A half finished statue of the late President Carlos P Garcia is becoming a potential eyesore in a Taguig Park. Started out during the term of MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando, the statue needs further completion and there are estimates that it would take six million pesos to complete the unfinished work. Former governor and now second district Congressman Erico B. Aumentado, the prime mover of the project, has challenged the Boholanos specifically the private sector to help in the wholesome project, so the statue will not be half-finished and unattended in a Taguig park. This is an unfortunate situation especially so that Garcia, a soft spoken man was the first and only Boholano who was able to assume the presidency of the land.
During my younger days as a reporter of the Bohol Chronicle, my father was a known Liberal and a right hand aide of the only famous Liberal partyman in Bohol, ex-Governor Jacinto Borja, therefore associating with the Nacionalistas was a no-no. But then I befriended the late lawyer Niño Ramirez, the brother in law of the Garcias and former city mayor Ondoy Rocha. (As a sideline you know Rocha, as a true friend was the man who introduced me to the steak lunch and thru our friendship, Linda Garcia Campos would give me first class shirts whenever I visited their house on Bohol Avenue. To cut the story short, the son of a dyed-in-the-wall Liberal was able to penetrate the ranks of the Nacionalistas. In those days the two parties were very intolerant of each other. If you are a Liberal you are not supposed to party or be friends with the Nacionalistas.
To get back to the Garcia statue, the Bohol Association of Metro Manila Inc. headed by Mr. Cambe has picked up the challenge. They have come up with the final architectural plans of the statue and they are all ready to pitch in. They have already met with the other officers of the organization to map out fund-raising projects to raise funds for the unfinished statue. Their goal is to raise at least one million and one half to help the completion of the statue and the park. Among the activities lined up are marathon, concerts, bingo sessions and straight fund-raising affairs. Cong. Aumentado has promised to find other resources to fund the projects. Certainly senators and congressmen there, especially our three Bohol congressmen, Reps. Rene Relampagos, Arthur Yap and Aumentado who will contribute from their PDAF funds for the project.
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