The Municipality of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino (SNA) Could Be More Appropriately Named as KULAMAN
Posted on Friday, 8 June 2018
The Municipality of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr.(SNA)
Could Be More Appropriately Named as “KULAMAN”
By Apolinario Villalobos
First of all, the Honorable Governor of Sultan Kudarat, Pax
Mangudadatu should be accredited for the highway that has connected the area of
Kulaman to the lowlands. The naming of the town after the dead husband of the
late president Corazon Aquino did nothing good for the residents – Christians,
Muslims and Lumads. Those responsible for the naming of the new town as such
could be wringing their hands in remorse for their unfair decision.
When Sultan Pax Mangudadatu became governor of Sultan Kudarat,
among his first acts for the province was lobby for the construction of a
highway from the lowlands to the Kulaman area as it has been grossly neglected
for several decades despite the promise of opportunities. Nothing happened to
his effort under the two presidents –
Gloria Arroyo and even Pnoy Aquino. The governor confided that he even
told Pnoy, “para naman sa bayan na nakapangalan sa tatay mo ang
highway”…nothing happened.
When Duterte became president, he tried again to lobby although
he was at the brink of desperation. He told the DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, “yong
ibang bayan, nagpapa- widening na ng mga highway nila, pero ang iba tulad ng
Kulaman wala pa maski kapirasong kalsadang sementado…”. He succeeded in his
persistence. Today, Kulaman area is connected to the lowlands with a highway
and extensions for connection with neighboring municipalities are afoot.
Farmers living on the slope of Mt. Dagoma can now bring their produce to the
city of Tacurong, Isulan and Esperanza with ease and comfort….and Kulaman is
showing signs of fast development although, it is just a barangay of the SNA.
The provincial government has also implemented several livelihood programs
spearheaded by the livestock dispersal that include carabao, goats and hogs.
Back to the issue of name….the municipality of Senator Benigno
“Ninoy” Aquino is more known by its
contracted reference as “SNA” that stands for Senator Ninoy Aquino. My question
is why adopt the said name when the dead guy has got nothing to do with the
area?...just because he was the killed husband of the then, sitting president,
Corazon Aquino? This is a blatant act of “paninipsip”! ….ash licking to the
maximum!...or is it an attempt to perpetuate the name “Aquino” in
Mindanao?....what a shame!
Kulaman has been known for so many years among the people of
Cotabato, and in fact used by the Oblate Fathers or Oblates of Mary Immaculate
(OMI), as their center for evangelization activities around the area, hence,
the establishment of Notre Dame therein that preceded other Notre Dames in the
lowlands. When scientific researchers
mention archaeological finds in the whole area, they refer to Kulaman. When
lowlanders mention organic vegetables and special highland coffee, they refer
to Kulaman. Despite the official name
for the town, many people still thought that Kulaman is the town. Whoever thought
of coming up with another town should
have just converted Kulaman into such, with area expanded by the additional
barangays mentioned in the list below, some of which having been sliced from
Kalamansig and Bagumbayan.
The administration of President Duterte could do the residents
of the area a favor by changing the name of the municipality of Senator Ninoy
Aquino into KULAMAN…if he is committed to rectifying what has been done
unfairly in the past. The precedent in the case of the renaming of the Mariano
Marcos, back into its former name, Lambayong, could be cited.
(Quotation marks before and after the write-up below, indicate
that it has been copy-pasted by this writer from Wikipedia in the internet.)
“The municipality was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 06712 on February 17,
1989,[4] and is named after
senator Benigno
"Ninoy" Aquino Jr.
It brought Barangays Buenaflores, Bugso, Kiadsam, Kadi, Kulaman,
Malegdeg and Sewod in the Municipality of Kalamansig and Langgal in the
Municipality of Bagumbayan to constitute into an independent municipality. The
seat of government of the municipality is situated in Barangay Kulaman.
Senator Ninoy Aquino is politically subdivided into 20 barangays.
·
Banali
·
Basag
·
Buenaflores
·
Bugso
·
Buklod
·
Gapok
·
Kadi
·
Kapatagan
·
Kiadsam
·
Kuden
·
KULAMAN
·
Lagubang
·
Langgal
·
Limuhay
·
Malegdeg
·
Midtungok
·
Nati
·
Sewod
·
Tacupis
·
Tinalon”
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