lance’s blog

this city is destined for greatness. but it can only be great if its people will unite. it can only be great if its leaders exert political will.

when it was established by the Spanish colonizers the natives lived in scattered hamlets. but the Spanish only knew too well that progress and security could be established only when the people move into a community and live together for the purpose of attaining a single vision.

from its simple beginnings it has risen into the capital of the eastern province of the Island of Samar. it has the advantage of being located at the center of the province, at the very heart of this land facing the western portion of the Pacific Ocean. it has the privilege of being chosen as the center of the province’s economic and social activity. through these opportunities she has achieved the honor of cityhood recently.

amidst the opposition of some who thought she doesn’t have the prerequisites of what a city should be, she managed to muster a wide margin of votes for her to become a city. much is to be done though - these has to be challenges she has to face.

being a city means a bigger share in the IRA and consequently a bigger responsibility to the people and to the national government. being a city means a greater independence from the provincial government hence its leaders need to have the political will to enforce laws and ordinances so that the city will attain the level of progress and development befitting its new status, that of a city!

perhaps some of the people who opposed her conversion into a city deserve to be congratulated for raising points of arguments against her viability to become a city. but since being a city doesn’t mean an overnight change, Borongan could do well that for the next few years she slowly undergo that transition from being a mere municipality into a city.

the ingredients for a successful transition are political will of the leaders and cooperation of the constituents. without these, no amount of IRA increase or infusion of cash by investors could achieve for Borongan the true development and prorgess being envisioned by those who supported its objective of becoming a city.

let us unite therefore and move as one towards our goal of progress and development. as the late Pope Paul VI stated in his encyclical Populorum Progressio (On the Progress of the Peoples), development is the new name for peace! without development there could be no peace. just look at the examples that aboud everywhere. we need not enumerate them. the mere fact that troubles abound is that people do not enjoy at least the basic needs of life. if we could meet these basic needs, everything else will follow.

and mind you, development doesn’t only mean economic, political and social. moral and spiritual aspects must also be taken into consideration for without these the City of Borongan will never be GREAT really!

june 20, 2007, 11:15 pm

our town was proclaimed a city after the plebiscite to ratify the charter converting it into a city turned out a resounding victory for the YES vote (10,176 against the 3,452 NO votes).

personally i was apprehensive of this conversion into a city. i was thinking of the capacity of the people to be responsible enough to make the city a place to live in - with true peace, order and security, with development being attained not only in the physical aspect but in its totality - morally, socially, spiritually, etc.

i really wanted to say NO.

but after a serious reflection i considered it instead as a challenge, of being able to overcome the fears of cityhood, and being able to contribute what i can for the betterment of this locality, of this community.

we do not know what lies ahead. but we can prepare and be ready when the future comes. we must be steadfast amidst the troubles that lie ahead and remain committed whatever problem comes our way. being a city is not a joke, as the league of cities state in their opposition to the cityhood of the new cities, "it is a serious business."

yeah. we should really be serious in making our cityhood work. we must not glory for a day, during the moment of triumph which is the proclamation of our town being a city already. the real moment of triumph is when we are able to make our city a safer place to live, a better community to stay, and a more peaceful locality where our children would develop into really productive members of the society and where development would take place successfully, although not without any hitch which is part of any struggle.

for now, let us take pride as we savor the sweetness of having the YES vote triumph over the NO vote amidst the opposition of those who fear cityhood. but when the time comes to really savor the true fruits of cityhood, let us remember that without their opposition we would not be challenged to succeed, to excel and to achieve true development by which time we shall fully enjoy the real moment of triumph!