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All politics is local

If media reports are true that Environment Secretary Joselito Atienza has “jumped ship” to join the camp of former President Joseph Estrada, who declared his candidacy for president Wednesday in Tondo, it only proves the adage that “all politics is local.” Atienza plans to reclaim the mayoralty of Manila which he successfully held for three terms, pitting him against reelectionist Mayor Alfredo Lim who will run under the Liberal Party and former Philippine National Police chief Avelino Razon, a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition who’ll probably run under an NPC-Lakas-Kampi coalition. Atienza was expelled as LP president by the Drilon faction in 2006 after his faction decided to stick it out with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In ensuing years he repeatedly coaxed new LP president Mar Roxas to unify the two factions, but when this failed to materialize, reports say he decided to cast his lot with Estrada again (recall that as mayor in January 2001, he was among the last local officials to abandon Estrada). The three-cornered fight in Manila promises to be interesting. It’s ironic for Atienza, though, for during his three terms as Manila mayor he had Razon appointed as police chief twice.

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While Lakas-Kampi might lose Atienza to the Erap camp, eight House members from the “Atienza LPs” have joined Lakas, led by Mindoro Rep. Rodolfo Valencia. Lakas also gained a new adherent in independent Marinduque Gov. Bong Carrion. But as power struggles heighten in various areas and mediation becomes hopeless in some cases, political pundits will increasingly have a tough time keeping track of who’s with what party. For instance, in Surigao del Sur, Lakas lost former Rep. Ace Barbers to Nacionalista Party candidate Manuel Villar, and the principal reason seems to be his fierce rivalry with Rep. Francisco Matugas and his discomfort with the regional party leadership of former Rep. Prospero Pichay. In Davao del Sur, Lakas lost a stalwart in Gov. Douglas Cagas who also joined the Villar camp reportedly because of rivalry with the group of Rep. Franklin Bautista. Villar also gained a strong recruit in Camarines Sur Gov. El-Ray Villafuerte owing to political differences with his father, Rep. Luis Villafuerte, and rivalry with former Rep. Ciriaco Alfelor. Ironically the elder Villafuerte remains unhappy with the merger of Kampi, of which he is president, with Lakas.

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The story is told about how, at the recent executive committee meeting of the League of Provinces, Governors Villafuerte and Cagas sought to convince their colleagues to join the Villar camp. But the lady governors stuck to Lakas bet Gilbert Teodoro, prompting the two Villar advocates to give up. During a straw balloting, Gibo supporters Floy Diasen of Kalinga, Olga Kho of Masbate, Bella Angara Castillo of Aurora and Sally Perez of Antique each raised their two hands, prompting Villafuerte to plead, “Isa-isang kamay lang.” Not surprisingly, Teodoro got nine votes against Villar’s two and Noynoy Aquino’s one. The pro-Gibo governors are pushing for a Gibo-Loren ticket on the strength of an environment-led rehabilitation agenda, and they are taking the courtship of Loren seriously, Chinese style. At a recent dinner with Legarda, they brought gifts, e.g., Sarangani’s famous sardines from Gov. Miguel Dominguez, a Gibo-green campaign T-shirt from Gov. Perez and a book on Ilocos history from Gov. Deogracias Savellano.

With the huge support Teodoro enjoys from the local executives as well as a large number of House members, his currently dismal ratings should rise.

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Earlier I wrote that each of us has to cope with the various calamities. I recounted how my family braved Typhoon “Pepeng” one rainy evening to catch Dionne Warwick’s concert at the Araneta Coliseum. Others caught in terrible traffic used the time to meditate and pray, which is the best way indeed. I always bring a book and periodical I can lose myself in, and one such is a little big book (132 pages) written and published two years ago by my fellow alumna at the old Holy Ghost College, distinguished landscape architect Dolly Quimbo-Perez, titled “Home Haven Heaven.”

Dolly first thought of just putting together select commentaries she had written and published over 20 years of practicing her profession, but she realized there was more she wanted to say about home and garden. She then chose to concentrate first on the home portion, where she sought to create “living places for loving spaces,” inspired by the home she put together for her husband, Usec. Spanky Perez, and their six children, and ultimately these offsprings’ own homes with their spouses and the 16 children among them. “Home Haven Heaven” gives us a warm peek, through carefully selected photos, into the “dream homes” of Dolly’s family, personal friends and clients, that are lived and loved, reflecting the synergy between homeowners and designers. It’s available at leading bookstores for only P880.

On Monday, Oct. 26, this prodigious lady will launch at the Discovery Suites in Ortigas Center the sequel, titled “Your Garden, Your Eden,” which is about preparing, designing, embellishing and ultimately enjoying “your very own garden space … your Eden.” This sequel was done with the convenience of the computer she has learned to handle over time—a far cry from the time she wrote her first opus with a pencil on yellow pad and laid it out by manual cut-and-paste.

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The Second International Arts & Crafts Expo of the Asean Handicraft Promotion & Development Association opens on Monday, Oct. 26, at PhilTrade Center, Roxas Boulevard cor. Buendia Avenue in Pasay City. Over the next three days it will feature and sell award-winning crafts designed by artisans from 18 countries of the Asia-Pacific, including ours, and international cuisine as well as festival dances and music. I attended the Expo last year, also spearheaded by Ahpada president Mina Gabor and it was really impressive.

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