By Gonzalo Duque

 

LET us congratulate the winners of the just-concluded national and local elections.

To those who did not make it, my magnanimous message to you is, “better luck next time” and  learn from the wisdom of our great philosopher that  “service  to humanity is the best work of life.”

In our beloved city of Dagupan, our electorate sent a very clear message by giving almost the entire slate of Mayor Belen, VM Bryan Kua, and nine of the 10 council bets the privilege to consider and implement programs and projects for the city’s development.

As for Manay Gina de Venecia, let me also congratulate her for her one-sided victory.

God is good. We need all the help from our Almighty God so our city government, led by Mayor Belen, will bring us to a more peaceful, more prosperous city of Dagupan.

With Mayor Belen’s allies in control of the Sanggunian soon, they can now redraw the plan to build the Mother and Child Hospital and place it on the lot donated by her brother, Kerwin, along De Venecia Expressway, which is the most convenient place for such a facility.

The lot pinpointed by the outgoing majority in the Sanggunian is too small for a hospital.

That lot, where the Land Transportation Office used to be located, can be used for other purposes for the benefit of the people of Dagupan.

As to the garbage dumpsite in Bonuan, the good mayor has assured the people of Dagupan that it is now nearing its closure.

In fact, Belen had a meeting last Wednesday with DENR officials at city hall who advised her to now begin the planting of trees at the cleared area of the dumpsite while clearing operations in other parts are continuing.

The trees that will be planted there will form part of the envisioned eco-park.

As to the construction of the new city hall, I will suggest to the new SP to consider whether the old city hall built sometime in 1925 should still be maintained or be used for other purposes.

Sa totoo lang, noong ako ay nagpunta dyan, ako ay minulto ng mga spirits ng ating mga ancestors an nag-opisina dyan.  Alam in Mayor Belen yan. 

As I understand, the new city hall being built can only accommodate six to seven offices, and the Dagupan City government has 42 offices. That means many offices of the city government will still be scattered around the city, which is inconvenient for the people.

And one more thing, the new city hall has no parking area.

Question: When will this edifice be finally finished?  As far as I can remember, Brian Lim started its construction right after the election in 2022, where he lost.

Belen now has the opportunity to make Dagupan reclaim its glory as a first-class city. It was downgraded to second class because of the higher income bracket set by the Department of Finance.

And the Seal of Local Good Governance from the DILG will not be far behind in Belen’s second term, minus the majority seven obstructionists.

We also used to be number in the field of sports as evidenced by our back-to-back titles in the Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) during Belen’s first reign as city mayor.

Our scholarship program has also improved tremendously under her leadership.

The mayor pledged that more school buildings will be constructed and rehabilitated, which will be more disaster-resilient.

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The just concluded election sent a clear message: Our people are now tired of the politics of the “trapos”, celebrities and entertainers, as well as sportsmen who have nothing really to contribute to crafting national laws.

The victory of Bong Go as topnotcher means that he was recognized for prioritizing health during his first term as senator.

On the other hand, Bam Aquino’s message on education resonates throughout our archipelago,

As for Bato de la Rosa, he stood up for peace and order, especially the campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs, which must be further strengthened. 

Kiko Pangilinan’s championing of the agriculture sector has endeared him to the Filipino voters, especially farmers. 

My good friend Rodante Marcoleta will be a good fit for the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon committee.

As to the rest of senate winners, my message is: You have been there, and all that our people expect from you is that you craft good laws for our countrymen’s sake. 

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