ILLEGAL BONUS. A curious thing happened in 2012 during the past Dagupan City administration. The emergency workers and technical consultants and plain consultants numbering some 900 were given their cash gifts and Christmas bonuses although they were not entitled to such perks under the law.

The issue surfaced during the executive meeting called by Mayor Belen Fernandez last January 5 when the City Auditor, under her Audit Observation Memorandum, communicated the need to return of the full amount distributed.

One official said the return of the amount is already impossible since the workers that received the bonuses are no longer in the city government. But recall that then Mayor Benjamin Lim could not have possibly distributed the amount by himself without of the city’s finance committee cooperating and conspiring with him.

And some members of that committee are still around. – Leonardo Micua

 

ABOUT COURTESY. Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan Mayor Timoteo “Dick” Villar III narrated to this reporter his bad experience with an usherette/ provincial government staff during Friday’s Lingayen Gulf Landings commemoration.

He said a certain Judith Tabillo, clad in a Filipiniana attire, approached him when he and his Sangguniang Bayan members arrived for the said event. She obviously did not recognize the mayor and Villar did not find it necessary to introduce himself as a VIP.

The mayor was aghast at her rather rude direction to be seated at the back. He politely declined and said he preferred to stay where they were, near the restroom of the Veterans’ Memorial Park.

When Board Member Pogi Espino saw them, he sent other usherettes to lead them to their reserved seats.  The mayor again declined since to move up front since they have already been told by Ms. Tabillo where they should be seated at the back. In short, nakakahiya kay Ms. Tabillo.

“Imagine mare, hinihila nya ako na parang bata at doon daw ako umupo sa likod,” the mayor said. He kept his cool as it was his New Year’s resolution for 2015 to temper his anger.

But the mayor relayed the message to the bosses of Ms. Tabillo: To teach usherettes to be courteous at all times to anyone attending occasions of the Capitol.  And make an effort to know the VIPs arriving.

On another matter, this reporter noted the lack of seats for the guests. This is an annual event normally overflowing with guests. Why not provide enough chairs for everybody to be seated comfortably? Hindi naman siguro mahirap gawin yun, di ba mga taga-GSO?–TIta Roces

 

P&Gs W2W PROJECT—Finally, a long-term and income generating solution to the decade problem of trash in Dagupan City is in sight. The P&G’s program will convert wastes into resusable products without any cost to the city except to deliver the trash. I hope the Sanggnuniang Panlungsod will support this project hasten the passage of the needed resolution. While, I agree with City Legal Officer Mejia, that the greatest challenge of this project later will be public acceptance, since we’re talking about trash and a technology new to be constructed near a community.

The challenge to the city government to educate the people about the benefits of the project. I am personally thrilled by the amount of money a multinational company is willing to invest in the city and I hope Dagupenos will look beyond politics and their traditional mindset about garbage, and will support the W2W project. – Hilda Austria

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