A public office is not a necessity to advocate for reforms, although it could help move those who pretend to be deaf-blind-and-mute, like the monkey who hears no evil, sees no evil, and speaks no evil. In her case, being involved in social progress is a way of life. As a student (HSS, UP, USC) she had been active in some crusades. Her employment in private firms and government agencies was highlighted by her concern of her social responsibilities, translated in terms of hands-on dedication. The next three years could have been her third term as Councilor of Tagbilaran City; but before the May election, some groups, aware of her potentials, took turns to incessantly entice her to join camp. With a fully trusting heart she succumbed to hints of silver linings in the horizon, and woke up a couple of days before the election to some bitter realities of politics. But, she has moved on.

Anne Mariquit Derekito Oppus (ADO) is a woman with brains, and her advocacies for women and children are well-received by concerned citizens. She may not be at City Hall or the Provincial Capitol (where she was a prime exponent for many years), but she still finds time to be a hand in enhancing reforms. Very much a mother (her eldest of 3 is a Nurse, now pursuing a medical degree) and a wife (to General Louie T. Oppus), she has, as a career woman, the obsession to make society more responsive to needed changes. These are excerpts of the interview at DYRD-ZD’s “Nangutana Lang” aired daily (6:30-7:00 PM). She will be my regular Friday guest starting next week.

LMP: Ang Pilipinas, matag-survey ari gyod kita sa number one, two, or three sa pangurakot. Sa imong tan-aw, as a whole, unsa man gyod ang hinungdan?

ADO: Para nako, it still boils down whether we like it or not, bisan unsaon nato ug tan-aw, sa system. If ang mga tawo nga naa sa mga ahensya dili ma-reform genuinely, wala gihapo’y transformation nga mahimo. Naa ko’y favorite book nga up to now kanunay nakong i-share sa mga youth. It’s a best seller my Robert Fulgom. Ang libro nagkanayon, “Everything I needed to know, I learn in kindergarten.” Kung atong tan-awon, all the values taught to us in elementary, high school, and college, atong unang mahibaw-an at home sa dihang bata pa ta.

LMP: In psychology, the formative years ang unang mga tuig until age 6. Nianang panahuna samtang duna na’y buot ang bata, kinahanglan nga isilsil sa iyang pangisip ang value system. Kon duna man tingali mapuno sa ma-teenager na, mora ug peripheral na lang.

ADO: Kon atong tan-awon, experience still is the best teacher. Ang mga bata pagmata nila, they don’t really listen yet. They see what we do, so, bisan unsaon nato ug tudlo sa atong mga bata, even the teachers, mo-surrender gyod because it’s still boils down to the upbringing. And that is no different kon naa ka sa gobyerno. Kana ganing reward system sa balay, if your child gets an A+ or 100% score, ngano man nga kitang mga parents natural instinct na nato ang mo-reward nila. As the child grows up, everytime nga aduna siya’y mahimo, he expects something in return. It is somehow a positive motivation, but ang values mausab kay maka-ingon sila nga opportunity na ni nako nga mo-earn more.

LMP: Ikaw, as a mother, nakamatikod ka nga ang imong tulo ka anak lain-lain ug kinaiya? Pero kon ang reinforcement sa ginikanan is consistent mo suhop gyod sa ilang huna-huna.

ADO: Yes. And na-notice nako, Sir Loy, whether we like it or not, kasagaran sa actuations sa atong mga anak are copies of what we really do. Wala lang ta kakita, mao nang maka-ingon ko nga dili man gyod siguro perfect nga pareho ang among nawong, pero ang actuations, they learn it better at home.

LMP: Mao na ang gihinganlan nga following by example. Subconsciously, mao gyod na ang ilang sundon, especially if they find out it is good.

ADO: Correct, going back to the topic you are talking about, if our leaders up there are not doing what we expect, ang ubos mora pod ug bata nga buhaton usab niya ang iyang nakita. For instance, up to now it’s still an issue for me ang no parking sign. Dako kaayo ang No Parking, ngano man gyod nga even government vehicles are parking. Unya moingon sila nga gadali-dali, mao nang ang mga Ordinaryong motorista mo-park usab. Bisan ako, I have to be honest, na-isyuhan na ko ug ticket twice, and I went to the Police Station to pay my dues. Pero makaingon ko nga nganong wala man lagi butangi nang usa, tungod kay government plate? They are not exempted. In the law there is no exemption gawas kon emergency.

LMP: Duna pa gyo’y lain ana, nahinumdum ko aduna ko’y usa ka higala nga gisita sa Pulis, pero nahibaw ka unsa’y gipangutana, “Nakaila ka kinsa ko?” unya ang Pulis intawon nga nakaila, mituhoy ra pod, wala nalang ipadayon. Mao ni ang usa ka ihimplo nga dili unta angay pakadak-an. Tungod kay ang atong mga kadagkoan duna may mga kahiwi-an nga gihimo. Kita diri sa ubos magkanayon pod ta nga if they can do it, why can’t we? Sa imong tan-aw kon duna may mga kausaban, mahitabo kaha na sa imong henerasyon?

ADO: I am still very hopeful. Ug duna man galing ta’y nahimo, ginagmay lang. That is why, we should not stop teaching ideals sa atong mga bata. This is my own realization, Sir Loy, my eldest daughter who is very conscientious, when she started taking up Nursing as a Pre-Med course, ni ingon siya, “I want to work in the Philippines.” Pero lately, I was just so surprised when she said nga “I have to be a Doctor and leave the country.” Nangutana ko ngano man nga all of the sudden na-change iyang mind. Naa ang helplessness, because she’s seeing nga nothing can be done anymore. But I told her, no, you are supposed to be part of the solution.

