ART ATTACKED. Irretrievably lost with the dilapidation of the Paskuhan Village is this wall mural of Philippine celebrations by noted artist Manuel Baldemor. File photo of Bong Lacson
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Fernandinos can now heave a sigh of relief after a part of the Paskuhan Village was donated to the city by the buyer of the property.
Singing the Kapampangan folk song “Atin ku pung singsing, Mewala ya iti,” Mayor Edwin “Edsa” D. Santiago said, “Abalik taya ing Singsing (We got it the ring back),” in describing the donation.
The central building in the sprawling Paskuhan Village here, which was patterned after the Christmas lantern, as well as its surrounding area covering 5,000 square meters was donated back to the city, plus a 500 square-meter two-storey building and an amphitheater by SM Development Corp. (SMDC) which bought the Paskuhan Village from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) for P939 million.
“Masanting ne ing tuyu, kesa keng sula- sulapo pugu, pota malakwan tamu keng negosasyun alang malyari (Dried fish is much better than a flying quail, we might be left behind in the negotiations and nothing will happen),” said Santiago in accepting the half-hectare donation.
“As it turned out, the deal was final and executory last Monday (January 20),” said city administrator Atty. Atlee Viray.
“It is important to preserve our heritage. From zero to something, this is a momentous singular achievement of the Santiago administration,” Viray noted. “It happened that the first off er was only 200 square meters. But the mayor said that’s only good for a toilet. Dagdagan ye, mapalyaring misabi tamu (Increase it and we might talk) until it reached 5,000 square meters,” narrated Viray on how the negotiations went.
Viray said the Paskuhan Village was sold by TIEZA in favor of SM and the only thing that the city government was holding was “the right of first refusal.”
“And that was only basis of the mayor to call on Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales and the Solicitor General in order to file an annulment and reconveyance of sale,” he said.
“Because we foresee that if we wait for the case to reach up to the Supreme Court, that will be difficult. We might as well be dead before we see its conclusion,” Viray explained.
For Santiago, “next to God is culture,” lamenting: “We proudly described San Fernando as the home the giant lantern but then we don’t even have place for it here.”
“So, this (Paskuhan) will be a year-round lantern village to showcase, not only San Fernando, but the famous Kapampangan culinary dishes,” the mayor said.
Rhapsodizing: “It is important, pagmalasakitan me ing kultura mu uling karin ta ngan mi abeabe, itang kulturang Pilipino, kulturang Kapampangan karin meg umpisa ngan, ken penibatan de kulturang Fernandino (…that we show concern for our culture because that is where we are together, the Filipino culture, Kapampangan culture that is where it all began where the Fernandino culture emerged).”
