FROM THIS HERITAGE COMES A MAN WHO HAS SERVED THIS CITY AND DREAMED FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT

Kun indi kita sin-o?
Kun indi subong, san-o?

This is a slogan that has become synonymous with a man who figured prominently in the history of politics in Roxas City . This is a slogan who stirred debate in the Sangguniang Panlungsod making its session colorful and lively. A slogan carried on as a platform of governance when the man launched his dream to serve Roxas City as its Mayor and the first district of Capiz as its Congressman. The slogan itself is the MAN whom we all know as BINGO ALTAVAS.

JOSE REY ANTONIO SALAS ALTAVAS was born on January 6, 1961 to Mabini Altavas of Roxas City and Amelia Salas of Coron Palawan. He attended Kindergarten and elementary at St. Mary’s Academy of Capiz from Grade 1 to 5 from which he proceeded to Dela Salle College Grade School to complete his elementary grades. He graduated his high school at De la Salle Greenhills. He took up Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics and Graduated at La Salle Greenhills in 1982. He went to University of the Philippines to take up Bachelor of Laws until his third year.

He married Mary Cosette Arcenas of whom he had four children JOAO ANTONIO, MICAELA ASTHRO, CLAUDIA BEATRIZ AND SOFIA INEZ. 

He went into business as proprietor of Baia Norte Beach club while also serving as Treasurer of Altavas Development Corporation of ALTADECO.

He ran as independent candidate for the City Council in 1995 and one of the three opposition candidates who made it to the magic 10. That venture into politics not only popularized the slogan but also the man who espoused it.

BINGO as we all know him is a man of reason and a man of vision. His vision is anchored in history being a historian himself. He is passionate with what he believes and consistent with what he espouses. He is a dreamer and wanting so much to serve the people of Roxas City and Capiz. This is the very reason why he kept on running in elections.  His friend Dado Villanueva aptly puts it “BINGO HAS A LOT OF DREAMS THAT IS WHY HE KEPT ON RUNNING IN ELECTIONS”

He is a man of talent and speaks out his mind. For those who cannot understand him, he is mistakenly considered as person who is boisterous and loud. But for the 11,000 who voted him in the mayoral elections, he is an alternative. And Bingo would always refer to them as the 11,000 Indians.  

As a staunch opposition the people were surprised when he took his oath as a member of the Liberal Party. Perhaps, he adhered to the dictum of ‘IF YOU CANT BEAT THEM, JOIN THEM'. Changing the system is not working from outside, but to work from within.

All of us were shocked by his untimely demise. He has a promising career ahead of him and a lot of us seemed to have regrets over his passing. Nonetheless, Bingo has served his mission and has made his contributions. We will certainly miss a historian who would write the history of Capiz but let us all include his name from among those who made great contribution in Roxas City and Capiz.

Let us all remember his slogan: Kun indi kita sin-o?Kun indi subong, san-o? because if we all want to build Roxas City and Capiz let us ALL ACT NOW

          More than just a colleague Bingo was a personal friend of mine. In any case, our ideals and convictions were almost always similar. I believed in what he fought and understood the reasons why he fought for these things, hence his famous battle cry, ‘kun indi kita, sin-o, kun indi subong, san-o?’

          Bingo was a man of dynamism and focused action. He rarely spent an idle moment – if he was not working, he would probably be belting out Spanish jazz melodies on a karaoke machine. He wanted to be as productive as any human could possibly be, and I should say that in his brief lifetime, he came very close to achieving things that most of us could not achieve in a hundred years. Change was one thing that Bingo aggressively espoused. Perhaps we could all assume that with the kind of person that Bingo was, the change that he so determinedly advocated was a change that was beyond his time. His visions were shared by a mere handful of people who saw great things for Roxas City and Capiz, and now, with his passing, I am confident that those visions, his assertion for change, and his dynamism have not been in vain.

          As a bid farewell to a man of great ideals, a principled politician, and a good friend, I hope that we all share in the legacy that he has left behind, a legacy of leadership. Of belligerent insistence on everything that affects the welfare of Capiznons, a legacy that does not exclude anyone, a legacy that brings everyone together under one ideal, a common vision, and the shared objective of progress for our city. Together let us echo his battle cry and remain steadfast in his sincere dedication to the service of the Capiznons, ‘kun indi kita, sin-o, kun indi subong, san-o?’ May you fare well dear friend.