Candidates’ top concern is good governance

HAPPY WEEKEND 

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA MOUNTAIN PROVINCE-   Electoral candidates here in this tourist town have a lot  to learn from the present administration- flaws and all.  And aspirants for the municipal  executive and legislative  positions- two for mayor, three for vice  mayor and 24 for councilor- want to institute  good governance  systems and  services  to reach the public.

Mayoralty candidate James Payko Pooten Jr   forwarded  that  barangays  identify their projects and programs, have these be endorsed by the  Sangguniang Bayan and  eventually implemented by the office of the Mayor.

And in case of ordinances to have these be  forwarded to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for  approval and eventually sent back to the municipal LGU  for implementation.

Pooten further said  it would be  good for the Sangguniang Bayan(SB) to hold their sessions in barangay halls.

As it  has been noted in the current administration some barangay projects and programs  are not identified or known by barangay officials.

Dagdag barangay for one found that a canal improvement project was  budgeted from  calamity  funds and  the project not identified  by said barangy which led the local council to   ask the SB and the office of the mayor to stop payment of the project. Payment nevertheless proceeded.

Public consultations are especially forwarded.

Councilor  candidate  Gina Dizon  with her platform on consultative legislation wants   ordinances be actively identified and crafted by the community apart from ordinances  initiated by  the  legislative body.

Too, she wants to have a  municipal ordinance  on monitoring projects and  programs  and policies through the active  involvement of peoples organizations and  barangay constituents.

It has been noted  that ordinances accumulate  dust  and get stashed  in cabinets and projects implemented  with  questions of being sub standard. Plans and results of consultations with the public   too  face questions on implementation.

Incumbent councilor and candidate David Buyagan wants an ordinance authored by him be implemented   on the  use of  buri bags and non-use of plastics as packaging  materials.

The ordinance comes in the light of the persistent garbage issue in town as noted from the  different areas during the presentation-rallies of the candidates.

Waste management

Resident Morris from Tetep-an said sacks of broken glasses, styrofoam and pampers are found dumped along the slopes of the road at sitio Pegew.

Where the garbage comes from the is the question with the strong suspicion that this comes from the central business district  at the Poblacion area.

Too in the southern zone of barangay Suyo, the  question of  waste that flows from  waters upstream is a  top concern.

Water upstream that comes from  the  central  zone  eventually find their way to  Bakkong river downstream  is  primarily used for irrigation.     

Environmentalist  and tourist  guide and councilor candidate Jed Angway noted that the LGU need to be  strongly involved in  implementing  waste management including the purchase of   Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) equipment such as pulverizers noted as a need in 2012. 

Garbage disposal is a heavy mess with no functional MRF  despite an existing  site and structure for  solid and non-degradable waste constructed in 2011.

A pulverizer is  a long  demanded  equipment to turn  recyclable  solid waste such as  broken  and unused glasses, destroyed  slippers and shoes, and plastics   into hollow blocks as construction  materials which can be of use for structures or sold for cash.  

Other places  make use of waste  including  mixing this with saw dust and cement  into hollow blocks.

Why the  local government unit has not  responded to this long  demanded  pulverizer despite its strong  demand is  a big question why the LGU is unresponsive.

The MRF site is currently a dumpsite for bottles. Too, the Calvary Hill at the Mission Compound is used by the  LGU as a dumping site is long opposed by the vestry of the Church of St Mary the Virgin (CSMV) since 2013.  

Pooten said he will implement the necessary  measures when elected mayor.

Traffic management

Comebacking  vice mayor candidate Richard Yodong said the traffic ordinance then  passed during his term 2010-2013 is not implemented.

Candidate -vice mayor and incumbent vice mayor  Benjamin Capuyan said a  revised  traffic ordinance has recently been passed by the incumbent members of the SB.

Traffic  management continues to be a big question with cars still parked along the  road  anytime of the day  on am everyday  basis posing danger to  the public especially passersby and children.

The need for  traffic aides to help in manning traffic continues to be a demand left unheeded by the present administration   despite a petition forwarded by the public to the  SB and  the office of the mayor.  

It has been noted in the  previous Lent  season in 2014 that  traffic management was   successful with the   deployment of traffic aide-volunteers  and  vehicles directed to designated parking spaces. The problem  persists  with no traffic aides hired except one on the main street in the central section of the town causing heavy traffic jams in areas locating inns, restos and souvenir shops.

