Money is name of the game

GMA 7, which sponsored Sunday’s presidential debate along with the Inquirer, must be in dire financial straits or just plain avaricious.

The giant network didn’t have public service in mind, but money—lots of moolah—earned from a diarrhea of commercials in between breaks.

Many viewers, who had waited anxiously for weeks to listen to their candidates, were irritated by the flood of commercials foisted upon them.

The commercials shortened the debate and made it dull and boring.

These could have been aired before or after the program when the program hosts Mike Enriquez, Jessica Soho and Inquirer’s John Nery did a post-analysis.

But the gross error the network made was airing the commercials of some of the presidential candidates during the breaks.

The political ads of the presidential candidates had no place in the debate which was aired nationwide to help voters choose the best candidate for Malacañang.

Let’s hope the next TV network to sponsor the debate, TV5, won’t be as materialistic.

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A very reliable informant told me one of the presidential candidates has between P4.5 billion and P5 billion that will be distributed on election day, May 9.

Definitely, it’s not Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte who is  short on campaign funds and relies on God’s will to make him win.

Duterte and his campaign managers are too bashful to approach potential supporters, a member of his camp told me.

As Davao City prosecutor, mayor and congressman, Duterte has never been tainted with allegations of graft and corruption.

Duterte, however, is by no means  perfect. He has admitted to being a womanizer and killing dangerous criminals and big-time drug dealers.

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Now, on the lighter side.

If you’re planning a Holy Week getaway, try spending it in Cagayan province where centuries-old churches abound.

That way, you not only make your vacation solemn by visiting the churches, you also immerse in the history of the edifices.

You also get to enjoy the Cagayan countryside and beaches.

Two of the old churches are the St. James the Apostle in Iguig town which was built in 1765 and finished in 1787,  and Our Lady of Piat in Piat town built in 1623.

Iguig is 20 minutes away by car from Tuguegarao, the capital town, while Piat is an hour’s drive away.

Tuguegarao is 45 minutes away by commercial plane from Manila.

St. James the Apostle church has a large compound which encloses 14 stations of the cross and a mini Calvary hill.

The image of Our Lady of Piat, originally known as the Our Lady of the Rosary, which thousands of devotees  claim is  miraculous, was brought to its present location in Piat from Lallo town.

The two old churches  have been renovated by the Wong Chu King Foundation based in Makati City.

The nonprofit foundation is run by the Wongchuking family with Alexander, the late founder’s son, as its executive director.