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Note: The following content was emailed or snail-mailed by our readers. Any views or opinions, satire or otherwise expressed herein do not reflect the views/opinions of the Southern Leyte Times as a whole and should be treated as such. Moreover it acts as a social sounding board to issues affecting us so that people with eyes can see and hopefully it the right people open their eyes to the truths surrounding us wouldn't this place be better for all?

First, either you or your webmaster misspelled my name as Yul Kangleon Cobile, then in your rebuttal, you mistook me for someone who’s claiming to be a patriot 12,000 miles away.

Modesty aside, I am a proud US veteran, with (Filipino) Maasinhon roots, who proudly accomplished several military missions in Southwest Asia and the Middle East, South and Central Americas, and in the Pacific theaters of operation. My becoming a US citizen not only allowed me to enjoy the American way of life but also to effectively participate in sensitive missions that required special personal skills, military tactics, trilingual capabilities and interaction with certain elements from worldwide intelligence communities. I attained the rank of a Chief Warrant Officer 3 in the U.S. Army.

As someone who hails from Mantahan and proud descendant of Maasin’s Garces/Gaviola/Kangleon and Machado/Pelenio/Cobile family trees, I proudly operate the non-profit, information portal website, MaasinCity.Com which I have independently maintained since 1998. It is the pioneer website for and about Maasin City. I also stand alongside Jani Arnaiz as the unpaid IT administrator and hosting provider for his website, The Reporter. The two websites are just few of my ways of giving b ack to Maasin’s townsfolk and younger generation. I expect nothing in return.

I am married to the same woman with whom I tied the knot 32 years ago. She’s part American Indian (Cherokee) and Irish. While we enjoy the occasional visits and companionship of our grandchildren, we also enjoy our discrete provision of support to selected individual protégés (relatives and non-relatives) in Maasin and around Southern Leyte. Some protégés moved on overseas for life’s betterment and are now proactive in helping their own families back at the province.

In spite of what I am as an American citizen, by blood and heart, I am still a Filipino. Unlike some whom I know, I don’t pretend what I am not. This is me, Tony… the real Yel Kangleon Cobile. Don’t misspell my name again.

There is nothing wrong with pledging allegiance to the flag of another country. But to claim you are still a Filipino “by blood and heart” after renouncing your Filipino citizenship to become an American is difficult to swallow. It’s something like being pregnant; you either are, or are not. There’s no in-between, or middle ground. Just admit you are a little brown American lonely for the comforts of the Banana Republic you left behind.ED.

The mispppelling of your name was a typographical error on our encoder's part. Please accept our apologies and it has been rectified on our website.WM.

The recent PNoy visit to Maasin City showcased some realities. His popular appeal is for all people regardless of affiliation or political persuasion being the president of all Filipinos not of some arrogant sectors who cannot boast of performance. The brazenness of discredited political leaders to lie to the president about development realities fell flat on their faces when PNoy enumerated administration supported infra projects completed for So. Leyte. PNoy got the shock of his life when there was less enthusiastic response from the partisan crowd on projects implemented by the incumbents. The truth really hurts. Other distortion
of government programs like 4P’s only boomeranged on their tattered credibility. The people of So. Leyte have long decided who they will vote for on May 13.

Allow this ordinary citizen to make some observations regarding local elections 2013. Quite obvious is the partisan tug of war as to which party PNoy supports as though one man can turn the political tide not the people who choose performance over any endorsement. Secondly, for the first time in our election campaign history, we note the influx of mouthpieces for hire or those paid radio block timers who are not homegrown clearly from their distorted data and alien accent. We hope this is not the trend in future exercises. The air pollution is still tolerable though even with the fabrication and exaggeration of facts and figures.

