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BY LUIS BUENAFLOR R.
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Wednesday. September 13, 2017
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YES, WHY not Edgardo Lopez Suelo, there’s more to the man than just “Bulak”, landscapes, and outlandish singular androgynous ensembles he prefers wearing.
For generations the natives of “I Am Iloilo City” have been forced fed traditional politicians whose only purpose in life is in aid of election and re-election. Maybe it’s time people get out of their comfort zones, think out of the box and try something or someone totally new and the total opposite of a traditionalpolitician.
“I Am Iloilo City” has had lawyers and PhDs with expertise in beautification projects at the helm in city hall yet every time it rains hard the streets are flooded, and up to now the Iloilo City Slaughterhouse still produces meat unfit for human consumption.
Former World Mayor No. 5 Jed Mabilog’s – andcurrently the mayor of “I Am Iloilo City” – centrepieceproject is beautification and what does that get the natives?
Drive or jog the whole length of the Diversion Road from the bridge in front of UPV-Iloilo City up to the bridge going to Ungka in Jaro and one can see palm plants or palm tree (seriously moi does not know the specific name but we call them palma in the local dialect) dead or dying due to ignorance on the proper way of planting them.
To think these palmas cost the natives a cool P70,000 each when they can be bought according to landscapers or landscape designers at best P15,000 each.
So much for beautification, it’s just dying by the roadside.
If beautification alone were the qualification needed to become mayor of “I Am Iloilo City” then Edgardo Lopez Suelo beats Jed Mabilog by the entire length of a garden hose.
Now imagine Vice Mayor Jose Espinosa III on beautification; he probably would not know the difference between a palma and a “breastfeeding mother.”
Edgar, as he prefers to be called, has and is designing landscapes and gardens of 5-star hotels and homes of royalty from Brunei to Dubai; so far the casualty rate of palmas is minimal to nil.
Before the natives become restless and start screaming who is this Edgardo Lopez Suelo, here is the “man” in a nutshell:
“Bulak”, Heartbeats in Color,was the first one man-show of international interior designer-turned-painter Edgardo Suelo. The show opened with a bang last July 1 at Museo Iloilo with no less than World Mayor No. 5 Jed Mabilog cutting the ribbon with the usual hangers on.
Edgar is an “artist without borders”, not belonging to any “school of thought” which makes him quite singular, even an enigma in the art world. And in my book, the man has a “Sense of Style.”
But really, what makes Edgar interesting and a strong potential leader of “I Am Iloilo City”?Take note,moi loosely says “leader” here; it could mean mayor, barangay captain or president of your local Nora Aunor or Vilma Santos fan club.
Let’s hypothetically say mayor of “I Am Iloilo City”. For starters, Edgar is unconventional.He thinks out of the box, which means he will always look for creative ways to solve a problem be it how to plant a palma properly or if city hall employees would look good in hablon uniforms designed by Michael Cinco.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Edgar, out of the goodness of his heart and ATM, started his own feeding program of tricycle drivers in his barangay. If Leni Robredo has her signature lugaw, Edgardo Lopez Suelo has his signature arroz caldo.
Moi will tell you a little story. For years Edgar would drive around the city, particularly in public hospitals doing what moi calls “random acts of kindness.” He would ask the nurse in the charity ward which patient cannot afford to buy the medicine prescribed by the doctor, he would then give the nurse the amount needed and request her to buy it for the needy patient then leave without much fanfare.No “thank you” is needed.The fact that he has helped a person in need is “thank you” enough for him.
Before we all get mushy and teary eyed, let’s go back to the fun side. City hall would have a facelift starting with that “baduy” little museum with on the left side of the city hall’s entrance in the ground floor. Whoever wrote the descriptions on the pictures and exhibits committed EJK on the Queen’s language.
And the original and one and only Lin-ay sang Iloilo will finally be home in the Mayor’s Office, not as a lifeless statue on top of city hall but as the first androgynous/metro sexual mayor of “I Am Iloilo City.”
And this was conceptualized over bottles of chilled Chablis and imported dates, so there.(brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
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