New LTO head, a Pangasinense

By Gerry Garcia

SITIO Tocok, a kilometer off Barangay Tapuac proper, lies along north-side of the soon-to-be-finished Dawel-Pantal diversion road. It’s a sort of water-locked community where family neighborhoods often surrounded by water are ironically hounded by the lack of a vital need — clean potable drinking water.

And the inhabitants have been left, as a result of government negligence, to fend for themselves. For decades.

It took one man, finally, who became aware of the sitio’s problem, to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Alfredo “Afring” Dawana, formerly Association of  Barangays president and presently a Cano (US) citizen who is back home at Sitio Tocok, immediately saw a solution: set up a water system, build a tower to hold water brought to the surface from a well dug deep at the bottom of the river. This naturally needed a water pump machine and requisite funding.

Again Afring saw a way out.  With Jun Velasco’s help, he managed to secure the aid of Speaker Joe de Venecia who  instructed, in turn, one of his men, Engr. Nelson Sotto to help carry out the water project.

Last Thursday Jun Velasco and this writer went to Sitio Tocok to the home of Dawana who, by the way, is in the US.

We saw Dawana’s work-men setting up the structure to support the proposed water tower and nearby we saw some women laundering clothes with water drawn from the deep well by a hand-pump.

Jun and I also had a taste of the drinking water which we found pure clean and certainly bacteria-free.

Dawana was gleeful when Jun immediately got in touch with him thru his cellphone. Which was sure indication his overriding motivation was to implement the project for the welfare of his people.

* * * *

Another Pangasinense, from nearby Mangaldan, has been tapped by PGMA to head a controversial governmenty department — the Land Transportation and Communication. General Arturo C. Lomibao, appointed  as new LTO chief, has been directed by PGMA, before she left for Australia, to go after car smugglers who have been defrauding the government of  billions in unpaid taxes.

Lomibao, a former multi-awarded PNP chief and director-general, was hailed for his appointment by House Speaker JdV and other national leaders, civic and professional groups.

Dagupan LTO head Pat Urmaza, himself, said that with Gen. Lomibao at the helm of the LTO, the heads of region, provincial and field offices would better watch their steps considering Lomibao’s aptitude for sudden or surprise visits.

Lomibao is also expected to assist the MMDA in the management of Metro Manila’s cumbersome traffic system given his track record in law enforcement when he was national police chief.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/here-and-there/)

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