CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Governor Lilia Pineda's administration created Kapampangan A Lulugud at Matapat (Kalam) replacing the Biyaya a Luluguran at Sisikapan (Balas) in monitoring quarry operations, Capitol's flagship program.
Heading the new quarry monitoring team are former Balas supervisors Filologo Rodriguez, Chris Ocampo, Edu de Leon and Nonong Rivera.
The quarrymen, along with 40 other checkers, had been responsible for raising quarry collections at the onset of the administration of former governor Eddie Panlilio, pumping in as much as P200 million on the first year of its operations. But they were axed by the former priest-governor and later charged with libel and slander as they mounted a 256-day protest after their dismissal two years ago.
In an exclusive interview, Rodriguez said that on the first day of Kalam, the group had already collected some P1.3 million in quarry fees, way above the P300,000 daily collections that plummeted as the Panlilio administration neared to a close four months ago.
"We started yesterday (Thursday) at 12:00 noon and we were able to collect some P1.3 million. This is just the start and we're happy to be back," Rodriguez told Sun.Star Pampanga. (Jovi T. De Leon)