Friday, February 16, 2007 Lady journalist joins Bacolor polls
BACOLOR -- A media practitioner in the province has declared her intention of running for town councilor in the coming May elections.
Grace Santos, publisher of News Extra and member of the Angeles City Press and Radio Club (ACPRC), is a native of Purok San Isidro and resides in Trinidad Village in Barangay Calibutbut in the northern end of Bacolor town.
Santos is a holder of a B.S. Psychology degree from the Angeles University Foundation (AUF).
A graduating law student of the Harvardian College in the City of San Fernando, Santos will run for councilor on a platform of good governance aimed at pushing livelihood programs in all barangays.
Santos said more cooperatives should be established among the barangay folks to provide them the capability to start small-scale businesses that could later develop into bigger concerns that can absorb more residents.
She also envisions the establishment of export processing zones that would have stable business firms as locators in order to open up more employment for residents.
Alongside of the economic opportunities, she said the government must also focus its efforts in ensuring protection of the rights of the people especially the women and children.
Santos also plans to introduce legislation that will have the Municipal Government putting more attention to the improvement of the quality of education in public schools.
She said education is a right guaranteed by the Constitution and the government's responsibility does not end in providing classrooms and teachers but also must focus its attention to the quality of education being dished out in the public schools.
According to her, Bacolor, which has now significantly recovered from the devastation of Mt. Pinatubo, needs more programs to uplift the living standards through opening more livelihood opportunities.
During her many years in the media in the province, Santos has been active in community service and involved in the advocacy of women's rights. Through her news coverage, she was also immersed in various situations and sufferings of the people and was prompted to engage in the work to improve the people's socio-economic conditions. (DMF)
