ONE LGU donating to other LGUs. Who does that?
PNP Chief Guillermo Eleazar was surprised to find out that it happens in Mabalacat City. He himself was also elated as the rest of his chiefs of police in 19 municipalities of Pampanga were recipients of new patrol cars from Mayor Cris Garbo.
Despite his busy schedule, Eleazar personally witnessed the turnover at Xevera in Tabun, Mabalacat. He was joined by no less than Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda, PNP Regional Director Brigadier General Valeriano De Leon, the mayors of Pampanga, PNP Pampanga Provincial Director Col. Arnold Ibay (the 20th recepient recipient).
On Garbo’s side is the ever supportive Vice Mayor Geld Aquino, with Councilors Winwin Garbo, Noel Castro, Cocoy Tiglao, and Jerry Magsino. Aquino, in his respectful demeanor, presented the Resolution that approved the donation as adopted by the Sangguniang Panlungsod which he presides.
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Mabalacat City is the youngest city in Pampanga at nine years old, with Angeles becoming a chartered city from eons ago while capital San Fernando became one in 2001.
In my coverages of various events in the province, I don’t remember any newly created city in Central Luzon region like Mabalacat generously donating to other LGUs. No, that has not happened in recent memory.
This is not the first time that it has donated motor vehicles.
Last year, it has donated ambulances not just to other Pampanga towns. It has given the much-needed vehicles to fellow Metro Clark Advisory Council towns of Bamban and Capas in Tarlac. The same was shared to sister cities Olongapo and Balanga.
The ambulances were given at an opportune time – the pandemic period. Even CDC was a recipient of those vehicles.
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Why is MCG (that’s Mabalacat City Government) doing that? Don’t they need the funds to themselves?
Of course, they need the money too. In this case, P34 million could have given Mabalaquenos a lot of good in health and medical benefits, social services and the like.
But MCG is not that selfish. It is paying it forward. It is spreading the sunshine.
Even with a 25 percent decrease in GIE shares this year due to the pandemic (which normally averages P700 million in the past few years), Mayor Garbo is also fulfilling a pledge he first made to Vice Gov. Lilia Pineda few years ago when she was at the helm of Capitol. This promise he delivered in the time of her son Gov. Dennis Pineda.
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So, what are the reactions to this noble endeavor?
Eleazar said that he hopes that good deeds of Mabalacat and Garbo could be replicated in other income generating LGUs.
“Napakaganda na ito ay gayahin sa ibang pagkakataon at sa ibang lugar kung kakayanin din lamang. (It would be great that this initiative be imitated in some other times and in other places if it can). Mabalacat City is lucky and blessed for having the support, particularly from Clark,” he said.
Valeriano aptly put it in today’s time where promises are broken with his speech saying “nangako na, tinupad pa.”
Pineda, in his ever cool and pleasing light mood thanked the mayor and said: “Maraming salamat po kay Mayor Garbo sa donasyon. Makatulong po sana ang mga sasakyan sa mabilis na pagresponde sa pagpapanatili ng katahimikan at kaayusan sa ating mga komunidad.”
To their delight, Garbo is now called as “Big Brother” by fellow mayors. During the turnover ceremonies, Pampanga Mayors League President Edgar Flores coined the monicker as he presented a plaque of appreciation to Garbo.
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The generosity of Mabalacat extends to jabbing. The city has been accommodating requests for vaccination by Clark-based enterprises.
This is in response to a memo circular by CDC where locators are advised to also get jabbed by the LGUs surrounding Clark. Mabalacat, being host to almost 95 percent of the Freeport, has responded.
As of last week, about 8,600 Clark workers have been jabbed. Again, majority of these are residents of Mabalacat. In total, the city has allocated 15,000 doses for Clark through CDC. Again, this is part of spreading the sunshine.
MCG is also on schedule to meet its herd immunity target of 180,000 by end of this month. About 150,000 have inoculated so far as of this writing. This is why Garbo is even increasing the target by another 20,000.
Yes, there has been some delay in the availment of vaccines. This is primarily due to lack of steady supply from national government, technical problems in online registration and at times the medical teams administering vaccines also get sick. Understandably, people get to be impatient or fret over waiting for their turns. But one thing is for sure, vaccination will reach the target population.