I HAD a lively chat with a municipal mayor and a board member lately.
And in the course of our chika-chika, he nonchalantly asked me about the number of mayors in Bohol, minus Tagbilaran.
The figure that right away played in my mind was 47, representing the 47 towns of Bohol.
But I kept silent because I suspected that the mayor had something “fishy” in his mind.
True enough, he said, there are currently 51 mayors in the province of Bohol.
How is that, I asked him.
After taking a deep swallow of the ice-cold San Mig Light, he said from the 47 mayors that you know, you add 4 more mayors, and you’ll get 51.
Ah okay, I hurriedly said.
And just to be sure that we were on the same verbal boat, he said 2 of these additional mayors are in the 1st district and another 2 from the 3rd district.
And just to make it very clear, the board member recited the names of the additional mayors.
No need to mention their names here but they were referring to the “spouses” of the mayors who also play their part, as “mayors” of the town, second to the real mayor.
* * *
I got correct answers on the 3 but the 4th one in the 3rd district was new to me.
Accordingly, the wife is the real boss because the mayor often refers to his wife first every time the mayors in the province have an activity, especially when outside of Bohol.
Mora ba og di kalakaw o di ka laag ang mayor kon magkuyog sa ubang mga mayors sa Bohol kay mananghid usa sa asawa nga manglakaw sila.
And most of the time, the explanation runs, the wife refuses to allow the mayor to go out with the other mayors.
Mao nang gitawag nang asawa og mayor sab, the board member said.
* * *
When I heard the names of the 3 additional mayors, I was not surprised.
I know from personal experience that the 2 wives and 1 husband are really very active in “running” the affairs of their respective towns.
The wives, well, they make their own decision separate from their husbands, even in the presence of visiting officials or guests.
Uwaw lagi paminawon nga di na lang motingog ang ilang bana nga mga mayor kay ang mga asawa na man ang manubag-tubag.
Og mao sab ang maghimo og strategy kon unsaon pagsulbad ang problema sa lungsod.
And bana sab sa mayor, parehas.
But my sources said that in the case of the “husband-mayor,” it’s a good thing nga nag-apil-apil ang bana kay dako kaayo og gikatabang sa asawa nga mayor.
“Mora’g maglisod pod si mayor kon di tabangan sa iyang bana kay suma bitaw, nindot ang padagan sa lungsod karon tungod sa pag-apil-apil sa bana,” the board member said.
* * *
Because the 1st mayors are good friends, I can honestly say that I have tried to talk to their wives, in the presence of their husbands, that their “active” participation or involvement although done with good intentions might be misinterpreted in the same way as “conjugal dictatorship-like.”
Maghimo man gani og isyo aron lang makahimo og kadaot sa politika, mosamot nga himoan og isyo kanang nag-apil-apil na gyod ang asawa sa pagpadagan sa lungsod.
Ingnon dayon na sa inyong mga kontra og kinsa may tinuod nga mayor, ang bana o ang asawa, I told them.
And I happily noted then that they appeared to understand the point that I was driving at and would act accordingly.
But later on, I realized that they were really bent on continuing their “active roles” as de facto mayors of the town.
Tak-om na lang ko para way samok.
* * *
Unsa kahay rason nga nagpaluyo sa budget proposal nga padak-an ang budget alang sa flood control nga mokabat na sa 225 billion pesos?
Ang maong budget mas dako pa sa budget sa Department of Agriculture alang sa pagkaon sa nasod ug hasta sab sa budget sa DSWD.
Hilabihang dakoa ang maong budget nga nakapakurat sa daghang mga tawo.
Kon molusot ang maong budget alang sa flood control, pila kahay porsiyento sa maong kantidad ang mogawas nga komisyon sa mga balhiboog kamot?
Nagakadako ang utang sa nasod tungod kay nagakadako man sab ang pahat sa budget alang sa flood control nga himoon nga gatasan sa mga kurakot nga mga politiko.
Agehhhh.
