Journeys
A lot of OAness
OAness is a term my friend Paolo S. and I coined to mean anything that is in excess of what is supposed to be normal. So it is OAness when one does something beyond what is reasonable. It is OAness when something unusual happens unexpectedly or expectedly. It is OAness when acts are done obviously to attract attention or impress others.
The happenings at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol the last few days showcased a lot of OAness. But the height of all OAness was the storming of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol by policemen (regional Mobile Group imported from Negros?) with the end in view of arresting Governor Neil Tupas. I must admit I shy away from politicians. Gov. Tupas does not know me but I consider him a "lovable" governor by the way he handles himself in the midst of controversies and by the fatherly (or grandfatherly?) sound of his voice every time a question is thrown his way by a radio reporter who sounds as if he was born without tact. The only times I see Gov. Tupas are when I bring my tourists to have courtesy calls on him. As to Vice-Gov. Armada, I still have to know him. All I know about him is that he is an uncle of Sanjay, my friend since high school
I don't want to talk about the merits and demerits of the Tupas-Armada brouhaha. I plead incompetence to discuss the issues involved in the case. Let's just leave the job to the experts and those who pretend to be so. They're paid ( maybe now or in the future) for doing that job.
The Iloilo Capitol fiasco was a journey of sort to all the dramatis personae involved. There's calm after the storm. But is the journey of both camps really over after the anchor has been dropped? It remains to be seen . But one thing I can say is it was really OAness for some to do what they did. Those of you who followed the chronology of events would know what I mean. Those who up to this time do not know what happened, never mind. Sometimes it's more blessed to be ignorant. But if you really want to know, as in you just woke up and realized that you ought to know also, don't ask me. I don't know much either. Just ask others but make sure you get a resource person each from the Tupas and Armada camps. If you make the mistake of asking only one side , for sure you will get only a loud and not-so-correct tune.
In all probability, you'll get only a lot of OAness.
-o0o-
Dinagyang's attraction: Festival grandness or cheap destination?
It's Iloilo Dinagyang Festival season once again and it is this time of the year when we hear comments (and complains) that local accommodation rooms are not only fully but overbooked. When I hear comments like this I can't help but wonder, "is it because our festival has become so attractive to be swarmed by visitors or has our room rates become too cheap by today's standards to be affordable enough even to Class C,D,E travelers thereby giving Iloilo City the reputation as a "cheap" (read inexpensive) destination? This is something that our local tourism industry leaders both in the government and private sector should think long and hard about.
There is no doubt that the Iloilo Dinagyang is one of the biggest festivals in the country today. Its track record would show that it is the best and the biggest event in the Philippines despite the fact that some claim it is a clone of Kalibo Ati-Atihan to which I strongly disagree. There is no match to Iloilo Dinagyang's pageantry, precision movement and grandness. It is something to witness every year. The Php 700/head ticket for January 27 and 28, 2007 showdown in front of the Freedom Grandstand in Downtown Iloilo is really worth it.