attended my 60th birthday celebration at the function hall of ARDCI Corporate Inn last Saturday evening, Jan. 21, 2023.
Among them were Catanduanes State University Pres. Patrick Azanza, Virac Mayor Sammy Laynes, former Catanduanes DE Gil Balmadrid and Engr. Jing Balmadrid, Atty. Oliver Rodulfo, CatSU Regent Aida Dianela, the expanding Gianan family led by my brothers Atty. Fred and Edwin (Mama decided to stay at home while Francis and wife Elsie’s flight that day was cancelled), our brothers and sisters from the Missionary Family of Christ (MFC), Bagamanoc Municipal Engineer Mulo Carloto and his wife, former co-workers at the Virac Municipal Engineering Office, two colleagues from the Catanduanes Island Media Club (CIMC), a few of my Catanduanes Colleges High School Batch `79 classmates headed by Engr. Edmund Talaran and wife Laling, the Monthly Society (VIWAD chairman Choy Lim, Juan Paolo Sales and Roman Vargas Jr. among them), Ninang Auring and Ninong Bailon Manlangit, and many others.
The venue was intended for 100 guests but there were only about 60 to 70, with the rest dissuaded by the persistent rains.
But still, there was enough fun for everyone, entertained by my wife Millie and the Tri-Star boys (Cris Eugene, Fred Benedict and Erwin James), the MFC group’s extended jamming, and the video messages from here and abroad (including Arch. Emon Abundo who turned 60 on Jan. 22 and BIR’s Freding Alcala who celebrated with family in Cebu City on Jan. 23).
Thank you for sharing my joy at reaching this milestone!
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I take the blame for the black and white photos for this week’s issue, the emailed images I sent last Saturday were for the previous issue. This happens once in a while, especially when there is a rush to finish stories ahead of an important event.
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The public should thank the DPWH Catanduanes District Engineering Office for not letting contractors off the hook over shoddily implemented projects, especially in the concreting of roads which taxpayers use every day.
To its credit, ERR Construction and other construction companies whose concreting projects showed obvious defects immediately removed and replaced the cracked pavement blocks.
In Catanduanes, the most common reason for the scaling and spalling of concrete is structural deficiency due to construction defects.
But as everyone knows, the real reason why contractors use substandard concrete mix is so they could recover the commission (10 to 20% of the project cost) paid to politicians in power, sometimes in advance.
Project engineers and inspectors cannot do anything but close their eyes to the violations of construction standards, lest they feel pressure from those in power.
Thus, their job of keeping these contractors and engineers straight as far as implementing these multi-million peso projects is to monitor the project as it is being implemented.
The cellphone and social media is a powerful tool that could be used to report what is really happening in these projects so that appropriate complaints could be filed as early as possible.
If these project engineers and agency officials fear the ire of politicians, all of them should fear a militant public.
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POLITICIANS IN HEAVEN. St. Peter was standing at the pearly gates of Heaven when a group of politicians walked up.
“Hey Petey, may we come in to Heaven?” asks one jovially.
St. Peter replies “Well, we have never had a group of politicians come into heaven before, let me ask God.” He then turns around and goes to consult God.
“My Lord, there is a group of politicians at the pearly gates of Heaven. Should I let them in?”
God thinks for a moment and says “We have never had politicians in Heaven before. Let’s see how it goes. Let them in.”
St. Peter leaves God, only to come running back a few minutes later.
“THEY’RE GONE!” he said.
“The politicians?”
“THE PEARLY GATES!!”