METROPOST


JUNE 20 - JUNE 26, 2021 11 EULOGIES T


here are many things I want to say about the late Vice Mayor Alan Gel Cordova, and I want to share this with you in our language as we remember him, and try to live by what he stood for, so that everything he accomplished in public service will not die with him, but live on in each one of us.


Mga igsoon, nagtuo ko nga kung diha pay higayon nga makasulti si Alan kanatong tanan, ug mosulti ko karon kaninyong tanan para ni Alan: Salamat kaayo sa tanan. Klase ni sa pasalamat nga dili matugkad, kay gisaligan nato siya sa makadaghang panahon nga mosirbe sa atong dakbayan.


walay bisag usa kanato nakadawat ug kwarta niya sa panahon sa eleksyon, pero gihimo gihapon nato siya nga bise mayor.


Ang ato usab nga pagsalig niya dili matugkad, kay


Nisalig ta niya, dili tungod sa kwarta, kung dili tungod kay mabati nato niya ang iyang pagkamatinod- anon, mabati nato niya ang iyang sinseridad mo serbisyo, mabati nato ni Alan sa iyang gipangsulti ang tinuoray nga prinsipyo sa pang-gobyerno, mabati nato ni alan ang atong tanang gihandom sa usa ka maayo nga pulitiko nga andam isakripisyo iyang kaugalingon para tanan, hilabi na para sa mga tawo nga kulang sa tingog ug impluwensya. Nisalig ta ni Alan, kay dili nato makita niya ang personal nga interest sa pang-gobyerno. Klaro ni Alan ang iyang moralidad sa pang-gobyerno. Si Alan dili mahadlok mobarog sa tanang kontrobersyal


nga mga issue sa syudad, hilabi na ang baruganan sa gobyerno nga dili dali masabtan sa mga tawo. Kung sa kadaghanan nga mga pulitiko magpabiling maghilom na lang para dili sawayon sa mga tawo, pero sa kadaghang higayon, si Alan kanunay mo barog ug mopasabot sa mga tawo nganong angay suportaan ang maong lakang sa gobyerno.


sa odd-even scheme sa mga pedicab drivers, sa sanitary landfill proposal, extra judicial killings sa syudad, ug daghan pa.


Nahitabo ni sauna sa issue


Nisalig ta ni Alan, kay nakita nato ang ehemplo sa usa ka maayo nga lider. Bilang Vice Mayor, kontra ni Alan ang pag usik-usik sa oras sa gobyerno, ang alas 9 nga session, alas 9. Si Alan, usa ka transparent nga lider. Ang pang-


gobyerno ni Alan dali nga masabtan sa mga tawo, ug walay gitago. Mao nga ang session sa konseho makita ug madungog sa mga tawo sa TV, sa radio ug sa facebook. Adunay luna ang media sa session hall matag session. Daghang mangutana ngano nga taas kaayo ang session moabot ug hapon, para ni Alan, ang debate ug thorough discussion sa matag ordinansa importante kaayo. Ang Question Hour, ang usa sa pinakataas kaayo nga magahinan ug oras sa session, gihimo ni Alan kini nga plataporma para manubag ang atong mga gisaligan sa gobyerno ngadto sa mga tawo. Gani, sa panahon sa pandemia, halos kada session, gipatawag ang representate sa City ug Provincial IATF ug mga doctor, para mohatag ug weekly update sa publiko sa kahimtang sa syudad ug mga gipanghimo sa gobyerno pagbatok sa pandemia. Ang privilege hour, nga kanhi mga myembro lamang sa konseho ang makasulti, gipa apil ni Alan ang publiko sa pagsulti kasulti sa atong konseho para mapahungaw nila ilang mulô ug huna-huna sa gobyerno. Sa matagkomitiba sa konseho, gitagaan ni Alan


at us as friends. He was never vindictive. It is sad that we never got to say our last goodbyes.