Councilor  candidate  and tourist guide Egbert Dailay is strong on the use of  environmental fees collected from tourists  to  be used for traffic aides aside from  waste management. The LGU collected nearly 5 million pesos with some 135,000 tourists having visited the town in 2015. Environmental fees cost P35.00 per tourist and included  in the general funds of the LGU.  Dailay and other guides want the  fee budgeted as a trust fund for waste management and other tourism purposes.

Incumbent councilor candidate Dave Gulian said a draft for the revised tourism code of 2007 with the content  generated from consultations with guides, elders and the business sector  is being  studied by the  SB.

Councilor candidate and tourist guide Joey Taltala wants Sagada's tourist attractions and its natural state be preserved. 

Executive-legislative relations

Good working relations is  much stressed by incumbent and  councilor candidates  Felicito Dula, and Milton Tawali; former vice mayor and councilor candidate Gerry Ticag; and  incumbent councilor- vice mayor candidate John Guitilen.
Former  vice mayor and comebacking candidate for same position Richard Yodong said checks and balances between the two departments is a given in the current system of government.
In the light of questions on constraints between executive and legislative  functions and  working relations asked  by  folks in Aguid  during the first presentation-rally, Guitilen said 'public office is a public trust.'  

Councilor candidate  and Ambasing barangay captain Rovaldine Dagacan  said the regular  executive-legislative agenda (ELA)  creates a venue where both the two branches in  government  lets  them come together and  agree on programs and projects of the  LGU.

Sectoral concerns  are equally  top concerns.

Concerns for   children, youth, women, elderly and persons with disabilities (PWDs)specially got the attention of  candidates for  the position of mayor, vice mayor and councilors.

Senior citizen  concerns was specially voiced out by candidates for  councilor – government retiree  Morris  Abuan, former Balugan barangay captain John Yogawen, former  barangay captain Dennis  Ban-ang  and  current  barangay captain for Madongo Joseph Aclopen.

Attention to women is  specially  forwarded by  Dizon and Gulian.  Women by law are  allotted 5% of the total budget  for gender in development GAD) programs including trainings and livelihood support.

Commission of Audit finds that the 5% GAD fund of the municipal budget for 2015  does not have specific concerns for GAD.

Aclopen  said   Madongo  LGU budgeted the 1% mandated budget for  senior citizens and  further said the municipal LGU should do likewise.

Youth development is  a top concern of radio announcer and councilor candidate Bernard Makellay.

Too, Yodong said scholarship funds from the municipal budget should specially be allotted for  deserving students or asked from concerned agencies.  

Sectoral concerns is included in the  platform of  youth leader  Felicito Kibatay from  Aguid, Ankileng  barangay captain  Ezra Wadingan and councilor candidate  Thomas Palangdao from Tanulong.

        Mayoral candidate Andres Aklayan forwarded that appropriations be effected for Philhealth  to benefit everyone in Sagada.

Persons with disabilities is  special concern of Dizon.  PWDs by law are allotted 1% of the total budget  shared with senior citizens. There are nearly a 100  PWDs scattered in the 19 barangays of Sagada.

Pooten vouched for trainings  especially for  tourist guides  that they have additional livelihood skills aside from  tourist guiding as additional source of livelihood.

Agriculture etc

Issues on agriculture and  boundary conflicts are  some  concerns of candidates.

Agriculture  is a strong concern  of farmers and councilor candidates Esteban Solang and Osenio Lay-os- both officers of the Municipal Agriculture and fisheries  Council (MAFC).    Solang chairs MAFC in the municipal level and  Lay-os in the provincial level.

Solang  and Lay-os specially go for  helpful programs on organic farming.

Aklayan has a special attention on boundary  dispute resolution with adjacent  areas of the town particularly  between Dalikan,  Bontoc and Sagada barangays-Fidelisan, Aguid and Tetep-an.

While this is so, councilor candidates  Pio Tuagan and  Peter Tauli said programs  shall be identified by the people once they sit with the community as elected  candidates. 

        And above all, an executive or legislative position calls for regular work  not an 'on the job training' (OJT) councilor candidate  George Lumiwes said.