Opinion: A Visit By Atty. & Mrs. Bolivar, Rachel Basiao & Toshiko Tachibana
Before I start my column on Atty. & Mrs. Jalore Bolivar and their companions,
I would like to inform my readers that I am not alone in my opposition to coal
Paquit is one of the best brains University of San Agustin ever produced. He was the editor-in-chief of the university newspaper during our time. He succeeded columnist Primo Esleyer. Also this week, Mayor Emmanuel Aranda called from Binalbagan telling his Manang Norma that Jun de los Reyes, one of the consultants of Governor Marañon who told him that I am De los Reyes’ friend. Mayor Aranda is one of the supporters of Governor Marañon ever since. I believe they would still be the supporters of the Governor together with Congressman Bebot Mirasol. Mayor Miranda told his Manang Norma that they intend to visit us anytime.
Congressman Mirasol and Mayor Aranda are environmentalists who also opposed the mining exploration in Binalbagan.
Well, on the issue of environment, my place which I turned into a mini-natural forest became a destination of some people especially foreigners who come to Negros. Last time Nelson and Alona Go brought along their balikbayan friends who married an Australian. They had coffee with us and Leslie the Australian was amazed to find a mini-forest surrounded by fields of sugarcane. We discussed wildlife, but he also noticed how bad are our roads from Bacolod to Cadiz. He pities his second-hand car traversing over these roads.
Last week, Atty. & Mrs. Jalore Bolivar, together with Mrs. Rachel Basiao, the wife of Atty. Jerry Basiao visited our place. They brought along Mrs. Basiao’s student, a Japanese by the name of Toshiko Tachibana.
Atty. Bolivar who was a partner of Jerry before he became chief of the Register of Deeds of Silay City, is also their brother-in-law being the husband of Rachel’s sister. Atty. Bolivar had a nice conversation with me, as it’s my first time knowing him as we had no time to know each other everytime I visit Jerry’s office before. He is humorous and a very intelligent conversationalist. People like him is always welcome on a place like mine where, after living here for almost 10 years now, you can seldom find a person with exuding intelligence to converse with sanity everyday. That’s the problem on living in the mountain... er... country. I still have to go to Cadiz to have coffee if only to have an interchange of ideas or otherwise,
there are only few persons who come along to have a highly intelligent conversation and first class humor like that of Atty. Jalore Bolivar. Mrs. Basiao, who was the former ABS/CBN anchor "Hoy Gising," was a licensed English teacher in New York which was her former work until she decided to go home to Bacolod. The last time I was supposed to have coffee with Editor-in-chief Pert Toga, but he was not able to attend. We had coffee then with Diana Mendoza and Rachel Basiao who brought along her Japanese student by the name of Toshiko Tachibana. Rachel said she intends to visit us together with her student and her husband Atty. Jerry Basiao. However, Jerry was so busy with cases and counting money that he was indisposed, so Atty. Bolivar volunteered to be the driver of the group which includes his wife, the sister of Rachel.
Actually, Rachel and Jerry had been to our place many times. Later on, Rachel while on follow up with her business decided to sleep with us for a night. I am a late riser so she had to walk over the place very early together with Norma. Only she confessed she was not able to sleep well, afraid a snake may perk up on her room.
I do not know where did all the snakes go, for when we settled on our place until today I hadn’t seen a snake. Perhaps they are rattled by dogs which we have plenty, and are living free to roam over our property. What we have are tamed geckos which we value much as pest eaters and monitor lizards which slowly are vanishing being hunted by organic men in the neighborhood who like to eat lizards. It is hard to catch these organic eaters as they also steal even my organic chicken, ducks and goats.
This is the problem we have today. Criminals are getting bolder, knowing laws have no teeth. As to Toshiko Tachibana, after her visit to our place intimated to my nephew that she fell in love with our home and place. She said she wanted to stay for sometime even for a night and wants to climb the mountain.
As to my nephew, he was smitten with the Japanese. He thinks he is falling in love.*
