CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Rising out of a near-death experience, citizen Oscar S.
Rodriguez found a new sense of purpose for his lifelong advocacy of serving the
people.
The former multi-term congressman of the 3 rd District of Pampanga and three term mayor of the City of San Fernando is the founding chairman of the newly organizaed Foundation for Responsible Citizenship. His article of faith that became the city slogan at the time he was hizzoner, “Magsilbi Tamu,” finding resonance anew.
Comprising like-minded individuals “tried and tested through the crucible of the Marcos dictatorship, triumphant with the EDSA Revolt, and unwavering in the continuing struggle for the people’s welfare,” the FRC grounds itself on the “true essence of good governance.” That which Rodriguez defines as “serving solely the
interest of the public.”
At the “Balitaan at Talakayan” forum of the Central Luzon Media Association-Pampanga Chapter on March 14 at Max's Bacolor, Rodriguez, along with FRC president Sonia Soto and directors Bishop Jose Briones and Engr. Arnel Sicat
presented the foundation’s objectives and programs primarily focused on the engagement of the youth in the praxis of good governance.
Soto, who is also president and general manager of CLTV-36, lamented how “good governance” has been so “arrogated by certain powers-that-be unto themselves,
twisting it to suit their vested interests.”
“Amid all these, we need to show a concrete example of how good governance looks, of how it works, and we have that in OSR (Rodriguez),” enthused Soto, citing the initiatives and interventions implemented by the then-mayor that resulted to the City of San Fernando being hailed as a “template of the public
governance system” and Rodriguez ranking 4 th in the highly prestigious World Mayor Prize in 2005.
Top of these was the organization and operationalization of the multi-sectoral
governance system whereby the city engaged representatives of the different sectors of the community in the different facets of local governance with a corresponding scorecard as management instrument.
“We need to bring good governance, in theory and practice, to our youth,” Soto said. “For the nation’s sake and for theirs.”
This, as she disavowed “political agenda” in the foundation. “We cannot totally say that we are apolitical as any interaction between government and people is in a sense political. But we are not directly engaged in electoral politics.”
Bishop Briones clarified that while the foundation will not endorse specific political candidates, FRC will advocate for values and principles conducive to good governance, prioritizing character and qualifications over financial contributions during elections.
Rodriguez himself affirmed he is retired from politics, and dedicated himself to sharing his advocacies for the betterment of the community.
He said FRC’s mission is to collaborate with organizations sharing similar aspirations and goals and educate youth on their rights and civic responsibilities, including voter awareness.
According to Soto, the foundation plans to hold workshops, seminars, youth bootcamps, leadership development programs, civic education initiatives, town hall meetings, and creating modules on good governance practices.
“We have started our youth engagement with OSR and me as resource persons in the recent Youth Voyage forum sponsored by the city government participated in by some 400 young Fernandinos,” Soto said, noting “the enthusiasm of the youth
over the subject of good governance shows a great promise of hope for the nation.”
Citing the vital role media play in raising awareness over issues, especially of significance to the community and the nation at large, Rodriguez called on the media to help promote the good governance advocacy, even as he expressed his
gratitude to CLMA-Pampanga for its commitment to truth in its reportage and being a trusted source of information in the community. Punto News
Team/Photos: Nelson Gonzales-CLMA-Pampanga
