“I HAVE never seen rain pour like this in Bukidnon.” – Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri This is music to my ears. Maramag passed a resolution that didn’t please the banana and pineapple growers. Thus, it was rumored that the plantation owners will field a more friendly––at least, to their interest––candidates in the coming political exercise. The current crop of municipal leaders in Maramag is very concerned about their water sources, not to be threatened by toxic materials that may come from these plantations. They are also concerned about the use of mountain slopes when they should be planted with trees that would help preventing massive soil erosion. Apparently, the plantation owners are more concerned about their investments than with people’s lives and safety. Being the father of Bukidnon province, Gov. Zubiri’s alarming reaction to the heavy downpour which claimed at least seven lives in Valencia in a surprise flooding should merit a careful study on the use of lands in his province. Pineapple and banana plantations have been the subject of complaints from people and environmentalist groups. Now, oil palm plantations are joining the fray as if there has never been any bad precedent. It may not happen in my lifetime but what happened in Myanmar should be reason enough for Cagayanons to make their voices heard or suffer the same fate. If nothing is done drastically to mitigate the flow of the volume of rainwater from Bukidnon where it funnels down to Cagayan River, the overflowing water could inundate our whole city. Take a closer look at Myanmar. If you are not alarmed, then you really are a brave person. What Gov. Zubiri will do next will define his leadership! •• American soldiers will not die for the Philippines. This is more or less what Rody Duterte said, and I agree with him. The reclamation of China in the South China Sea has been going on for years. It is very unlikely that the United States is not aware of it. But can easily be seen via satellite. Why the US allowed it to grow into what it is today should make the Philippines wary of her intention. The US has its own agenda. Whatever, only time will tell. But certainly, the US will look at its interest first before anybody else’s. The Philippines will be used as pawn in a game of chess between China and the US. •• We are moving toward the end of the third quarter and Pagasa, water utilities and DENR, etc., warn of a strong El Niño in the last quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2016. And we are now seeing a super typhoon which, although did not make landfall in the Philippines, affected us nevertheless. Pagasa should improve its forecasts and upgrade its instruments.