LIKE a wound festering for over two months now, the issue of unpaid salaries of job order contract holders of the City Government of Mabalacat persists, now with lesser intensity.

The issue may not be as ferocious as when the JOs missed their first month salaries-and then the second, but it is still a blackmark on Garbo's administration. Some JOs, I heard, are even members of the powerful INC, a potent force to reckon with especially now that the May 2019 elections loom nearer.

Who is to blame for this fiasco?

Both sides -- Mayor Crisostomo Garbo on one side and the Sangguniang Panlungsod on the other-have reasons which cause the non-approval of the former's request for supplemental budget. In my visit at the SP, I learned that there were releases made from this budget.

But this much is true: already, three (3) deaths of Mabalacat residents whose chemotheraphy sessions have been discontinued for lack of funds.

Obviously, their deaths could have been avoided, or at least deferred, had the budget been approved on time.

There were other expenses planned to be paid out of the supplemental budget but inaction thereon failed the prospect for their settlement.

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An active neighborhood association. The officers of the Fiesta Homeowners Association (HOA) finally held a meeting to elect those who will compose the Election and Grievance committees last January 5, 2019.

The said meeting was originally set last December 29, 2018.

The Fiesta Homeowners Association issued the election guidelines for candidates for Board of Directors in four phases of Fiesta Communities: four directors will represent Phase 1; four for Phase 2; four for Phase 3 and three for Phase 4.

Only those candidates in good standing, meaning, an owner of record at the time of an election who has fully paid all assessments charged by the association may be voted upon.

The guidelines state that "only homeowners of record in good standing and residents holding valid proxies or powers of attorney of each unit owners of record may vote and run for office."

The current HOA officers led by VP Salvador, assisted by BOD Ramos and the other officers conducted the special gathering of residents.

Ms. Salvador explained some house rules regarding the forthcoming election of the new set of Board of Directors. The HOA president, a certain Galang, was nowhere to be found.

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Most notable of the issues confronting the HOA are the issue on garbage collection and security.

It can be recalled that when the garbage collectors faltered it resulted to huge volumes of garbage from households uncollected. By the way, about 1,000 of the residents are in arrears in garbage and other dues. There are some 2,000+ residents in Fiesta Communities.

Next was the prevalence of break-ins into houses perpetuated even in broad daylight. The reason? There was a gap in the fence along Mapagmahal Street thus allowing intruders to freely enter the subdivision.

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It is hoped that with the selection and election of the new set of officers of the Fiesta Communities Homeowners Association, some positive changes may be introduced for the benefit of the residents.