We agree with you 100 percent. And are happy you shared your thoughts with us. For in a society where the three monkey laws predominate, it is always refreshing to hear an honest man’s view of current developments here. And so, on behalf of the Southern Leyte Times allow me to welcome you to the Banana Republic of the Philippines. It may not be hell, but on a clear day, you can see it from here. ED

I am one of the “Prisoners of Love” that you have been referring to in your column As I See It, and couldn’t agree with you more. I was a former resident of Boulder, Colorado, until I decided to live here and marry the woman, I fell in love with through the internet. I have never been happier.

The climate is warm all year round, and the people are warmer still, and make me feel welcome wherever I go. I plan to live the remaining years of my life here. My question to you is; why do you think American women aren’t migrating here for the same reason our menfolk are?

I’ve read your novels and thought you had died ages ago, but I’m glad the spirit of John Steinbeck lives on. I believe the reason that most men here don’t court foreign women is because they have an inferiority complex and are convinced they cannot communicate with “white women” adequately. Just thinking about such a relationship makes me puke. Let’s just say that the men here are suffering from the “Takusi Syndrome”
which means Takot Sila Sa Asawa Syndrome.” ED.

It made me smile when I read the letter of Samuel Palaganas, titled ‘Prisoners of Love’. I myself am an ‘old foreigner’ (50), living in Maasin City. Regarding foreigners with extended family in tow, sure, it is sometimes to be seen here (maybe their first visit). But by far the majority of ‘foreigners’ in Southern Leyte are either ‘residents’ or eco-tourists.

Many of the foreigners that I know here have permanent residency in the Philippines and consider Southern Leyte their home. The reason that the Immigration office in Maasin does not have details on them is that it is only a satellite office and is not ‘online.’ For obtaining the said ‘residency’ one has to go to Cebu or Tacloban. So suggesting they ‘don’t bother’ is not true. Indeed, foreign tourists and foreign residents do contribute to the local economy as do OFWs. I am sure you are aware that this spending is not just in stores and restaurants but in direct investment too. Most of the dive shops here are owned by ‘foreigners’ as are some of the hotels.

Kind Regards
PASCAL CANNING
Caimito Beach Hotel
Brgy Pasay, Maasin City, Southern Leyte
www.caimitobeachhotel.com

I would like to suggest that your journalists, reporters get their facts correct when describing buildings and other infrastructures. The building along Tomas-Oppus street is a mid-rise building and not a skyscraper.

FYI, a building is only considered a skyscraper if it is above 30 stories high. And the Sogod bridge is not a Mega bridge, It’s just a mid -span bridge. A mega bridge has 8 lanes and is at least a kilometer long. It’s hilarious to read these articles.

It would be nice if you won’t exaggerate things. Keep your articles truthful and I am sure readers like me would appreciate it.

First, during your visit here in Colorado, USA, you were praising American people for the hospitality you received as a foreign guest. In fact, you wrote about your positive experiences there in your column “As I See It”. But then you turned around blasting Americans in your recent commentary “Colonialized Mentality.”

It is quite unfortunate, however, that the strength and willingness of the Americans’ graciousness to help the Philippines via recovery of necessary infrastructure involving commerce, education, industry, trade, transportation and politics is construed as colonialism. These are just a few of the developmental factors that got the Philippines out of the dark ages. Besides Christianity and the Spanish language, can you cite anything that helped the socio-economic evolution of the country’s government system during the Spanish Colonial era, or Japanese Occupation for that matter?

Lastly, have you ever thanked Americans for the blood, sweat and tears they shed for your country? Better yet, have you ever thanked them for their assistance as well as selfless services during the aftermath of the Guinsaugon landslide?

As you instigated in your article, you can start being selective of your friends. But you can start with yourself first by suppressing your hypocrisy. Just remember; a man’s deed does not necessarily reflect that of his country. William Howard Taft was not The United States of America.

Thank you for your letter castigating me for being a thankless hypocrite about Americans in general - and yourself in particular. And you’re right, American politicians do not necessarily reflect the mind-set of ordinary American citizens. The people I met in Colorado, New York and San Francisco during my last visit there were genuinely kind and open to frank exchanges of ideas. But your political leaders are something else.

