Is the Solid North still alive?

ILOCANO, the word  and  political entity denoting “the  Solid North,” with a ring like the one-man Iglesia ni Cristo  vote,   at once conjures a  man or a woman from the northern section of the islands, who is supposed to be   suntanned, industrious, loyal-to-a-fault, intelligent, follower of the late Ferdinand Marcos, brave, warrior, etc..

ILOCANO, the word  and  political entity denoting “the  Solid North,” with a ring like the one-man Iglesia ni Cristo  vote,   at once conjures a  man or a woman from the northern section of the islands, who is supposed to be   suntanned, industrious, loyal-to-a-fault, intelligent, follower of the late Ferdinand Marcos, brave, warrior, etc.

.These are knee-jerk, not really straight-from-the-shoulder  impressions, but  the description fits  a stock of blood line  that is associated with certain human qualities such as loyalty,fealty, and kindred-ship, if you will, which many believe is still intact even with  the advent or advance of knowledge in these times.

We randomly picked the Ilocano character as a column subject in light of two  things:

  1. The impression that Bongbong Marcos (the Internet is saying so now)  will beat Vice President Leni Robredo in the recount.  Better  read Mon Tulfo’s PDI column, and

  2. the  recent international “conference of the Confederation of Ilocano Associations, International – Samahang Ilokano   (CIASI) In picturesque Bolinao during the Holy WeeK.

This much talked about Ilocano fealty would easily apply to the Marcoses as shown  in the last presidential and earlier elections.

In Pangasinan alone, Bonbong Marcos romped off with about 700,000 votes,  what would you expect in the provinces upper north?

Look  at this voting behavior as provided us by  Tony Casimiro, Gov. Imee Marcos’ spokesman.  Pangasinan – BBM 913,709,  Leny Robredo  260, 772; La Union – BBM  338,455, Leny 19,596; Ilocos Sur BBM 316, 121, Leny 14, 110; Ilocos Norte – BBM 298,706, Leni 3,704.

At their conference at Rep. Boying Celeste’s  place  attended by some 300 members, the Association’s supremo Atty. Julius Magno, a  native of Mangaldan, Pangasinan, outlined the club’s action centers which are  (according to his text message} – to “oppose Divorce and underscore fealty to the church and the CBCP; support Democratic Socialism and press for the continuity of dialogue Jewish-Muslim Conflict on issues related to U.S. policy on Jerusalem.”

Atty. Julius, his junior son, who is now CIAS’ national president for youth affairs, former mayor of Badoc, Ilocos Norte Tom Torralba and other lumibaries (was our friend Myrna Torralba of San Fabian present?) were of the “solid”  view that Bongbong will  eventually win the recount!).

But that is not the thrust of this article, which is rather the Ilocanos’ time-tested “ethnicity,”  fealty-ness to a loved one as akin  to loyalty, religiocity to God  thru their faith’s interventionist, Rev. Gregorio Aglipay, after who the present church was named.

In a meeting of spiritual  leaders in Lingayen town, Gov. Imee Marcos proudly claimed  the Marcos’ family’s Aglipayan moorings.

From the tip of his fingers, Julius Magno comes up with CIACI’s membership head count  to around two million, but we quickly disputed it if we include Ilocanos all over the islands and worldwide.

One day, while we were being toured in Cotabato, we asked our guide where we could get water to drink or a soft drink.

He randomly stopped his vehicle in front of a store and said, “Kuya, talk to any of those store owners in Ilocano or Pangasinan, as they were originally from  the Ilocos.”  We did. And found out that they were beneficiaries  of  President Magsaysay’s Land for the Masses program, assigning to the homeless properties in uninhabited parts of Mindanao  they were to  own  later.

We heard these Ilocanos would vote according to the sentiment of their Ilocano peers in Luzon.

The Ilocos  region, by the way,  has already sired four presidents – Elpidio Quirino of Ilocos Sur, Ferdinand Marcos of Ilocos Norte, Fidel V. Ramos and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of Pangasinan; senate presidents or presidential senators  Raul Manglapuz, Teofilo Sison, Ambrosio Padilla, Cipriano Primicias, Eva Estrada Kalaw, and among the congressmen, Speakers Eugenio Perez and Jose de Venecia Jr.

In the last elections, our President Digong landed second to  Grace Poe, daughter of Pangasinense Fernando Poe Jr.  in Ilocandia, but it was a close shave. Which means  he is just as acceptable to the Solid North voters.

Beware of the Solid North vote, as it can make and unmake President!