The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has all the reason to explain before the Supreme Court about its being a “slave” to the power distribution companies especially in seeking to pass on to the electric consumers its generation cost. This is presently also the position of the Bohol Light Company in relation to the re-electrification of Tagbilaran City as a result of Typhoon Yolanda last November. We note to mention these things because a lot of people are making a lot of money because of the passage of Congress of Republic Act No. 9136 otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) Law. There are a lot of things to make a lot of money out of the EPIRA Law because it was widely believed that the “bright boys” of the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR ) drafted the main part of the bill when it was filed with Congress during the time of then Pres. Ramos.

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The EPIRA Law simply compartmentalized the generation of power supply up to the actual use of the electric consumers. From the power generation, transmission of power supply (like the National Grid Corporation) and up to the power distributors (like the Bohol Light Company) are to be undertaken by different companies all under the supervision of the ERC. Unlike before, the entire power supply was being placed under the shoulder of NAPOCOR. Want to see who are the NAPOCOR bright boys? Look at their positions now in the companies that run the power generators and the NGCP.

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We truly respect and behold the devotions to the Senior Sto. Nino in Cebu City and the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila. Being a devout Catholic, we are not affected by the criticism by other religions that our Catholic devotions may be divided into an infant Christ and the black Christ. But apparently, nothing can prevent us from comparing the two devotions because the feast of Senior Sto. Nino in Cebu City has been turned into a festivity called the “Sinulog” while the Black Nazarene has remained to be a devotion marked by the millions of Catholic devotees joining the procession in Quiapo who sustain physical and mental ordeals just to kiss its statue. The public reactions to the procession of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo last Friday as well as the anticipated low profile procession of the Senior Sto. Nino in Cebu City this week made us come up with this comparison.

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In the first place, we mark the feast of Senior Sto. Nino by simply praying and attending the holy mass but never in going to Cebu City because we cannot imagine how people made the feast to be commercial in nature by turning it into a festivity. People go to Cebu City not as fiesta-goers to the Senior Sto. Nino. Both local and foreign tourists go there because of the street-dancing, eating, gathering and reunion of friends and the drinking. During the procession of Senior Sto. Nino in Cebu City on Saturday, it would be a very ordinary procession where devotees, numbering just one or two thousand only, follow its statue and marching around the streets surrounding the Basilica del Sto. Nino unlike the procession of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo last week.

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Basically, people go to the procession of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo because of their devotion to Christ. They would not mind the physical and mental ordeal that they will undergo as long as they can fulfill their devotion. Their only capital is their bodies. It does not require money. On the other hand, only a few people go to Cebu City because of their devotion to the Senior Sto. Nino. A lot of them go there not because of their devotion to join the procession but because of the Sinulog activities especially the street dancing. It has been included in the tourism industry in Cebu. To ordinary people, going to Cebu City during the Sinulog requires a lot of logistics. Fares in the boat and plane rides are quiet expensive. The bookings in hotel and inns are very taxing. Simply stated, it's the peak season in Cebu City because of the Sinulog, not the devotion to the feast of Senior Sto. Nino.

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POSTSCRIPT: Due to circumstances beyond our control, we failed to attend the birthday bash of City Councilor Oscar B. Glovasa at his residence last Wednesday despite the fact that we received a personal invitation through Punong Barangay Ody Glovasa of Pob. 3. To Sir Oscar, our belated birthday greetings...There's more when we return.