April 13, 2007 · Posted in: 2007 Elections, i Report Features, Image Galleries
A bank and a backward town
FINDING one’s hometown unchanged after decades have passed may be comforting for some, but for those who live in places like Cabangan, Zambales the lack of progress can be quite depressing. About 186 kms north of Manila and practically next door to Subic and Olongapo City, one would think that Cabangan would have no trouble attracting businesses and keeping its residents employed. Instead, the town of some 21,000 people, has an unemployment rate of more than 30 percent, and the three or so new businesses that open each year happen to be sari-sari stores.
Cabangan’s one and only bank, however, is doing well. The town itself has taken out loans from the bank, at interest rates that are higher than what it could have gotten from government facilities. The bank’s biggest shareholder is no less than the town mayor, who has been Cabangan’s chief executive since 1988 — excepting the three years that he stepped aside (because he had reached his term limit) and his wife took his place. According to one resident, they keep voting for him because “he will win anyway.” It seems, however, that the perennial loser has been Cabangan.
It’s a tale that may sound familiar to those living in obscure rural towns across the country. We hope, however, that the piece, which is part of our current series on Faces of Change and Changeless Places, will have readers putting more thought on why they are voting someone into office.
Read on at pcij.org.
11 Responses to A bank and a backward town
incognito
April 16th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
So sad, but Cabangan is not alone. Try visiting Bamban, Tarlac – another classic example of governance neglect!
bkwm2
May 7th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
It’s so sad that this man has been allowed to gouge his own constituents like this just to pad his own pockets. It’s amazing he isn’t ashamed he’s had a hand in stopping the town’s progress these past twenty years he’s been in office.
Aren’t there any strong people in the town who are pressing for changes in their economy?
This man needs to step down and let someone else lead Cabangan to a better future.
Lina
June 5th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
I feel sorry for the town of Cabangan. It could have been a beautiful town with pristine ocean and mild weather, but it is still so remote with no modern technology available anywhere, not even cable. It is definitely not an attractive place to retire!
Noel Galang
April 13th, 2007 at 3:35 am
Thank you for that very nice and reliable article. Congratulations. I appreciate so much this article and finally the Cabangan town is captured by attention.
Continue to expose Cabangan… we will pray for your success!!!
rodel edora
April 15th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
About the mayor (jessie mendigorin) of Cabangan.
There’s only one person who can beat Jessie Mendigorin and that’s no less than my brother Dr. Reydante Edora. He used to be the town doctor and in-charge of the infirmary clinic. He’s the reason why Cabangan has that Infirmary Clinic (used to be Rural Health Center) and he started that 24-hours duty of a health practitioner in this town. Mayor Mendigorin’s very lucky that my brtoher didn’t run against him. You can ask Mayor Mendigorin and he won’t deny this. Cabangan residents can attest to this.
Marilou de Gracia
April 15th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Thank you for visiting our hometown and thank you that someone like you had pay attention to it. Everything you have said is true. He needs to go. We don’t need leader like him. I hope the people of Cabangan will be enlightened by this article. Thank you so much and May God bless you!
Marilou de Gracia
April 16th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
I can’t thank you enough for the articles you have written about Cabangan and the Mayor. God answered my prayer. I e-mailed the show IMBESTIGADOR, 3 weeks ago about the harassments being made by the Mayor towards my mother, and I am still waiting for their reply. Here’s my story. My name is Marilou de Gracia. I presently live in Chula Vista, Ca. My mother has a titled property in San Isidro beach since 1996. Mayor Mendigorin has claimed that the property owned by Municipality of Cabangan. We showed him the title but he did not believe us. Year 2004, I was in Cabangan, he hired men to placed fences around the property right infront of our eyes. We could not believe what he has done to us. We were crying as we watched them putting the iron fences. Everything you wrote in the article is true. He even grabbed the property of his aunt in San Isidro where the antenna for GLOBE is standing. He is a greedy man. Maybe, he wants to create a totalitarian form of government in Cabangan. We sued the Mayor 3 years ago but the hearing kept on postponing by both lawyers. Before summer time came, this year, my mother start building small cottages to the property and Mayor Mendigorin gets very upset and sent policemen to my mother’s house to threatened her. My mother showed them the title and left the house embarrased. Ang sabi daw ng mga pulis, “napag-utusan lang po kami ni Mayor”. I wrote a letter to Gov. Magsaysay, Vice Governor Lacbain,and PNP director to report his bad behavior but none of them responded to my letter. I e-mailed DENR and DILG to checked with them whether my mother has a ligitimate title, DENR responded to my mother that she has to settle this case to the court because my mother had the title for several years.My mother is 85 years old and lives alone. Nandito kaming lahat ng mga anak sa Amerika. She’s too old to have this kind of problems. By the way, my mother’s name is Aurora A. Ecdao. She lives in Barangay San Antonio. Please interview her and Dorcas Mendigorin of San Isidro. Sila ang mga taong inagawan niya ng property. Imbis na tulungan ni Mayor Mendigorin ang mga tao, perwisyo naman ang ginagawa niya. May rumors na marami pa raw siyang inagawan ng mga lupa. Lalabas ang mga taong ito kung may pupunta doon na mag-imbestiga. I pray that he will not win this Election and I hope the people of Cabangan will be awaken by your articles and not to vote for him ever again. Thank you for listening to me!. Again, thank you so much. Take care and May God Bless you!
Ronald Marquez
April 23rd, 2007 at 3:54 am
This is sad…Cabangan is my home, I was born here. It breaks my heart to know that the town I love is just about the same as it has been, or worse. This town needs a break, it has a lot of potential for growth and development. If only they (town officials) can realize that there’s so much they can do to make things better for the town itself and for everybody who calls this place “home.”
Ronald Marquez
April 23rd, 2007 at 4:17 am
Sad news, but true. Cabangan needs and deserves a good leader. Until then, we’re not going to see any changes…better changes.
Keep it up, you’re doing a very good job. This article is well-talked about here in San Diego.
StaCruz4progess
April 27th, 2007 at 2:20 am
your article is moving and very truthful. Zambales is impaired by dynasty regardless of what municipality. StaCruz is the same as Cabangan and its probably worst.
Not sure if you are familiar with Zambales but as far as my memory will go. Sta.Cruz was once a town were commercial trade is big and we were most progressive town as far as Alaminos Pangasinan. Since we left in 1989, the town was progressing. When Mayor Chito marty was elected, since then StaCruz has not progress an inch.
Putting a building or a road here and there, to me is not progress. Progress is when people and community is thriving and their life is improving. Look at the municipal hall 3yrs to build trusses and foundation. I don’t see that as progress.
Like Cabangan, Sta.Cruz is rule by dynasty. Zambales is rule by dynasty (Magsaysay). Dynasty is not bad if there is progress but most of the time , dynasty kills new ideas, new progress, new development, new enthusiasm to move the organizations forward.
This May election, Sta.Cruz is hoping to make the history. The history is to end Marty’s dynasty in Sta.Cruz. The history were Doctors will eventually move the town to progress.
Timmy Arandela
July 11th, 2011 at 5:50 pm
Thank you for posting some inside stories about the hometown of my wife from Cabangan