PGMA Visits Davao City's After Dark For The 4th Time

For the record, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has visited Davao City's "After Dark Piano Bar", a videoke-restaurant-bar located in Ecoland, four times already.

This was confirmed by no less than Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte himself who said the President sang a Visayan song (Duterte was not sure but said PGMA sang "Usahay") at the videoke bar the last time she was there. This was previous to her visit to the city last Thursday to attend the 61st birthday of Speaker Prospero Nograles which was held at the Apo View Hotel.

Duterte met with the President but refused to reveal the details of their meeting saying it was hush-hush and was not at all about politics but about community matters.

Davao Mayor Pushes For Creation Of Crematorium For Dabawenyos

Dabawenyos who could not afford a decent place to bury their dead should start thinking about the benefits of cremation. City Councilor Nilo Abellera has already proposed the creation of a crematorium facility for the city,

"Mas magpabor ko anang sunugun ang patay nga lawas; bisag ako sugot ko sunugun akoang patay nga lawas 24 hours after I am dead (I am in favor of cremating the dead body; I am even in favor of being cremated 24 hours after I am dead," Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said yesterday when interview in ABS CBN's "Gikan Sa Masa, Para Sa Masa" television program.

Duterte said cremation may not be widely accepted by Dabawenyos today but it is time that everyone should consider this option for practicality sake. He said Davao City is experiencing a shortage in burial grounds and those who cannot afford the expensive private cemeteries should be given an option.

Duterte said he is advocating for the creation of a public crematorium so the poor people of Davao will have an option. He said if the plan pushes through, the city crematorium can even offer free services for Dabawenyos who could not afford it.

The construction of a crematorium can be expensive and as of 2004, the Davao Memorial park has not recouped even 50% of the $300,000 it has invested for the crematorium facilities. The management of the Park however confirmed that the number of people availing of their crematorium service is increasing every year.

Church Dared: Go To Tondo And See Life's Realities

Movers behind the Philippine Catholic church were challenged by non government agencies and reproductive health advocates to visit Tondo and see the realities of life. Then perhaps they will be able to fully understand the need for a viable reproductive act such as the one being debated in Congress today.

While Tondo is more than that, it is said to be a showcase of Philippine poverty and population blast. However, poverty can also be gleamed even in your own neighborhood, just take a look at the low-income and sometimes no-income families of five or more.

The Philippine Church is an important group that politicians will please to high heavens thinking of the clout it has to its Faithful come election time. Although not as strong as the Iglesia ni Kristo, the Catholic Church is still a potent political ally that most politicians, even President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo would not dare cross them.

And while most politicians are running scared with their tails behind their butts, a government official has proven there is still someone in government who will not mince words nor sacrifice her beliefs even at risk of being taken away from her post and that is DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral.

Cabral has been very vocal about her stand on reproductive health and she has not backtracked despite Malacanang's dilly dallying on the issue. Cabral said she has been in the forefront of the country's battle against poverty as DSWD chief and she is only saying and standing for what she thinks is best for the people even at the risk of losing her appointment.

And there are more politicians proving their worth and not merely as sniffing dogs---Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela and Mayor Tomas Osmeña of Cebu has publicly avowed support for the reproductive health bill. Davao City's mayor Rodrigo Duterte is one of the independent-minded politicians in the country today and he even rewards Dabawenyos who would go for vasectomy. Will Duterte align himself with these fearless politicians?