For many of us, Alan was more than a friend. He was family, he was a brother. In my case, we knew each other for more than 15 years. We were classmates in some subjects at the SU College of Law. As a friend, Alan was someone you could rely on. He was somebody who would always shake your hand or give you a pat on the back. Always ready to give advice, he always made time to listen to anyone’s concerns and sentiments. He was always eager to help, even if it might be detrimental to him personally. He was a true and loyal friend. It is no wonder then that so many felt a great loss when Alan left us. I owe a great part of who I am now because of Alan. I was active in the SU Student Government when he and I were classmates; Alan was not in campus politics. Yet, that


t is said, “It takes sadness to value happiness. It takes absence to value presence. We never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. We never know the value of a person until we see the gap they leave behind when they are no longer a part of our lives.”


I


It hurts everyday… the absence of someone who was once there. It pains me deeply, now remembering that this Session Hall is the place where I last saw Allan alive… and now all I see is this coffin where he now lies.


ug dakong balor ug tingog ang lain-laing sektor sa komunidad, diin giapil sila ug gitagaan ug representasyon, para kung adunay ordinansa nga maka-apekto sa ilang sektor, susama sa mga pedicab drivers, aduna silay representate kanunay motuki sa ordinansa sa dili pa ma aksyonan sa konseho. Pagpanaw ni Alan, daghan ko ug nabasa nga komentaryo, “gone too soon,” ug hilabi na “a Mayor we never had.” Napamalandongan nako ang ABAT. Kaniadto sa eleksyon, kami ni Vice Mayor Karissa ug Konsehal Mike Bandal, pwede unta mopili ug unsay dali ug walay problema, pwede ra unta mi mouyon sa kagustuhan sa partido, pero nisuporta ug nikuyog mi ni Alan. Wala toy pagduha-duha. Sa akong bahin, hugot akong pagsalig ni Alan sa iyang damgo sa pang-gobyerno ug para sa mga tawo. Pinakadamgo ni Alan ang usa ka gobyerno nga kanunay maminaw ug mangonsulta sa mga tawo; gobyerno nga dali kaayo ang serbisyo ug sayon maduol sa mga tawo; gobyerno nga limpyo ug dili mapamahimudsanon. Kini tanan makita nato sa personal usab niya nga kinabuhi. Simple ug un-assuming si Alan. Atong mahinumduman si Alan nga mag t-shirt ug puti ug magsandals naka motor kada buntag diha sa painitan, nakipagstorya sa tanang klase sa tawo, halos kaila siya sa tanan, ug dili siya daling malimot sa ilang mga ngalan. Kanunay makita siyang gakatawa ug kontento na sa duha ka itlog ug pandesal. Panahon sa eleksyon, mangampanya siya kuyog si


public official the late Vice Mayor Alan Gel Cordova was. I am here to share with you how much of a true friend and a caring classmate Alan was to all of us in the Class of 1984 of St. Louis School.


M


any of you here at the City Council spoke about how great a


miss the coffee times we had with Karissa and Joken. I miss the messages where he addressed us as BAT. I miss the stories he shared with us, his jokes, his laughter, his pat on my back. I simply miss my friend. Alan left us while I and Karissa were in isolation due to CoViD. He texted us that time, wishing us the best, and hoping we’d get well soon. Despite our petty


I miss our Vice-Mayor. I


already feel that Alan was a man for the people. He had this certain aura that told you he was destined for public service. It came as no surprise then that one day he was elected as a public servant for the people of Dumaguete City. Later on, Alan recruited me to join him. While I had my initial reservations of joining politics, I knew that the City would be in safe hands because Alan would be with us. He was an idealist. He had


the focus and commitment to make Dumaguete a better City. He dreamed of a team that would make it possible. He wanted a Council much better than the ones before it. For all these, he convinced me to serve, along with him. In politics, Alan was my


differences on certain political issues, he continued to look


I had the distinct privilege of knowing the late Vice Mayor since we were six years old. Alan, who later became popularly known to us as ‘AlCor’ was my classmate since kindergarten until we graduated from high school in 1984.


