Family Year in Dagupan City

THE World Meeting of Families or Family Day this year set by the Roman Catholic Church will be held in Dublin, Ireland on August 21-26.

But even before the world’s cause for the family is observed, Dagupan City Mayor Belen T. Fernandez already issued her Executive Order NO. 55 declaring the year 2018 as Family Year in the city.

Noteworthy in that E.0. is the focus on family units and ties as the reason and the being for governance for nothing can be further from the truth. The government serves the community made up of families, ergo, government must never lose sight of the fact that it serves one purpose – to be the institution of public servants to serve the community of families.

The various departments in the city government are called on to be united in purpose in undertaking their mandated tasks, and principally to serve in order to keep families united, comfortable and happy.

An added insight in Ms. Fernandez’s declaration is the recognition of city hall employees’ needs that need to be served by government systems and policies as well, for they, too, have families as they serve in government.

The PUNCH congratulates and salutes Mayor Fernandez for her vision making the security and plight of families as the primary mission of government.

 

Don’t gossip

WHAT is this gobbledygook about no elections happening in 2019?  Doesn’t our 1987 Constitution tell us to elect senators, governors, congressmen and mayors next year?  Before Charter revisions can even be envisioned, the House and Senate must first agree to a so-called “Con-Ass” or Constituent Assembly.  Without this exercise, amending the Constitution can never happen and the federalism spin is but a dream.

Federalism, in the heart of President Duterte’s 2016 campaign pledge, empowers all provinces of self-government.  If the planned “Con-Ass” comes to fruition and it proceeds to rewrite a Charter embodying Federalism, a plebiscite is next held to ask the people to either accept or reject a brand-new Constitution.  Until such process is done, the “No-El” (No Election) in 2019 is but hearsay.

Let’s heed Pope Francis’ No. 1 counsel in his 10 Resolutions for 2018:  “Don’t gossip.”

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