You speak as though you are still a Filipino, and not the American citizen, you chose to become. May we know who the real Yul Kangleon Cobile is?

And yes, the Americans reconstructed some of Manila’s roads after World War II. But weren’t they the ones who bombed them to smithereens although Manila was declared an “Open City?” If you are the patriot you claim to be; what are you doing 12,000 miles away? ED

As far as I can tell, SLT is not bias but ED, with a capital E and D, is. he is clearly a supporter of the Mercados. It only takes a bit of brain to tell he is! He is a “sipsip-buto” and a selfish masquer. As a professional journalist, which I doubt he is, he should not boldly display his support to any of the politicians. You should resign ED and proceed your magnum opus of being a political sipsip and a pretender! EDiot

Thank you for your emailed comments. It’s nice to know you read SLT and believe it’s not biased. Your comments regarding my “biasness” is noted. Rest assured that I will report the sterling accomplishments of the LP local leadership here as soon as I find any. ED

I thoroughly disagree with your answer to my letter which partly explained the reason why I immigrated to the United States and opted for American Citizenship. If you’ve ever been to the US, and have shopped at Wal-Mart, you would know why I believe it’s still the greatest country on earth.

For the record, I finished my elementary schooling in your beloved New York City at PS 117. And have shopped at several Wal-Mart outlets last year in Colorado when I visited my daughters. Yes, Wal-Mart is probably the most American thing in the universe today. I also know that all it sells is crap from China. It short, they produce what you Phil-Americans there consume. You also owe China over 4 trillion dollars, and if they called in their loans to you today, the US economy would disintegrate.ED

Despite efforts of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to help ensure fair and Christian-like behavior of candidates in the country. I doubt very much if their planned “Covenants’ which all local candidates are suppposed to adhere to will be followed. No candidate took it seriously during the last election, or the one before that. Let’s just admit that ours is a nation of liars who won’t even obey the laws of our country. Its every man for himself and to hell with everyone else. This is the main reason why I left the Philippines and immigrated to the United States.

I wouldn’t be too harsh on my former motherland if I were you. We certainly have our shortcomings, but at least we don’t gun-down grade school children in their classrooms. ED

I’ve heard that there is now a ZOO there where people can view and smell animals they would otherwise never see in their life time. Could you please give me some information on the Maasin City ZOO? I’m from Baybay City and would like to bring my kids there because they have never seen a ZOO before. Are there really man-eating tigers there, and giant salt water crocodiles that can grow as long as 30 feet? How does one get there, and is there a safe and comfortable place, to stay nearby overnight?

Yes, there are indeed tigers and salt-water crocodiles there, but there seems to be some confusion now as to who is supposed to be managing the facility. Some believe its the city government, while others think its the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry thats calling the shots. What I would suggest is that we allow the protagonists to settle this issue first before inviting nice people like you to vist the place. However, there are other places to see here. and comfortable places to stay at like the Café Romana which has its own restaurant overlooking the sea and Country Lodge which is located right beside the Canturing River. The prices at both hotels are reasonable and the staff are well trained. ED

I read Mr. Juan Mercado’s column on Climate Change and am alarmed because I think the government isn’t doing what it should about it. Global warming has changed not only the frequency but the locale of Typhoons and has ravaged areas where storms seldom hit before like Davao and Cagayan de Oro City.

Did you know that per capita the Philippines is among the world’s biggest contributors to global warming. And that despite this the national government has approved the construction of 12 new coal-fuelled powers plants throughout the country? Such plants emit great volumes of heat which eventually heats the earth even more.

I agree. The only ones who benefit from such deadly power plants are the middle men who get huge commissions from the power companies who build and manage these facilities. An example of this is the idle Bataan Nuclear plant which will never operate because its located on top of an earthquake faultline. And guess what? Our government is still paying $75,000 a month to cover the interest rate on the loan we obtained to finance it. ED