BANAT 100
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Mayor San Luis and other Pili officials, including Pili Central School PTCA President Ramon Peñaranda confer with Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte |
Newly-elected Mayor Alex San Luis of the capital town of Pili does not intend to weave miracles but he assures that within his first 100 days in office there could already be discernible transformation and visible improvement especially in the delivery of basic services.
“I know what I am planning to do could momentarily make me unpopular,” Mayor San Luis admits, referring to some drastic changes now taking shape.“
But, he adds, “in the long run I am confident people will realize I am right in pursuing my plans which I am certain will be beneficial to the greater majority of our people.”
He was referring for instance to the full implementation of the town ordinance which prohibits trucks and other big vehicles from passing through crowded downtown Pili and instead take the diversion road.
He has also barred vendors from plying their trade along the sidewalks at downtown Pili. Instead, he has directed the sectioning of the public market to accommodate every vendor wanting to earn an honest living without obstructing the traffic.“
Efficient and effective governance requires unwavering political will,” Mayor San Luis who had served as town councilor before winning the mayorship on his second attempt in the Kampi ticket of Congressman Luis R. Villafuerte emphasized.“
If I should serve for only one term so be it, but I will not hesitate to displease anyone who should obstruct my sincere effort to transform Pili into the premier town that it must be as capital town of the province of Camarines Sur.
Mayor San Luis had hardly warmed his seat at the town hall when he launched his BANAT 100 Program. BANAT 100 is the acronym for Barangay Needs Assistance Target 100 which seeks to focus on the basic needs of his people that may have been overlooked in the past.
For instance, medicines are now allocated direct to all barangays instead of keeping them in the Mayor’s office ostensibly under the firm control of the Mayor to enhance his political agenda. More importantly, the Pili municipal government is now able to provide medicines at half the usual price because it is buying from a government owned and controlled corporation, without the kickbacks.“
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Mayor San Luis discusses with barangay health workers his priority health programs |
Medicines are bought to help people not to help the political ambition of anyone”, the Mayor emphasized.
Also along his health program, he directed the survey of houses without sanitary toilets and determined that there was a need for 700 toilet bowls.
Mayor San Luis bought all 700 toilet bowls but required the concerned residents to have the pits dug up as installation is also directly supervised by his office. Just distributing the toilet bowls to the households would create no results; most recipients just leave them where they are and the toilet bowls remain unused.
Each barangay will have a minimum of two shallow wells, potable water being a primary health concern. But the water pumps would not just be doled out; together with barangay residents the municipal government install the facilities.
After a survey in every barangay, houses not yet repaired after the typhoons were allocated nipa shingles totaling 180,000.
Side by side with the rehabilitation scheme he had secured the allocation of Php 10 million from the DSWD core shelter program enough for about 100 housing units.
Another Php 10 million from the National Housing Authority would pave the way for the acquisition of seven (7) hectares along the Diversion Road to be allocated to about 700 families as home lots.
In the area of education, some 9,000 students in his municipality are beneficiaries of the Vlessed Program of Congressman Villafuerte which takes care of school fees.
Because electric wires were stolen after the last typhoon the municipal government bought electric wires enough to reconnect houses especially in the mountain barangays groping in the dark because of wire thieves.
But it is not going to be an easy dole-out all the time. He had served stern wavering that all suspected wire thieves will be bear the brunt of the law and admonished residents themselves to be vigilant and to promptly report such malfeasances even if they are not directly affected.
He has launched a campaign against wire pilferers along with the PNP, Transco, Bayantel and Digitel, making everyone aware that crime does not pay and wire thieves in Pili will all soon go to jail.
“Every day is a day full of challenges here in my municipality because we have to be on the lead not only in Camarines Sur but perhaps throughout Bicol,” Mayor San Luis said.
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| Tree planting at Mt. Isarog |