AlCor cheekily answered, “Kay kusog ko mokaon ug mani and mokatkat ug kahoy”. To which our classmate replied, “Aw, kana mokaon mani, kaya na nako! Pero kanang mokatkat ug kahoy, di na nako kaya….” Another classmate revealed that one time, AlCor was teasing her and “chased” her from school, all the way to her house!


mentor. He hated corrupt and abusive persons. He detested those who ran for politics only for personal reasons, and those who only wanted to be rich. He once advised me that if


service actually inspired his younger brothers to follow his lead, and also join the military after him. Being an influencer but also


Even after we pursued different paths, me in the medical field and he in local governance, we managed to keep in touch with each other and the rest of our classmates whenever we could. Any Louisian ‘84 batch mate can attest to the fact that he was always the unifying force of our class.


Aping, iyang asawa, maglakaw sila ug paspas sa tanang suok-suok sa kabaranggayan buntag hangtod gabii. Ug naay siyay panahon makiglambigit ug storya kabahig politika sa tanang klase sa mga tawo diha sa mga kabalayan ug kadalanan. Hilabi na, dili siya makalimtan sa iyang paglamano, kay sakit kaayo maka piga. Bilang usa ka responsible amahan ug bana, makahinumdom ko mouli sigi si Alan ug sayo kada gabii kay iya pang ituyok iyang mga bata sa Dumaguete, ug magpanday pa siya sa ilang balay, nga matod pa niya, walay kahumanon.


Bilang usa ka amigo, sa tanan nga naka ila ni alan, dili ka niya biyaan ug dili ka niya pasagdaan. Lan, losing you has inflicted me and many of us much pain… but this wound I wish will never heal so that it will remain to be my conscience that will always disturb me, so that I will constantly live by your principles and ideals of public service. In a lot of things, we had always been together, and


Joe Kenneth Arbas Dumaguete City Councilor


stood by for each other. I am so blessed to have served with you. May our Lord guide you to heaven, and rest in peace, my brother.


differences amongst us, Alan wouldn’t join the fray. Always the peacemaker, he would make us realize that life is to be lived and enjoyed in the company of people who matter to us. No wonder that during our class memorial service on June 5, everyone shared stories in fond remembrance of Alan. While his absence will be deeply felt by his passing, the memories we shared with him will forever be cherished. As early as kindergarten, we knew that Alan was the best in our class. He was consistently at the top of the class -- no matter how hard everyone tried to outdo him, myself included. Graduating class Salutatorian in elementary, and class Valedictorian in high school, Alan wasn’t the nerdy kind of smart. In fact, many of our classmates found him to be just like any other normal mischievous kid. When he was asked once by a classmate ngano bright siya,


When there were


Alan’s eloquence in public speaking was evident in our speech classes, so much so that he easily won declamation contests, speech contests, and oratorical contests in school or in City-wide competitions. Quiz bees, general information, and chess competitions were ‘peanuts’ to Alan. He was into sports, too, and in our very big campus, Alan played almost all ballgames allowed by the school.


Good looks, brains, brawn, and a pleasing personality -- Alan was much endowed, making him every guy’s envy, and every girl’s crush. He was crush ng bayan, and was sometimes referred to as our local Tom Cruise.


As a leader, Alan was a natural in the classroom, and outside the four walls. During our senior year, Alan was our Corps Commander of the Citizens Army Training. This responsibility he took to heart when he was assigned to discipline the other officers and the rest of the Corps.


Having found his place and happiness in the military, he took the entrance exam of the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio. And because he topped the difficult PMA exam, Alan was invited to enrol at the highly-esteemed US Military Academy in Westpoint, New York.


passed on three years ago, to say that Alan was devastated is an understatement. When Vick’s casket arrived at the airport, Alan was among those who received him home, and a classmate remembered Alan saying, “Bali ning kinabuhi sa? Basi’g ako na ang sunod....” As with Alan’s sudden demise, our class is also in shock. AlCor was a friend to all. He was a public-oriented person, and found his niche in politics. He spoke his mind out, and always stood by the truth -- which is probably the reason why even as an Independent candidate, he won the hearts of thousands in Dumaguete.


