I distinctly recall Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas saying, post-‘‘Lando,’’ that now is not the time for political campaigning, but to come to the aid of typhoon-stricken Filipinos. I really hope the people of Casiguran, Aurora remember that statement, as they await the release of aid that is already in their midst —but which cannot be given out until President Noynoy Aquino himself arrives to do the honors.
Yesterday, a Philippine Air Force C-130 cargo aircraft arrived in hard-hit Casiguran, on the province’s Pacific coast, carrying government relief aid. Television reports said the relief goods have been stockpiled in the Casiguran municipal hall and haven’t been distributed to the typhoon’s victims.
These include hundreds of Agta folk, members of the province’s indigenous community, who walked three hours to get to the municipal center. The mayor of Casiguran, Reynaldo Bitong, told television reporters that the goods could not be distributed right away because the authorities wanted to make sure that those who would receive them were legitimate typhoon victims.
At least two Cabinet secretaries, Interior and Local Government’s Mel Sarmiento and Social Welfare’s Corazon Soliman are already in Casiguran together with the relief goods. But because Aquino is only scheduled to arrive in Casiguran today, none of the estimated 5,000 families affected by the typhoon can get their hands on them.
Meanwhile, the official schedule of Aquino today, according to Malacañang Palace, has the President making a “fly-in, fly-out” trip to Aurora province. Presumably, the Agta and other residents of Casiguran who lost their homes and livelihood to Lando will be given their relief goods as soon as Aquino is done with his picture-taking.
Now, why in the name of all that is good do relief goods have to wait for the arrival of the President before they are handed out, nearly a week after a typhoon hit? Do Aquino and his officials think that, since the people of Casiguran have already waited this long to get aid from the government, they can afford to wait one more day?
This is exactly the sort of “weaponizing” of calamity aid that was seen earlier in the week, when the President was joined by his chosen successor Roxas and his running mate Leni Robredo in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija in another aid-giving sortie. And these are the same people who say they are not campaigning when they give out aid—even if they really have no business providing disaster relief.
But at least the people of Casiguran will get their relief goods, even after the unconscionable and indefensible delay. It was Roxas, after all, who famously told the officials of Tacloban City two years ago, after super-Typhoon “Yolanda’’ hit, that they had to fend for themselves because the President was an Aquino and their mayor was a Romualdez.
Maybe Mayor Bitong is not as “bad” as a Romualdez to the Aquino who is still the President. But I wonder how Bitong would explain the delay to his constituents, particularly those who looked on longingly at the reopened Casiguran airport at the aid they could not yet receive.
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It’s rare these days to find a private corporation that remains committed to the values of its founder, especially after it has found commercial success. But for the past seven decades, the country’s oldest wholly Filipino-owned tobacco manufacturer, Mighty Corp., has stayed true to the core beliefs of the man who built the company, Wong Chu King.
“The founder established this culture of dedication and hard work and made sure that everyone of us was appreciated,” said Rosario Marigomen, who has been serving the company for the past 52 years and who is still there when the company recently celebrated its 70th anniversary. “Over the years, Mighty has become more of a big family than a company.”
Marigomen was one of 147 employees given special awards and recognition for outstanding work and longevity in service at the simple anniversary celebrations of the company last Sept. 19. In gratitude, Mighty contributes to the enhancement of the lives of its employees, distributors and tobacco farmers by giving them livelihood and by sending their deserving sons and daughters to school.
Today, the company continuously strives to improve the lives of about 293,000 families of employees, business and trade partners in adherence to its mission and core values.
In 1945, Wong Chu King and his partners Ong Lowa, Baa Dy and Ong Pay set up La Campana Fabrica de Tabacos Inc., which built its first factory in Tayabas Street, Manila. The second factory was built in 1948 in Pasong Tamo, Makati, and in 1951, the company acquired the present site of its head office.
In 1963, Wong Chu King founded the Tobacco Industries of the Philippines on a nine-hectare property in Barrio Tikay, Malolos, Bulacan which would become the future site of their manufacturing operations. Wong Chu King’s company was reestablished in 1985, becoming what is known as Mighty Corp. today.