Author Topic: An Interview with Dr. Evangeline Bon-Lazaro  (Read 4578 times)

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An Interview with Dr. Evangeline Bon-Lazaro
« on: March 02, 2010, 11:10:47 AM »
with Loy M. Palapos
“It’s Payback Time”

      Comparatively, Boholanos have more compassion for home than other Filipinos who venture far from their birthplace and reap laurels elsewhere. Homecoming for them is a nagging obsession, especially when they have succeeded and become achievers. For them, “It’s payback time,” the opportunity to share what they have garnered in successful venture.

      Building a house for parents or relatives, buying a car, helping a relative land on a gainful employment, giving money… these are the usual forms of compassion a Boholano does to his family when he makes the proverbial “golden harvest”, which he can only be happy about when shared.

      Dr. Evangeline Bon-Lazaro (EBL), MD, FPOG, was born in Panglao, and breezed through her elementary and secondary studies in the same municipality. She enrolled at Southwestern University for her Pre-Medicine and took the regular course at the Cebu Institute of Medicine. Married to a successful businessman, and with her three children having lives of their own, she is back in Panglao after working in Metro Manila and a few other places.

      When I heard she was home, I tried to drop by her place in Tangnan, and got a big surprise. She has renovated the place where her brother, former Mayor Toribio Bon, (who is now based in USA) used to live. And the changes were awesome. From a once rustic atmosphere, the place now glows and does not fail to amaze any visitor, while maintaining an ambience of tranquility.

      “Are you staying here for good?” I asked her. Her answer was very positive. Her husband Archie has loved the place, and even he has all the intention of spending his golden years in Panglao. To my query as to why she was back, her answer was a pleasant “It’s payback time.”

      This interview took place in her scenic residence in Tangnan, while the setting sun glowed orange and gold, and tame waves kept lapping the cliffs, a perfect setting to listen to a lady who now wants to spend her time serving her townfolks. 

LMP: Are you still a Boholana, despite the outside influences you have imbibed? Why do you say so?

EBL: I am a Boholana and will always remain one. The influences of other regional practices and even foreign customs have never erased the well imbibed culture and values my parents taught me by counsels and by examples. Fear of God, practice of my Catholic faith, Charity to all and equal treatment for all my friends and my neighbors. These basic values I have kept and I practice even today. I’ve done so from the past and that will not change.

LMP: You come from a financially stable family, considering that all of you (6 brothers and sisters) were able to finish college courses in prestigious schools. Would this not have been a reason for you to shun those in the grassroots (as people below your social level)?

EBL: People classified as “grassroots” are really not “grassroots” people. They’re branded as such because of poverty. But we must remember that poverty must never be a measure of man’s classification. I do not classify people into classes A, B, or C. For me, every soul is unique and is God’s image. You see, that is what I have been taught and that has not changed. Ask my neighbors and my house-help and you will know me more, rather than coming from me. I am happy to be measured and classed along with the “grassroots” because I am more at home with them than the “Makati” circle that our social writers refer to as socially high personages.

LMP: What is Panglao to you, after staying in Metro Manila and other big cities for several years?

EBL: Panglao to me is my heaven on earth. I will never exchange Panglao with any other place. Not with any of the places on earth I have gone into in my professional practice. The reason why I practiced medicine in the Capital Cities of Metro Manila is because of the advances and advantages in the sciences of medicine which, we must admit, our province do not have. The financial gain is merely secondary, because you will observe that many Doctors of Medicine in Tagbilaran City are well off also. Now that I am in the twilight of my life and my children are all professionals, I am back home to my beloved Panglao, where I learned my ABCD, where I grew up to be a lady and graduated from high school and where I come home to for several times in a year to savor God’s blessings in our environment and in our nature. I want to serve her even in what small way God wants me to, if only to return the great things Panglao has made of me. There is no place like Panglao and I will defend her whatever it costs.

LMP: Your father and a brother were once Mayors of Panglao. A brother was a Councilor in Davao del Norte. Are these accomplishments worth being proud of as far as your family is concerned?

EBL: My father’s having been a Vice Mayor of Panglao, my brother Toribio’s (“Bo”) having been elected Vice Mayor and then Mayor of Panglao, and my other brother Alex’s having elected Councilor in Davao are trademarks of our up-bringing in the service of our constituencies. Their service to our fellowmen reflects the urge and the virtue of charity well entrenched in us by our parents. Yes. Their services were accomplishments worth emulating and I want to follow them.

LMP: What kind of upbringing did you and your siblings have, especially when still young? What distinct traits/characteristics/outlooks did you get from your father? Your mother? Were these made use of in your personal development? In what ways?

