By Gonzalo Duque

 

I attended the inauguration of the Dagupan Diagnostic Center in Barangay Herrero-Perez, led by Mayor Belen Fernandez last Wednesday morning. It’s a long overdue project of Mayor Belen that was ignored and abandoned by the Lim administration, simply because it was not his project.

I was shocked to see all the brand new equipment, i.e. x-ray machines, ultra-sound and ECG machines, dental chairs, etc., mostly given by the DOH, untouched and, still wrapped in plastic as delivered.

Finally, the newly installed brand new Computed Tomography Scan (CT Scan for short) was blessed and turned over by the DOH to the Dagupan City government through Mayor Fernandez and City Health Officer Dr. Ophelia Rivera.

This project could have helped a lot of our people who not only needed x-ray when the peak of the Covid pandemic was at its worst stage, but also those badly in need of ultra-sound and ECG services for detection of their more complex ailments.

The diagnostic center, with its state-of-the-arts equipment, was established to serve indigent patients and other vulnerable citizens, free of charge. If only that project was used by Lim’s administration, thousands of poor people afflicted by the pandemic could have been served.

Buti na lang Mayor Belen came back, otherwise the city would have continued to be deprived of benefits from the diagnostic center.

This is what usually happens when a new administration takes over from the old. The new officials hate to continue programs started by their opponent in the last election to the prejudice of their people. This is a mark of traditional politics or  “trapoism”. Obviously, Brian Lim refused to learn the lesson set by then President Duterte.

Mr. Duterte left us a legacy where projects started by the previous administration were continued till they were completed. That’s why, today you can see many infrastructure projects and in health care delivery systems.

In Digong’s Build. Build. Build program, many of these projects were actually already in the drawing boards under the past administration but that was never a concern for Duterte . He didn’t give a damn! He wanted to finish the projects because these were for the good of the Filipino people.

Sana ang mga opisyal natin ay matuto kay Duterte kung ito ang ikakabuti ng bayan. They should continue the projects, especially those that improve the health and lives of our people. Sayang talaga yong diagnostic center. Had Brian operated it, he could have earned more pogi points and saved him from losing his post. Sayang! Siguro Mr. Lim missed to watch FPJ’s old movie flick “Umpisahan mo, tatapusin ko”.

*          *          *          *

Another novel project aborted by Mr. Lim was the Waste to Energy project that could have ended the worsening garbage disposal in the city. The W2E project would have already been in place today, producing diesel and useful methane gas from garbage. But it wasn’t important to him because it was Belen’s initiative.

In dumping the W2E , Mr. Lim adopted a worse alternative – buried the garbage collected from the markets and homes, under the sands at the dumpsite. This  illegal environmental practice impacted negatively on the city’s aquifer, endangering the sea and water that we drink.

Today, Dagupan still stinks because of the illegal disposal of the garbage. Hopefully, Mayor Belen can restore the agreement shelved soonest and start the implementation W2E ASAP. Kaya, kayong namimili ng mga opisyal, please see to it that the people you vote for do not have a mindset of Mr. Lim who would dismiss a good project because it was planned by the previous official. 

You know, that W2E project has a lot of advantages. It will produce diesel fuel for our jeepneys, tricycles and motor boats as well as methane gas to light up homes and fuel for cooking out of the garbage churned out by households, markets and the communities.

Now that the pump price of diesel is almost P100 per liter, we would already have available cheap diesel fuel for our engines if Mr. Lim did not abort it. 

Mr. Lim did not want the diagnostic center and W2E project continued for selfish and political reasons. What he did was a disservice to our people. 

*          *          *          *

Despite Mr. Lim’s claim that there is surplus money (P1.2 billion) he left in the coffer, Mayor Fernandez still cannot get a complete picture of the true financial situation in Dagupan. Bakit kaya?

For this, members of the finance committee could be cited for dereliction of their duty. Belen should replace members of the committee with her own.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments