By Leonardo Micua

 

ONE of the latest posts of the Dagupan City PIO before Brian Lim bowed out of office depicted him proudly telling Dagupenos that his efficient governance resulted in P1. 2 billion cash in the coffers, with a note that not a single loan was secured by his administration to be paid by the next city administration of Mayor Belen  Fernandez.

This is exactly the opposite given what we’ve read on Facebook about an incident a week ago that was validated by our own sources – that some persons barged into the Dagupan City People’s Astrodome and pulled out eight inverter air-conditioning units installed more than a year ago because the supplier of these unit was not been paid by the Dagupan City government.

The sudden withdrawal of the air-conditioning units made the work conditions imposed on the City Health Office conducting COVID-19 vaccination not only extremely difficult but also  greatly inconvenienced the residents who came to be vaccinated.

If it’s true that the supplier of these air-conditioning units was not yet paid, then something was very wrong with the management of the city’s funds. For sure, that incident had nothing to do with the reenacted 2021 budge but it belied what that post claimed.

Since the units were pulled out possibly sans official notice, the city government obviously allowed the supplier to remove the air conditioning units at the expense of the comfort of the CHO personnel and residents. Or was the sudden pull-out of the units actually authorized by the office of the city mayor since these were done just a few days before Brian Lim exited?

How was it even possible that a team simply claiming to be the supplier can force its way into the People’s Astrodome in broad daylight and in full view of people holding office there and remove valuable equipment from the premises without any resistance from the detailed security inside the astrodome?

That could only happen without the guards stopping them because the city hall gave the go-signal for the pull-out. In fact, Brian did not bother to have the pull-out of the units investigated.

Fortunately, the incident already reached the ears of Mayor Belen Fernandez I am sure she will get to the bottom of this matter soon. I was with fellow columnist Atty. Gonz when  I heard them discuss the incident.

By the way, Belen gave a stern warning in her inaugural address. She said “Dagupan City Hall will have no room for the corrupt, thieves, plunderers and other bad eggs”.

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After hearing the inaugural address of Governor Mon-Mon Guico, I am convinced that Pangasinan will be in a better shape after the pandemic. His  grand vision for the province is achievable. His vision for development transcends beyond agriculture and the whole gamut of everything of what Pangasinan is today. 

The  new governor wants to make Pangasinan a haven of business, trade and commerce in a bid to  ensure steady jobs for all Pangasinenses. This is a strategy to reduce the province’s army of unemployed and ease the pain and sufferings of the vast majority of the people who are poor.

His plan to establish economic zones in every district of the province is do-able. He has already proven it can be done and cited what his hometown Binalonan is already  doing – operating for over a year now,  giving steady jobs to his people and the adjacent areas. 

Another economic zone will soon rise in Bayambang in the province’s Third  District. In his inaugural, Guico presided over the signing of a MOA between a  U.S.-based company that intends to pour 40 million dollar worth of investment in Bayambang together with the company of his close political ally, then Bayambang Mayor Cezar Quiambao. 

Guico intends to spread the sunshine to the first, second, fourth and sixth districts of Pangasinan by having their own economic zones that will lead to their respective economic boom. 

We were also glad to hear that even before he assumed office, Mon-Mon already worked on an ambitious plan for the construction of an expressway from the east to the west to enhance travel, tourism, commerce and trade. He has also started consulting with topnotch urban planners to draw up a more viable land use plan for the entire province.  

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