“The City of Friendship,” is the newly-coined slogan of the Angeles City government. Aside from its current usage in the various activities of the Nepomuceno administration, there were banners posted around the city too bearing the same slogan.
Unfortunately though for the new leadership, talks are circulating around on the irony of this slogan. Almost every step of the way, the local government seems to create “misunderstanding” amongst the people instead of the friendship it promotes.
During the last Angeles City Legislators’ Reunion at the Casino Filipino on October 31, Councilor Maricel Morales boldly pointed this irony as she delivered her short speech about her expectations and experience as a neophyte city councilor. Before she ended her speech, she gave a valuable thought for all by saying that how can Angeles be a city of friendship when the local leaders themselves could not resolve their differences. Of course she got the loudest applause that night.
The Angeles City Legislators’ Reunion by the way was done the first time through the efforts of Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting and the Sangguniang Panlungsod less the Nepomuceno bloc. The former Lazatin allies-turned-Nepomuceno angels were however present during the might led by Councilor Ric Zalamea. They joined the opposition bloc in paying tribute to the father of Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan, the former vice mayor Alberto G. Pamintuan.
It was interesting to learn that Tatang Alberto holds the record for serving the longest term as vice mayor from 1968 to 1986. Before he became a vice mayor, he rose from the ranks and was a city councilor from 1960 to 1968. During the legislators’ night, the city council conferred a plaque of recognition for his contribution to the city. He was accompanied by his wife, children and grandchildren.
As told by Vice Mayor Vega-Cabigting, the Angeles City Legislators’ Reunion is a celebration dedicated to all the legislators who served the city and shared services for the development of Angeles. Many former legislators attended the party including CIAC Executive Vice Pres. Alex Cauguiran, who gave a very passionate and lengthy speech, and CDC Dir. Max Sangil, who brought the house down with his funny stories and reminiscence of past events. Tatang Max is a former vice mayor and mayor of Angeles City.
As for Sec Ed, he enumerated the stories of his early days with Atty. Alberto Suller as an apprentice lawyer and his antics during his term as vice mayor and mayor while telling jokes in between and citing names of people at the city hall who worked close to him.
The legislators’ group is planning to work for the establishment of a legislative building for Angeles and a book about the city’s former councilors and their contribution to the community. They are also targeting to come up with a scholarship program for the dependents of former Angeles legislators.
Indeed, the event has all the good intentions should there be clean conscience in the middle without the usual political bickering. Too bad the original Nepomuceno bloc were not there to witness the event. I was actually thinking why city administrator Bong Alvaro did not show up considering that Sec. Ed and CIAC EVP Alex Cauguiran were both present.
Everybody knows that the two are his foremost allies in the past. He is the usual partner of Cauguiran during their stint at the city council whenever they have a fiery issue against the former Lazatin administration.
It is fascinating to recall the past and look at the present. One will see the kind of people we meet. The former friends become enemies and vise versa, especially in politics. Or relationships do not last because of several factors. Others say money can do that. Or power.
But going back to the city of friendship talk, Councilor Ares Yabut, who is also a no-show at the recent legislators’ reunion, seems to be creating more confusion and chaos at the Pampang Market instead of creating “bridges and friendships.” Almost all of the fish vendors and the Pampang Market association leaders have complaints on the way the city government handled the renovation of the wholesale market. Many were asking why Yabut directly meddles on executive affairs while he is supposed to work for “legislations.” People are just asking.
Talks are going around that the renovated stalls will be assigned to “new owners” allegedly identified by the city government. This threatens the current stall users. The problem with the city government is its failure to communicate well with the people. If they have any intent to renovate the market, they should have started with a dialogue with the association of vendors, not drilling and demolishing stall users from their post. And this is supposed to be the city of friendship, so they say.
