Uneventful vacation

I was in Cebu earlier this week. In one establishment there, someone recognized me. "Sir, are you from Dumaguete?"

Indeed, I said, I was. She introduced herself to me by her maiden name, which is a familiar family name in barangay Batinguel. "There are five of us from Dumaguete in this establishment," she enthused. "What's more, we intend to all go home together. We'll wait for a special occasion so we will use up our forced leave. We have all planned to go home for the Buglasan Festival in October!"

She narrated that the job they are in requires that they keep a hectic schedule and they are not usually allowed to go on leave unless it is absolutely necessary. Except this forced leave. For those who are not familiar with government regulations, a forced leave is when the employees are required to use up their leave credits so the company does not have to pay them cash for accumulated leave benefits. Did I end up confusing you?

Well, back to this lady. She really sounded so excited to go home. And they chose a very special event to coincide with their vacation-- the provincial fiesta of Negros Oriental called the Buglasan. The Buglasan, which has been going on for the past several years during the administration of then governor and now Cong. George Arnaiz, is held every October, before Bacolod's Masskara Festival.

The Buglasan Festival has been heavily advertised and promoted not only in Negros Oriental but also abroad. Hotels have made bookings from foreign residents and balikbayans.

But somehow, I didn't have the heart to tell this lady that her vacation leave in October may have to be uneventful after all. This is because Gov. Emilio Macias II wants the Buglasan moved to December 16-January 1. The reason Macias wants this festival moved to the end of the year is that Negros Oriental was created as a separate province on January 1, 1890. This January 1 will be the province's 117th anniversary.

And yet, Macias laments, this provincial birthday just comes and goes without fanfare, except for the fireworks displays of some commercial establishments which do not really honor the province but are only done to welcome the new year.

Many businessmen, particularly owners of hotels and restaurants, are not in favor of moving the Buglasan from October because this festival brings them business in an otherwise lean season.

Things will be different under the Macias administration. I just hope that Macias' decision will be beneficial to all concerned. After all, he also lives by the Rotary 4-way test, being a member of the Rotary Club of Dumaguete.

So far, the decision to move the Buglasan Festival to December continues to be met with grumblings and complaints. However, not many people are brave enough to tell him this. It seems to me that the only people who are brave enough to tell the governor what they think of the Buglasan are those who have the same ideas as he.*

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