LONG before the road clearing order of President Rodrigo Duterte, the town of Minalin has already cleared its roads, streets and alleys from obstructions. In fact, the Municipal Government is generously giving the town's residents of ample free space and clean air to breathe.
Mayor Edgardo Flores was surprised when his town got a failing grade for the road clearing policy of the President when in truth and in fact, the town has been advocating for unobstructed paths for several years now.
Mayor Flores is serving the town for many terms now. During his previous term of office a handful of years ago, he has even cleared a portion of the town along the main road leading to the town proper and converted it into a jogging and walking area for the physical fitness-minded and the senior citizens of the town. He developed the area complete with bleachers and beautiful landscapes.
The town proper or Poblacion area, meanwhile, is regularly maintained in terms of its orderliness and aesthetics. Such efforts of Mayor Flores was even boosted when the National Historical Institute has recognized the town's parish church and giving it a citation as an important cultural and historical structure. This significantly helped the town in the furtherance of its tourism activities and its institutionalization as a worthy tourist and religious destination.
It can be recalled that the National Government has implemented a 90-day road clearing operations among cities and municipalities in the country. Recently, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) came up with a list of 97 local government units in the country that gave Minalin a seemingly wrong citation with a failed mark, making it the lone LGU in Pampanga and Central Luzon that is cited to be non-compliant.
Mayor Flores for his part was surprised with the wrong failing mark and is bent on contesting such with the DILG. He is set to invite officials of the said department for them to see what's in store for the said Road-Clearing order. Although he has yet to receive the formal notice of non-compliance, the humble local chief executive said that he shall seek for the rectification of the failing mark.
I can vouch for the efforts of Mayor Flores in making his town's roads clean and clear. As a long time public servant, he never stops thinking and doing good for the constituencies he took an oath to serve. This is one reason perhaps why he is one of the longest serving municipal mayors in the province. His track record can never be equaled.
As a proof of his advocacies on roads, he is very instrumental in the creation of access roads that connect Minalin to other towns in Pampanga such as Macabebe and Guagua.
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A Joint Resolution in the Senate, that mandates the allocation of rice instead of cash to the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), has already passed its second reading. As per resolution, the rice that shall be distributed to the beneficiaries shall come from local sources.
In my opinion, the said resolution is a better way of helping Filipinos make both ends meet. In this way, we are also helping local farmers in their trade as we patronize our own local products.
Besides, I have known some beneficiaries of the 4Ps that divert the cash assistance they receive to some other products such as liquor and other vices. Some meanwhile end up in gambling tables and cockpit arenas for those who are fond of taking chances even if the doled-out cash may mean hunger to their families.
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