LMP: Kon kining atong mga kaubang Pilipinhon, like ang mga Bol-anon, moadto sa ubang lugar buotan man. Mosunod sila sa mga balaod pero kon dinhi sila sa Pilipinas mora man ug lisod kaayong sabton ngano nga mo-sukwahi gyod.

ADO: Maybe because they still sense nga mao ra gihapon. Pero naa man po’y parts of the country like, Davao, Subic, mo sunod man ta. Pero when we go back to our home province, magsalig ta tungod kay daghan ta ug kaila.

LMP: Another thing, ang atong balaod labi na sa enforcement, dili consistent. Manakop lang kon ganahan. Sama pananglit niining atong helmet law, matag karon ug unya inig adto nako sa Dauis naa’y mga motor diha nga nag-parking isig ka kilid sa kalsada. Dili mopadayon ug labang sa taytayan kay naa’y check-point. Sama sa lipat-lipat ang nahitabo kay gana man sa tigpasunod sa balaod ang agdon.

ADO: Para nako, ganahan ko nga i-implement gyod ni nga balaod. But we are teaching people nga pag-helmet mo kay dakpon mo. That is not the point. Pag-helmet mo, so that you will be protected. In the States, dili kuno pwede mo-apply ug insurance if you don’t have a helmet with you. That’s supposed to be it. Ang ato is more on enforcement sa balaod, but more than anything, this is for protection purposes. In fact, I filed an ordinance when I was still a Councilor, nga kining mga 4-year old and below, dili pasakyon sa motocycle on the national highway. But sad to note, the comment I got was anti-poor kuno ang akong ordinance. Discipline is a sacrifice. Everything starts from the family, work ethics, value system, kon unsa ka, it is only a question of kinsa ma’y imong gigikanan?

LMP: Kining panghitabo karon sa atong pagagamhanan, aduna’y mga ahensya nga hilabihan kasungayan, kay si PNoy mismo sa iyang SONA nangasaba na gyod. Dili long-time solution ang pangasaba.

ADO: I remember naa ko’y nabasa sa usa ka Police Station a long time ago, gibutang didto, “No one is bigger than the organization.” A Chief of Police or Head of Customs, is only one person leading a very big organization. Kon dili niya ma-stir ang iyang department, wala gyod siya’y hinungdan bisan unsaon pa niya ug exert ug effort.

LMP: Kadaghanan kuno sa atong government offices, ang trabaho sa otsenta porsyento, gihimo lang sa bayente porsyento nga empleyado. Unsa imong komentaryo ana?

ADO: That is true, but higher than 20%, base sa akong experience. Ang ako lang, let’s not give-up on the 20 or 30 percent. Kanunay natong hunahunaon nga we can be part of that percentage. Ang problema is, if all the rest, that is observing gives up on this small group, wala gyo’y mahitabo. I remember, naa ko’y friend nga niingon, “Kit, I think in my lifetime I will not see the changes I want.” Nangutana ko niya ug ngano, ang iyang tubag was, bisan kinagamyang traffic rules and regulations, up to now gilalisan pa ug unsaon pag-implement. I hope our people will always remember nga naa pa’y 20% nga you can add on to, even if it’s quiet frustrating, but it defines how strong we are. Ang importante lang nga at the end of the day, we can sleep and say, I did something good.

LMP: That is if everybody does that. Kadaghanan sa mga tawo, momata, manghilam-os, molakaw, mouli, matulog... they don’t ask themselves what has happened during the day.

ADO: Mao na’y basic sa Girls Scouting, Sir Loy, which movement I still belong to. Naa’y term namo nga, “Do a good turn daily.” We should do something good at least once a day. It will eventually become a practice in our system.

LMP: Pagkakaron Kit, what are the advocacies that you have?

ADO: From the beginning, I have been an advocate for the protection of women and children’s rights. We are talking with my NGO partners on what we can do beyond what the government can provide. I am also happy kay pagkakaron, we are able to touch the private sector. We are hoping nga we can come up with a group nga advocates gyod Sir Loy. It’s not enough that you are just a legislator or in the office, ang kinahanglan gyod karon ang real transparency. Dili lang for compliance, kay ang usa ka advocate sees it through. I’m getting into consumer watch also. Daghan man god tang consumers, and let’s not limit it to a few people. This is one thing that we can start small but, hopefully achieve something big. All of us are consumers, dili lang kanang grupoha. I am also an advocate of Parental Responsibility, and now, I have more time for that.

LMP: We just had an interesting exchange of ideas, not just a one-way interview.Unsa ang imong panapos nga mensahe sa atong tigpaminaw?

ADO: Very simple and basic. Everything we learned when we were little girls and boys, take a good turn daily. I hope, I left a message for us to be inspired. Like we said, let’s be part of the small percentage, and hopefully, we can make it into a bigger number.

Interviewing a learned woman is an exhilarating experience, especially one who has gone through life the way she has – with confidence that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Her sense of optimism is contagious, seldom found in people who learned some harsh lessons in life. Her family is her inspiration, like what every married woman should feel. She lives not just for herself (this is her least concern) but for her children and her husband, her relatives, her friends, and the entire community she views as proving equal to the challenges of the time.

Being a heart-and-soul Christian, Kit Derekito Oppus knows that serving others makes her life fulfilling.

(Website: www.loypalapos.com; email: loy.pal@gmail.com; cellphone: 09498345957)