Councilor: Porac needs master plan for cityhood dream

PORAC -- Councilor Mike Tapang said this municipality needs a master plan and a solid development blueprint to realize its "dream of becoming Pampanga's fourth city" in five years after Mabalacat, San Fernando and Angeles City.

Tapang, who is seeking re-election to the Municipal Council along with his "Magserbisyu Tamu Team Tapang" with village chiefs Larry Antido, Regin Clarete, Rommel Gopez and Caloy Sese, said a comprehensive master plan and development blueprint will have to be drafted and implemented in the coming years for the sand-rich quarry town to become a component city as envisioned by local officials.

"There has to be a master plan and development blueprint that covers investments, revenue generation, employment, education and land use. We might qualify now because of land area and income derived from our quarry industry. But take away the estimated P200 million from our quarry coffers and we are left with nothing to boost our officials' dream of becoming a city in the next five years (?)," Tapang said.

He said a comprehensive land use plan (Clup) must also be put in place to properly identify which zones are under commercial, industrial, agricultural and residential categories.

"I have long been pushing for the creation and passing of a comprehensive land use plan. That way, we could address zoning concerns, real property valuation and taxation and finally solve the infamous piggery issue that has been hounding the municipal government for so long," he quipped.

Tapang also noted of important practices that could be benchmarked in putting the master plan and blueprint in the drawing boards.

"There are salient practices of other local government units that we can benchmark and make models of, like the City of San Fernando's Multi-Sectoral Governance Council, its good governance and ethics style which are corruption-free and the excellent Executive-Legislative Agenda. That is why we at Team Tapang are aspiring for the majority in the Sangguniang Bayan, to bring all these in our legislative agenda," Tapang said.