By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

YOU just have to read colleague Yolly Sotelo’s Inquirer feature last Wednesday on the paper’s Northern Luzon page to know instantly that Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza won’t be giving up easily on his city’s “right” to be the site of GMA’s announced plan for an international airport in Pangasinan.

The full-length, three-fourths of a page article titled “Interconnected Hundred Islands seen” should, by sheer imagination, draw more attention (and sympathy?) for Alaminos’ now feverish claim to be the airport location than most of the pat and dry stories being churned out by other local reporters – in an obvious bid to “please” the mayor.

And yet, one can almost be sure Ms. Sotelo’s finely-written piece won’t be taken sitting down too by the drumbeaters from Mayor Rey Velasco’s Sta. Barbara town in the third district, the other “aspirant” for the airport site. Velasco, of course, is backed by the influential Pangasinan Mayor’s League under Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico, Jr., and to some extent, according to other reports, by the Governor, Amado T. Espino, Jr., himself.

This, despite the latter’s avowed preference for the upgrade of the Lingayen airstrip into an airport na lang to save on costs.

We can almost see Velasco’s PR guys coming up shortly with a feature of their own, subtly– or openly– depicting the town’s own virgin wonders to stake their better claim for the airport project plum, highlighting perhaps its being at the crossroads of all the bigger destinations by land in all directions – Baguio, Ilocos, Tarlac and yes, Urdaneta and Dagupan City.

In the end, only GMA and the budget and transportation department guys will know which of the “contenders” gets the blessing for the dream airport. So far, the planners up there seem to be content giving bits and pieces of hope here and there to the local execs, the better to keep the allies in tow on towards 2008.

Too early to ruffle anyone’s feathers?

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Never really thought much about it till then but Conrado de Quiros’ column last Wednesday on writer Adrian Cristobal’s trademark scowl in his column pictures (as against smiling countenances or at least deadpan facial expressions of most other columnists) left me asking myself: How do I register to a first-time reader looking at my column picture up there? Yep, does that grin invite trust — or suspicion? Is that snickering look angelic or devilish?

Cristobal who died last Saturday and who was being eulogized beautifully as usual by the elegant pen of Quiros, had supposedly reasoned out that his picture was that way, always with a scowl, because he believed it was the only way a public would take you seriously. If you smile a lot, you would be dismissed as frivolous, Quiros interpreted Adrian’s line.

This new year, if you’re the type who wants to be taken seriously, smile less.

A frowning 2008 to all you dear readers!

SAID AND DONE: May we add in this space our equally thoughtful acquaintances whom deadline last week prevented us from acknowledging for their having remembered this, uh, “frivolous-looking” writer at Christmas: Ms. Annette Favila of the Vicar Hotel management for the delicious brownies and Sta. Barbara’s Mayor Rey Velasco whose bag of goodies delivered by brod Rhee during the little family gathering at Pogo December 25 pleasantly surprised us; Vice Guvnor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas for the singing Christmas card and fine red wine and good friend, Ashok Vashandani for the coffee cup. Talk about brightening up one’s Christmas!.. Planning to watch the traditional Big Bang at barangay Pogo Grande at 12 noon of New Year’s Day January 1? They’re expanding the stringing of firecrackers to cover the interior road going towards Guilig so there’ll be a longer snaking prak-prak-prak-boom for the ultimate thrill. That means you can’t pass thru the Pogo area for the good part of say, 30 minutes after the first ‘cracker is lit.