Looking back now, I think joining the military must really have been in AlCor’s DNA as I remember he started sporting the ‘white side wall’ haircut even while we were still in grade school.


We would consider the Class of 84 of St. Louis School as a ‘political party’ whenever AlCor ran for public office, as we supported him each time, all the way. We would eagerly campaign for him among our families, our friends, and in our workplaces. I always did my share of whole-heartedly campaigning for Alan among my colleagues at the Hospital, and with my patients.


a firm leader was something Alan did to perfection, as even to this day, nobody in our class can ever lay claim that they were ever offended by AlCor. AlCor’s best friend in school was the late Atty. Victoriano Alabastro. Theirs was a bond like no other -- even more than brotherly perhaps. At reunions and gatherings, we would see them seated together or huddled in conversation in a corner. We understood that they spoke the same language being lawyers, and having chosen the political life, Vick Alabastro as councilor in Bayawan City. When Vick suddenly


Alan’s own calling to public time, one can


a person’s reason for joining politics are personal, then the person had no business to be in politics. He always reminded me of the concept that “a public office is a public trust”. Alan was a man of


principle. He always did his best to support efforts by the City, as long as he felt they were right, even if these were unpopular.


my first term of office (when Alan was still with the same political party) when he prodded us to always join the Mayor in public hearings to help defend the City – this was with respect to the City’s garbage solution which was unpopular to some at that time. Alan did not care if his


name would be maligned as long as he could give the people what is due them -- his full attention.


minded. I asked him during the 2019 election why he refused to join the party and chose instead to run as Independent. He told me that our “boss” is the people, and that he did not want to be obligated to any political party and later on be compelled to decide on matters out of delicadeza. For Alan, public interest was always first. Above all, Alan was a simple guy who always preferred to avoid the limelight. During public gatherings, he always preferred to stay at the back, with the masses, rather than with the other leaders on stage. He dressed simply. If he did not identify himself as the Vice-Mayor, one would not even recognize him immediately. That is why many admire him for that. To many of us, Alan was a true leader. He was a much- better politician than many of us, myself included. That is why Karissa, Joken, and I followed him during the last election. We were regarded as ABAT (Alan, Bandal, Arbas, Tolentino) then.


TO BANDAL P.14


candidate to “sell” as he had it all, and his heart to genuinely serve was always in the right place. It was always our class pride to endorse Alan. Sadly, his flyers that would normally occupy a special place in my clinics will no longer be there in the coming 2022 elections. Aping and their three girls must have witnessed how much Alan cared for the St. Louis Class of ‘84. He was always present with us, and was just a call or text away whenever anyone among us needed help. He was always the go-to person for our legal, government, and especially security concerns. AlCor always welcomed us to their home in barangay Piapi for any class gathering. We would go there for meetings, celebrations, or for no reason at all. It’s a place where everyone can relax and just be who he/ she is, or was when we were younger. AlCor’s home is the go-to place where we could catch up on each other’s lives, and relive our elementary and high school days. On more than one occasion recently, Alan wanted to gather Batch ‘84 again, and even offered “tunga mi ni Victoriano sa lechon”. Well, it never happened due to the COVID restrictions, and now looking back, perhaps Alan wanted to meet us so bad because he was to leave us on Sunday morning, May 30. ‘Gathering together’ via the Zoom platform we did on June 5 in honor of our beloved classmate Alan. The virtual memorial was attended by at least 51 classmates and friends from around the world. I do not know all that Vice Mayor Alan has done as a public official for Dumaguete but I must say it was always for Good Governance. His was a commitment of doing service for the good of all, even if it meant losing friends along the way.


TO OZOA P.14 Alan was never a difficult Alan was independent- I remember a time during


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