by ERNESTO T. SOLIDUM
Weekly Kapehan forum on May 29, 2010 is titled, "Kalibo Elected Officials, First 100 Days." As usual venue at Smokehauz Resto & Bar was alive with exciting personalities that would shape and guide Kalibo’s political landscape. On hand to brief the press on priority programs were Mayor elect William Lachica and his Vice Mayor Madeline Ang Regalado and Dr. Nilda Buyoc Tambong.
Atty. Ronquillo C. Tolentino observed that electorate of the premiere town of Aklan manifested political maturity since new elected officials have their own track record of performance and credibility. With the help of God progress and stability could be achieved if we work out our plans, the ex-Vice Gov. added.
Mayor elect William Lachica has five priority projects which are: a) determine and evaluate status of municipal employees based on civil service guidelines, b) upgrading public market at Andagao, c) street lighting installation at D. Maagma St. from Golden Salakot to Gen. F. Castillo monument and Mabini St. intersection to crossing Old Buswang, d) Relocation of dumping site from Bakhao Sur to Balete and e) implementation of Master Drainage Plan.
As former Vice Mayor of Kalibo, Engr. Lachica is familiar with personnel administration but did not elaborate on specific plans. Upgrading of public market parti-cularly native handicraft section is facilitated with P11 million loan by present Administration from Land Bank of the Philippines. Practically he is averse to bank loans but will closely monitor project implementation.
Street lighting installation has been given the nod of PAGCOR Chairman Efren Genuino who pledged P3.4 million.
Leyson property of 6.0 hectares in Balete to be used as Kalibo Municipal Dumpsite is worth P3.0 million. Sanitary landfill will accommodate all non-biodegradable, non-recyclable materials or those rejected by Material Recovery Facility (MRF) PO2 Julius Barrientos, head of Task Force MRF said that training of participants from all 16 barangays will begin next week.
Panelists were swamped with other pressing issues and concerns especially the following: "Modern" slaughterhouse at Tinigao is a misnomer and equated with misadministration. Established 28 years ago during the term of Mayor Wilihado Regalado, it has never acquired accoutrements of modernization. Source of our beefsteak and lechon kawali comes not in aseptic meat processing facility but from a rundown government outfit.
Daily average of 70 heads swine and large cattle are processed with barest essentials: single hand pump, bare rugged concrete floor as butchering ad cleaning area and five large vats for boiling water. Workers have no ventilation or back-up lighting in case of brownouts. (They use open kerosene lamps). Dumping ground for discarded body parts (horns, hooves, and hair) are piled outside and sloppy waste drain out not to catchments basins but the Aklan River!
The stink and swarm of flies are serious health problems of the community but their cries have fallen on deaf ears.
Dressed meat is transported to the public market in open tricycles where dust and more pathogens are attracted. Meat handlers do not care much about personal hygiene, approved health certificate or handling meat with rubber gloves.
Nutritionists often advised homemakers to rub a wet cloth on dressed meat or use water sparingly to avoid unnecessary loss of nutrients. The question is must this be the advised if the source of our meat supply is highly questionable? Nevertheless a large percentage of daily output of Kalibos’ abattoir goes to Boracay and neighboring towns.
The Plazoleta marker has come under fire with statements from incumbents Vice Mayor Tambong and SB member Regalado that it is an Executive proposal of Mayor Raymar A. Rebaldo. Approved supplemental budget is P1 million but never deliberated upon nor supported by an SB resolution.
Dr. Tambong said that there is no need for a minipark since we have three big parks namely: Pastrana, Magsaysay, and Goding Ramos where patrons could safely play and relaxed.
Now for Datu Bangkaya reverently upholding the Sto. Niño image is preposterous. A local priest denounced the life size statue as sacrilege since the holy Child’s image must do not be touched by a known Muslim devotee. The Muslim world also condemns it as idolatrous since they do not worship graven images.
Going to historical accounts landing of ten Muslim Datus from Sabah, Malaysia occurred in early part of 12th century. Christianity as first brought by Franciscan missionaries happened in 1571 (founding of Kalibo) or late 16th century. From this data it is unlikely that Datu Bangkaya lived for 400 years and converted to Christianity.
The Aloha marker fronting Kalibo Pilot Elem. School poses serious threat to motorists and school children. Constructed in early 1970’s, Mabini St., then had a light traffic load. Toward the 1980’s however it was expanded to accommodate more vehicles especially tricycles and buses. Present alignment of the Aloha structure occupies one-third of the three lane highway thus creating an abrupt bottleneck in front of the school gate. This is even exacerbated by double parked tricycles jostling for paying commuters.
Safety consideration of these "historic" markers like the Aloha and Golden Salakot of Kalibo and Welcome Arch. Rotonda of Banga are questioned not on their merits but on whether they are presently relevant and useful. Even concrete traffic barriers in Metro Manila are trimmed down and replaced with steel fences. Conventional wisdom only dictates that traffic public safety must be paramount when designing structures along or in the middle of the highway. The Republic Nautical highway that spawned 10 wheeler trucks and big provincial buses exert a heavy strain on our defective transport system marked by narrow twists and turns and bonanza of slow moving vehicles.
Obviously the only solution is dismantling structures that have outlived their usefulness. It is high time that Kalibo install traffic lights and CCTV cameras on busy street intersections since they are operational 24/7.
Mr. Conrad Indelible of DYRU Superadyo has lamented uncontrolled volume of tricycle units as a result of Mun. Mayors’ decision to approve tricycle franchise. Despite the findings of the Municipal Tricycle and Traffic Management Board headed by Ms. Gay Quimpo that only 1500 units could be safely accommodated has ballooned to 3,000. Considering that this problem is included in the political platform of Mayor elect Lachica, this usurpation issue that originally belonged to the legislative body will be restored.
The number of children in conflict with the law remains unabated as no comprehensive government program is set in place to train and rehabilitate them. In this case we are losing our most valuable resource to uncertain future unless the Christian social outreach program opens to minor offenders and their parents or guardian.
The Ati-Atihan Management Board usually funded with P1 million annual appropriations for the two week long celebration will have one representative from the tri-media to promote transparency and accountability. Likewise the incoming Administration that will be sworn into office on June 30, 2010 promised to hold monthly presscon. Hopefully, interaction and feedback will be fruitful in effective governance.
With priority projects at hand and pressing issues and concerns, new elected officials led by Mayor elect William Lachica will surely experience work overload for the first 100 days.
On behalf of members of tri-media, warm congratulations and Godspeed! /MP
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