Business Log
Lessons from Alcala
By Eva C. Visperas
There is no doubt the SARS scare in Alcala is over.
The town which was first known as Dangla, a barrio of Bayambang, became Alcala. It celebrated its 131st Foundation Day last September 19 with a noisy celebration.
Noisy because drum and lyre corps from different schools showed their winning forms and styles in a competition. Thousands of Alcaleneans trooped to the town gym to watch the spectacular show.
Mayor Manuel Collado, with his left hand wrapped with bandage and steel after he accidentally slipped, gave us his usual warm welcome. Mark Logan of ABS-CBN, a suki of the town during its big events, the last being the Longest Barbeque Grill for the Guinness World Record of the town last summer, was also there. That affair was well attended, too. There was also free concert from known bands in Metro Manila, notably the Orange and Lemon last Wednesday.
The enthusiasm of the mayor to hold celebrations with a big bang is largely due to the strong support of his townmates, locally and abroad. Kaya malakas ang loob niya. While many local government units complaining of lack of funds, Collado has a formula for holding big events, with savings to boot for the townsfolk’s community projects.
Overseas workers here have been very supportive of Collado’s projects and the mayor always gives his equal share to whatever is raised in a particular event, like the longest grill. It’s never an easy job soliciting financial help from overseas workers. You must show them where the money is being spent.
Unlike in Dagupan City where we haven’t heard of a good project done out of excess funds raised during its Bangus Festivals, Alcala was able to raise funds, part of which is now being used for the establishment of a cooperative (and later for a feedmill or a warehouse or dried mango processing).
As of now, the overseas workers have signified willingness to contribute $1,000 each for the cooperative. Someone has even signified the intent to contribute P1M! Thirty percent of the profit is for the town for social services.
Corn is the main product here. Board Member Danny Uy, who was also present during a luncheon talk with newsmen, suggested the setting up of a warehouse where corn produce can be stocked so that farmers need not worry about low buying prices when harvests are bountiful and demand is poor.
Bokal Uy knows what he talks about. He is one of Pangasinan’s biggest piggery owners and people like him are experts on feed mill matters.
By the way, workers abroad have also pledged to contribute more so that Collado and the town officials can provide free school bags to about 4,000 Alacaleneans school children. Local folks will be trained and employed to sew bags for this project. (Collado tapped local workers to do the grills used in the longest barbeque bid).
I hope mayors would emulate this example. Enough of the racket favoring contractors who deliver inferior projects in return for kickbacks.
(You can also read this writer’s other stories at http://businessblog.prepys.com.)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
