Vilma Santos inisnab ang Dragon Boat Festival sa Tanuan, mga Batangueno nagtampo?

HINDI kami taga-Batangas at lalong hindi kami Vilmanian pero buo ang suporta namin sa lalawigan at siyudad ng Tanauan at iba pang bayan for some very simple reasons – dahil kababayan natin sila and when someone from there asks for a little assistance, regardless of regions, we give in to requests.

For sure, Ms. Vilma Santos or better known as Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto, ang supposed to be’y ina at ama ng kanilang lalawigan, has her own reasons to choose who to help or which invitations to accept – it’s her right after all.

After all, she has a dozen of representatives to proxy her at times that she chooses not to attend an event or baka nga naman meron talaga siyang previous commitments, di ba?

Why I am saying this? Kasi, nitong nakaraang Biyernes at Sabado idinaos ang 1st Tanauan City Dragon Boat Festival sa Brgy. Wawa-Boot, Tanauan, Batangas.

Nu’ng Biyernes ng gabi ay nagdaos sila ng free concert for all the citizens nearby na talaga namang tinao to its maximum. On Saturday, naka-sked ang Balsa Race sa Taal Lake by Tanauan area at 6 a.m. and the Dragon Boat Race at 7 a.m..

We were there, I invited a few members of the press like Roel Villacorta, Richard Pinlac and Ambet Nabus, as well as TV crews like Lhar Santiago of GMA 7’s 24 Oras and Mario Dumaoal of ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol and we saw many other TV crews around like UNTV, among others.

Maaga pa lang ay nandoon na ang mga members of the Rotary Club of Tanauan which I am an honorary member. Sobrang mahal ko ang grupong ito kung saan ang isang dating pangulo nito ay siya ngayong alkalde ng Tanauan, City, si Mayor Thony Halili and the chairman of the Sports.

Kaygandang pagmasdan how these people helped one another to organize a colorful event such as this. Department heads, barangay officials, the military group and many government officials of Tanauan City were in sight – practically helping one another.

Kami nga ay walang tulog literally that night dahil after ng radio program ko sa DZMM last Friday night ay sinundo ko pa ang grupo namin sa Zirkoh Morato at dumaan pa kami sa shooting ni Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito and KC Concepcion for their 2013 MMFF entry na “Boy Golden” sa bandang Mendiola, Manila and we left the shooting past 3 a.m..

Madaling araw na kaming dumating sa bahay ng kaibigan naming si Milo Andaya sa Brgy. Santor, Tanauan, and after having breakfast punta na kami sa venue.

Pagdating namin sa Wawa, marami nang tao. Daming participants – may kaniya-kaniya silang booth. Sa sobrang ganda ng ambiance, I felt that perfect itong ginawa ni Mayor Thony Halili, ang pag-organize ng ganitong event para ma-boost lalo ang tourism industry ng bansa through the Dragon Boat Festival dahil it features no less but the Tall Lake and its serene ambiance.

In fact, magiging yearly na raw ito – they will be doing this every March – hindi na November tulad this year, to coincide a very important Tanauan holiday.

Like every child, people look for their mom or dad. I heard whispers around asking if their elected governor Vilma Santos-Recto is coming.

“Mismong si Mayor Thony Halili ang nag-abot kay Gov. Vi ng imbitasyon pero ang sabi ng staff niya, nu’ng malapit na ang event ay nasa abroad daw ito for some important matters kaya wala siya ngayon,” a source told us.

Ah okay. Patuloy pa rin sila sa kasiyahan when suddenly, habang naglalakad kami ni kaibigang Mario Dumaoal sa kalsada ay biglang may humila kay Mario for a photo-op.

A stunning lady na nagpakilalang tourism officer daw ni Gov. Vilma sa Batangas.”Sabi ni Gov. Villma, baka makita raw kita rito, sabihin ko na raw sa iyo na meron kaming event sa Batangas City sa Dec. 2.

Baka puwede mo ring i-cover,” or something to that effect na sabi ng babae kay Mario. I immediately asked the lady, “Nasaan si Gov. Vi? Is she abroad?”

“No, she’s just here kaya lang meron siyang previous commitment. And tomorrow, Sunday, is family day,” mabilis niyang tugon.
Biniro ko siya, sabi ko, bongga naman si Gov. Vilma, mahalaga talaga sa kaniya ang family day despite all the calamities sa kapaligiran.

In my mind ay naglaro ang isipan ko na here is a public servant supposedly after iboto ng milyon-milyong mga kababayan niya to power ay meron pang nalalamang “family day” and “previous commitment”.

Ano kayang previous commitment meron siya at 6 a.m. Nu’ng Sabado? Bakit sabi ng staff niya, she is abroad kaya hindi siya makakadalo sa napakamahalagang event na yun ng mga taga-Tanauan? Which is which?

Ano ba talaga ang PERFECT na sagot, Gov. Vi?  Nakakatuwang isipin that there are weeks that Gov. Vi would travel with her family kasi nga raw “much-needed vacation” daw niya iyon or if not, kasi nga birthday niya and all.

Kumbaga, hindi pala siyang puwedeng maistorbo pag meron siyang “family day” or “previous commitment”. Nakakatawa, di ba?
Iyan minsan ang mahirap pag mahusay na aktor or aktres ang nakaupo sa puwesto dahil napakahusay nilang paniwalain ang mga tao ng anything na gusto nilang ipapaniwala sa kanila dahil mahuhusay silang mag-emote – ikaw na ang maging grandslam Best Actress and nasa Hall of Fame ng FAMAS.

Hoy, baka sabihin ninyo na kaya ko isinulat ito dahil Noranian ako, it has nothing to do with my Idol-ization ha, true story po ito. Maraming nagtataka kasi kung bakit wala ang gobernador nila last Saturday sa Brgy. Wawa-Boot, Tanauan gayong imbitado naman pala siya, kasi nga “nasa abroad daw” – ay hindi pala – “nandito lang siya pero meron lang previous commitment”. Ano ba talaga, ate? Nakakalito kayo.

Hintayin na lang natin siguro ang magaling na paliwanag ng Best Actress and Star for all Seasons! After all, she won’t be Vilma Santos for nothing. So, you want her still to become our future president? Ha! ha! Ha!

Baka pag may dumating na kalamidad at naganap sa araw ng Linggo ay baka makarinig kayo ng, “Sensiya  na kayo ha, Sunday kasi is her family day”. Kaya niyo iyon?

( Photo credit to Google )