EBL: My brothers and sisters and I were brought up under a “conservative” atmosphere. It meant prayer said together as a family, great love and respect for parents and elders, respect for my older brothers and sisters (I am the youngest), being home before sunset, study hard because my parents instilled in us that there is no substitute to education, diligence and industry and most of all, fear and love of God and to treat everyone as our equal. They also taught us humility and to serve our fellowmen. From my father, I learned how to deal with people from all walks of life and to treat them equally. From my Nanay, I learned to be humble, industrious and forgiving. Both parents though taught me that prayer is asking for God’s mercy and forgiveness and to attribute to Him all the good things in life and to share God’s blessings with our fellowmen. I have developed all these traits and I have taught them and still do impart them and share them with my children. Luckily, my husband had also almost the same if not similar up-bringing, thus, we compliment each other.

LMP: What traits/characteristics/attitudes have you developed for yourself in your desire for fulfillment?

EBL: The basic values of love for fellowmen, and treating everyone equally are foremost in my character. All through these years, I have wanted to perfect them but we all know that is impossible. Still, I am trying to live by those principles and pray that eventually, my actions toward such virtues will speak out more than anybody’s assessment.

LMP: What motivated you to become a Doctor?

EBL: I really wanted to be of help and of service to our brothers and sisters and that moved me to take up medicine. I elected OBGYN because I was influenced by the fact that so many our women do not have the basic support and attendance in their child bearing and giving birth. I have always dreamt of coming home to Panglao and serve our people. And now is the opportune time. Win or lose, I will serve my people as their leader and as a Doctor of Medicine.

LMP: In your medical practice, what gave you utmost fulfillment?

EBL: Fulfillment came in those instances when God used to save what appeared to be a hopeless situation or when I knew that scientifically the patient had no other chance but to die or be a vegetable and by God’s will through my hands the patient survived and became well. Those were instances when I felt so fulfilled. Every operation I did and will do, I always consider God as the ultimate Doctor and I merely am His instrument.

LMP: What can you comment on the fact that millions of Filipinos cannot afford adequate health care?

EBL: For the millions of Filipinos who cannot afford adequate health, that is a sorry state of our nation. There is no excuse for that.

LMP: How should this problem be addressed by local and national governance?

EBL: This situation can be resolved if there were no corruption. It will take decades before we can reverse the situation. I do not want to be a false prophet by giving our citizens false hope that in the near will be like many European states or the U.S. where almost everyone can secure health benefits befitting human beings. Maybe in some 20 to 50 years from now, when there will be more doctors who will choose to stay here than work abroad, and hospitals subsidized by government, and the private sector putting up hospitals more for service than for profit can, I say, “here comes the adequate health care for Filipinos.” For now, we suffice by clinging to individual security for heath benefits and care.

LMP: You could have stayed in Metro Manila and enjoy the modern comforts of life with your entire family, now that you and your husband have had your shares of active working life. Why did you come to Bohol?

EBL: Like I always say, there is no comfort in Manila. There is the great opportunity there to earn, I admit, but that is not the end of it all. I have always dreamt of coming to my home which is Panglao. I have to come home because this is my home – Panglao, and I love this place and her people. Is it hard it understand this?

LMP: You have been inspired to run for an elective office. Would this not change your lifestyle?

EBL: Running for public office will definitely change my family and my life style, but not much. I am used to waking up at the “unholy” hours answering the call of patients, which I know a public official must always be ready to do. There will be other needs the people will demand of me, and if it is possible and “doable”, I’ll do it, if not, I have to be frank and be honest and say, it is not possible. I hate hypocrisy and that is not my life style. I am ready.

LMP: Are your husband and children convinced that seeking an elective position is a good move? How did they take the news/issue at first?

EBL: My husband and children immediately understood and approved of my desire to enter public life through local politics. They already had the suspicion even before, when I was so concerned and active in my brother’s campaign in the well-being of Panglao during Mayor Bo’s incumbency. So, they were not that that surprised at all.

LMP: You have a lucrative medical practice and your husband has a prosperous business in Metro Manila. Won’t coming to Bohol mean lesser financial income? How did you resolve the situation?

EBL: We do not need much income. God has provided for us. Income is the least of our worries because we are God fearing and trusting family. We always say: “God will provide!” And true enough, He has never abandoned us. Trust Him and everything will go well. Doubt Him, and you go down the drain. For your information, we have a little clinic in Manila that earns well, and my husband’s business can surely sustain us as well. So, see? We don’t worry.

LMP: Are you prepared to live the chaotic life of a politician to the extent of becoming a public property? How do you adjust to this other kind of reality?

EBL: Being a public property is not new to me. I grew up with my Tatay being a politician. My two brothers were politicians. There is nothing new. A political life is not chaotic. It all depends on how one lives it. Just like basketball, if you play rough, it’s a rough game. If you play cool and according to the rules, everything will be well. That too is true in politics. I am never scared.

LMP: Politics in Panglao these previous years left a lot of things to be desired. There are countless who say that, you being a new breed of responsible public servant, is what the municipality needs. Do you believe that you are equal to the tasks beforehand?

