By Manny Piñol
I have just arrived in Quezon City after a long and rigorous three-day journey which brought me to four provinces – Ifugao, Nueva Viscaya, Quirino and Nueva Ecija.
Except for a minor incident where the 8-year-old Hyundai Starex van which I was using conked out as we were coming down from Ifugao Thursdays morning, the journey went smoothly.
There are actually two black Starex vans assigned to me as service vehicles.
The one which was acquired in 2013 under then Secretary Proceso Alcala was brought to Davao City so I would have a service vehicle to be used in moving around in Mindanao.
The other one which was bought by the Department of Agriculture during the time of then Secretary Arthur Yap in 2008 was left in the Central Office and this was the one which I used in the latest Biyaheng Bukid.
The poor 8-year-old car gave up after its radiator hose burst causing it to overheat.
Another DA car was sent by Cagayan Valley regional director Lucrecio Alviar Jr. to rescue my team and bring us to Nueva Viscaya, Quirino, Nueva Ecija and back to Manila.
It’s a good thing the Starex gave up early on in the trip. After passing through the newly-opened highway connecting Quirino to Aurora Province through the treacherous Sierra Madre Mountain Range, I realised the old Starex would not have made the trip.
No complaints. But I believe it is time for me to ask the Departement of Agriculture to buy me a sturdier vehicle.
At the rate I am moving around the country, old cars just would not do.
Let me take a good rest tonight and tomorrow I will start writing reports on what I saw, heard and experienced in the latest Biyaheng Bukid.
(Photos of the poor Starex van taken by John Pagaduan.)
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