The mythical republic of Ilokos-lovakia is in a celebratory mood these days.
Just a few days ago, one of its sons, the retired army general Roy Cimatu of Bangui, Ilocos Norte was sworn in by President Duterte as acting secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources—replacing the feisty Gina Lopez who tried but failed to sway the Commission on Appointments to retain her as DENR czar.
One can read Cimatu’s appointment several ways. But perhaps President Duterte has seen something there that convinced him it would be to the advantage of this country to appoint another general, and another Ilocano at that to the cabinet.
And with the impending takeover of armed forces chief of staff Eduardo Ano to the Department of Interior and Local Government, that makes the Duterte cabinet a rainbow coalition of strange bedfellows to include its share of Amboys, leftists and rightists.
The choice of Cimatu as DENR secretary was unexpected, considering that his name was nowhere near those supposedly being considered for the post. Yet he might be what the doctor has prescribed all along to ramrod a department continually assailed by powerful vested interests.
His record was mostly military since he graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1970. His name hogged the limelight occasionally in 2002 when he led the army in wiping out 46 camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Then followed a stint as chief of staff of the armed forces under the Arroyo administration, ending in deployment as special envoy to the Middle East.
A Philippine News Agency account said Ilocanos in his home province welcomed his appointment, considering that he comes from a town that is host to the first wind power farm in Southeast Asia.
Ilocos Norte is also the first province in the Philippines to ban the entry of coal power plants through an August 2016 Provincial Resolution No. 017-2016, declaring the province as a “clean, green and coal-free province.”
PNA added that with its solar, wind and hydroelectric energy sources, Ilocos Norte has been generating about 50 percent of its power requirement from clean or renewable energy.
Ilocos Norte’s environmental sector has also condemned all forms of mining in the province and has pushed for alternative industries to boost its economy without sacrificing its natural resources.
Cimatu has said he was open to reviewing mining’s best practices. And presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Cimatu can balance the interest of protecting the environment and that of allowing mining operations.
Probably the most senior Ilocano in Duterte’s cabinet is current DOLE secretary and chief peace negotiator Silvestre “Bebot” Bello III who comes from Gattaran, Cagayan in northeastern Luzon, the same province that produced Juan Ponce Enrile.
He is also probably the most experienced, having served as justice secretary in 1990-92, and also served for a time as a solicitor general, capped with a stint in Congress as party list representative.
Bello’s ratings has dipped considerably according to a dismayed labor sector that assailed his failure to ban the lopsided ‘end of contract’ practice.
Although he grew up in Baguio City, BIR commissioner Ceasar “Billy” Rivera traces his roots to the neighboring province of La Union. It is Dulay’s supposed first government position after a long career in the private sector.
Another Ilocano is retired army general Ricardo Ramoran Visaya who also served as chief of staff after a two-year stay as commanding general of the AFP Southern Luzon Command.
He replaced the enigmatic Peter L. Lavina at the National Irrigation Administration as administrator.
Despite his family name, Visaya comes from Bacarra, Ilocos Norte where folks casually refer to matches (posporo) as casa de fuego.
He was a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy in 1983.
The other guy from Northern Luzon in Duterte’s cabinet is former Marine captain Nicanor E. Faeldon who is commissioner of the Bureau of Customs. He actually comes from Batanes province where people speak Ivatan so maybe he is no Ilocano.
That leaves the Cordillera region without a cabinet level official in Duterte’s official family. The only mid-level official I see is Land Transportation Office director Francis Almora who surprised CNN with a near-flawless English when he was interviewed once in the air.
But he owes no one his position considering his impeccable credentials.
He comes from the province of Benguet that is devastated partly by corporate mining. It also hosts three of Asia’s largest hydroelectric dams (Binga, Ambuclao, San Roque). Their presence notwithstanding, the province remains one of the provinces in the Philippines where most of the population live in poverty. To date, some villages have yet to avail themselves of electricity. But probably that is another story.
