Mayor reports year-end accomplishments

ANGELES CITY -- “We delivered what we promised.”

This was the statement of Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan reporting his administration’s accomplishments for the year 2012.

The mayor noted that his administration accomplished what has been promised in the Contract with the Angeleños (CWA).

“The year 2012 was undoubtedly a successful one despite the challenges that our city faced,” Pamintuan said.

The mayor reported that as of December 2012, at least 95 percent of the City Government’s CWA commitment is fulfilled.

The CWA is an eight-point program with 43 components aimed at strengthening the City Government’s commitment to better serve the Angeleños through a system of governance that is progressive and people-centered.

These essential social programs include: education, transparency and good governance, environmental protection and conservation, economic development, health, public market, peace and order and barangay development.

On Education

The establishment of the City College of Angeles (CCA) is a major accomplishment of the current administration as it ensures affordable yet quality college education for the local youth.

A total of 376 students are enrolled now, with 95 academic scholars and 28 indigent scholars. The indigent scholars are provided with a monthly cash assistance of P1,000.

Budget allocation for the city’s scholarship program increased from P5 million to P6.5 million, allowing additional scholars to enjoy subsidized education.

For 2012, 382 students were granted scholarship through the city’s Public Employment Services Office (Peso).

On Healthcare

Pamintuan’s special concern with the city’s health issues took manifestation in his administration’s prioritization of the city’s public hospital facilities.

These include improvement and renovation on Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (RLMMC) formerly Ospital Ning Angeles’ (ONA) physical structure.

Full medical departments have been formed and ONA’s formal registration of application to the Department of Health for accreditation as a tertiary hospital is ready for submission.   

Pamintuan’s initiative and active coordination with private groups in the national and international level such as the World Medical Relief Inc. resulted in donations and funds for the purchase of necessary medical equipments for RLMMC and the Angeles City Renal Care Unit (ACRCU).

As of December 2012, a total of 224 patients benefited from the free facilities of the ACRCU.

These amounted to a total of 10,516 treatments. All patients were provided with PhilHealth coverage sponsored by the City Government.

The ACRCU has 19 dialysis machines, compared to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), which has only 10 machines and the Kidney Center Institute (KCI), which has only seven dialysis machines, making our renal center, the most updated and most equipped dialysis center in the nation.

Aside from the 246 patients who benefitted from the RLMMC’s major surgeries, the Agyu Tamu Medikalinga Center in Barangay Sto. Domingo has served 2,027 patients since it opened on July 13, 2012.

The medical facility schedules minor surgical operations every Friday, free of charge to indigent Angeleños.

Additionally, cataract removal operations have also started with over 363 patients served.

Free medicines are also provided to the citizens with a total of 103,386 already benefitting from them.

To date, the City Government has granted 20,062 Angelenos with PhilHealth cards with one-year free premiums.

With the PhilHealth ID cards, the indigent families may now avail themselves of medical care benefits ranging from allowances for hospital room and board fees, drugs and medicines, x-ray and other laboratory procedures as well as allowances for the professional fees of attending physicians.

These benefits may be availed of during confinement in PhilHealth-accredited hospitals. Apart from these inpatient benefits, the cards also entitle them to outpatient diagnostic benefits from designated accredited health centers in the city.

Economic Development and Stability

No new taxes were imposed on the public since 2010 but the City Government managed to increase its revenue collection.

This policy provided for a favorable business climate in Angeles, encouraging positive investment flow within the city’s business community.

Environmental Preservation

Angeles City is setting its sights toward a “zero waste city,” now establishing nine material recovery facilities (MRF) in several villages -- an unprecedented development for Angeles.

The city also is ever active in its aim to plant one million trees to combat climate change.

Headed by Task Force One Million Trees, a total of 209,538 trees have been planted around the city for the past two years.

The task force achieved this with the cooperation of various non-government organizations, public groups and private partners in the city.

Urban greening projects have also been initiated in six villages, five private subdivisions and several public schools in the city as well.

Regaining the People’s Trust

A solid manifestation of the sound practices of the local government in governance, transparency, participation and accountability are the awards that it continuously receives from various government and private award-giving bodies.

Under Mayor Pamintuan, the City Government of Angeles received the Seal of Good Housekeeping award from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for two consecutive years and the prestigious and most coveted Gawad Pamana ng Lahi award.

It is also the top City Government in Central Luzon and number six nationwide in the implementation of the Local Governance Performance Management System (LGPMS).

Aside from the DILG awards, Pamintuan was recently named as one of the seven most outstanding mayors of the Philippines by Superbrands International, a prominent organization of product branding with presence in around 88 countries worldwide.
 
He is the only Filipino vying for the World Mayor Award 2012. He is one of Asia’s Top 5 nominees, and among the Top 25 nominated from around the world.

The winner of the said award will be announced on January 8.