EBL: I agree that politics in Panglao leaves so many things to be desired. I cannot change them over night or even for a decade, but I can start if elected, and let my successors continue. Our people need good and Christian leadership. I have opted to join Mayor Alcala whose leadership had been tested several times and who has been reelected by our people several times also. It means that he has a leadership liked by our people. I will learn from him but I will be “my own man” as the saying goes. I will improve on the good qualities he has. The task of a Vice Mayor is to preside in all the sessions of the Sangguniang Bayan, and I am prepared for that. I have been head of departments of hospitals in Manila. Handling people of different persuasions, and I didn’t blink, and everyone followed me. In short, I bring with me rich experiences. As Vice Mayor, I also have to be vigilant on the programs of the executive because I am a heartbeat away from him and I must always be prepared to take over any executive function. That I am very much ready for.

LMP: What is your platform of governance as a newcomer to the political arena?

EBL: The platform of government is basically the function of the Executive Department, to which I shall belong if the people will elect me, is basically concerned with ordinance enactments and resolutions to be passed. You see, poverty alleviation and tourism are among the few we are hammering on. Our people in Panglao must firstly benefit from our tourism before the outsiders. I shall see to it that ordinances to said effect shall be drafted and passed. On the healthcare side, I will have to convince my Mayor and the Members of the Sanggunian to double our personnel and staff to give due care and health benefits to our people as our budget will allow. I shall see to it that education shall also get a big share in our Municipal budget, because the development of mind and the body must go hand in hand. There are more, but your paper cannot accommodate me, can it?

LMP: Is being a lady a plus or minus factor in the Legislative Body?

EBL: Being a lady is a plus, because I believe that our male legislators still hold a lady in awe, if not with respect. Chivalry is still practice in Panglao and in Bohol, I know. But I hope the men won’t commit the mistake of mistreating me because I too know how to fight back. I am a Bon, remember!

LMP: Is being an accomplished Doctor an advantage in the public service?

EBL: Yes. It is. The Municipality is a replica of the whole human body. Precisely, we call it a “body-politic” because it is composed of the people in whom sovereignty resides, the elected Mayor as the head of the body politic, the legislative branch led by the Vice Mayor as the policy making body, and therefore the heart, and the taxes and license fees as the blood that makes the Municipality live. All of them must work together and in harmony. My being a Doctor is advantageous because I understand these all.

LMP: When you eventually become an elective official, what would be your role in the total development of Panglao?

EBL: Like I said in the early part of this interview, I will be the leader of the legislative department of the Municipality and therefore must lead in the drafting and passage of ordinances and resolutions. The programs on tourism, healthcare, poverty alleviation and education will be in my list of priorities and I shall see to it that proper legislations and their proper execution be done.

LMP: What is your message to the Panglaonons, especially those who believe that you can bring to the municipality the changes they need?

EBL: My request to my fellow citizens of Panglao is to look at my credentials as a professional and how far I have advanced in my field. Compare them with my political adversary. If I have excelled in my profession, it is because I know how to plan, work and lead. I too can do the same for our people and our Municipality. I am ready to apply to our Municipality the management expertise I have undergone, and introduce meaningful and appropriate ordinances on programs I have defined, and on what I have learned abroad and in the entities I have served and headed. The difference is only in the venue, but in principle, leading people is the same. I really doubt, in all humility, if any of my adversaries can even up to the experiences I had which I know am very prepared and ready to give and share with our fellow Panglaoanons. I am very much ready to serve them.

      How does Dr. Evangeline Bon-Lazaro want to serve Panglao? By being here with them and, if I have their trust and confidence, serve in the Sangguniang Bayan, and Vice Mayor of the municipality she loves. Before the interview she was in Doljo, tending and giving care to a sick woman. “Luoy kaayo siya, ug daghan pang mga masakiton dinhi nga wa maatiman kay way ipalit ug tambal,” she said.  Her heart blends for them, that’s why one priority project she will initiate is health care.

      If given the mandate, she has a long way to go to dedicate her life to the poor people of Panglao. She has visited several cities in the world, and realizes that many countries are keen on health care. As a Doctor, she can help. As a Presiding Officer of the Sangguiniang Bayan, she can churn out ordinances that will benefit the people.

      Receptive to her coming back to Panglao to help them, the Panglaoanons are one in their heartfelt welcome to a daughter who can help alleviate their sufferings. In Metro Manila where she practices her medical profession, she had shown her competence, aside from her leadership skill. This is the opportune time for her to share what she knows.

      Do the people know that Dr. Vangie Bon-Lazaro, in her rural military exposure at Camp Lapu-Lapu in Cebu City, was given the official rank of Captain? This Captain-Doctor is not a lightweight when it comes to public service.

      This forthcoming election is crucial, especially in Panglao, when the Executive-Legislative agenda have never been reined in one direction. Dr. Vangie Bon-Lazaro knows how it is done. Panglao needs her.

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