Accomplishments vs. campaign promises

THE fifth State of the City Address reported out by Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez indicates to all and sundry that the city is going nowhere but up, steadily!

The impressive list of accomplishments dished out by the mayor is irrefutably unequalled by past administrations. That she managed to accomplish a lot and still produce a hefty P178 million surplus is nothing to sneeze at.

The city’s unprecedented P1-billion budget for 2019 provides a preview of even better things to come.

These developments will prove to be very difficult for her political challengers in this year’s elections to offset even with political promises. Her main opponent, Vice Mayor Brian Lim,  must present a viable platform and an alternative development agenda that must top what she has accomplished. For him and his supporters to simply seek to discredit her with speculations of corruption will not be credible in the face of the many tangible accomplishments that the Fernandez administration has accomplished over the years.

Least of all, the charge of failed governance by the Fernandez administration by Mr. Lim pointing to the series of flooding last year cannot hold water since many modern cities have seen worst flooding that resulted in many deaths. Even with their vast resources and access to technology, these cities were defenseless and vulnerable to the wrath of nature and climate change.

The official campaign period will start this week. We hope to see intellectual exchange between Fernandez’s and Lim’s camps, not the kind we have been hearing and reading  from Mr. Lim’s supporters in traditional and social media. 

Angry Mr. Duterte

“SHAPE up or ship out!”  That was President Duterte scolding top MWSS officials in the aftermath of the no-water crisis on March 6 onwards that affected thousands of Metro Manila residents.  The culprit was Manila Water, which supplies water to almost half of Metro Manila’s inhabitants since 1997.  But Maynilad was not in remiss as its customers had water on their taps when Manila Water’s clientele went dry.  Mr. Duterte can actually cancel the government’s concession contract with Manila Water anytime, as in a hospital entity stopping downright operations of its canteen concessionaire for bad service.  As simple as that.  But Mr. Duterte is holding his punches—for now. 

And so, Rey Velasco, the President’s top waterman and former mayor of Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan, must, indeed, shape up.  At the Congress probe on the water crisis, Velasco appeared too patronizing of Manila Water. Quit the crap, please?

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