CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The miracle is in the hard work, honesty, persistence and vigilance. That is how the administration of Gov. Lilia G. Pineda called the breaching of its self-imposed target of P1 billion in quarry collections well ahead of its deadline of June 2016, the end of her second term.
It will be recalled that the P1-billion target was set after quarry collections reached P842,097,879 at the close of Pineda’s first full term in June last year. The governor validated this with what she said was the “anticipated higher demand for Pampanga’s sand with the infrastructure boom in both the private and public sectors attendant to the economic growth under the administration of President Aquino.” Pineda proved prescient.
At 3 p.m. Monday, the cumulative quarry revenues reached P1,000,485,000 after the March 1 to 10 collections peaked at P8.8 million. The collections for February totalled P28,720,000. “The Capitol is naturally happy over this development.
The amount of P1 billion translates to more projects in infrastructure and livelihood, more social services like health and education, all for the well-being of the Kapampangan,” the governor said. This, even as she enjoined local officials to use their shares in the quarry revenues wisely:
“Pakiusap ko lang sa ating mga opisyal ng mga bayan at barangay na ilaan at gamitin ang kanilang share sa kapakanan ng kanilang mga pinaglilingkuran dahil ito ay yaman ng Pampanga para sa mga Kapampangan.”
Reaching P1 billion has raised the ante in the quarry collections – to a new target of P1.6 billion at the end of Pineda’s second term. So disclosed Engr. Art Punsalan, chief of the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office.
“Gov. Pineda told me that she wants the quarry collection to reach some P1.6 billion at the end of her second term which is until 2016. We still have time, so hopefully, we will be able to get that as well,” disclosed Punsalan.
Punsalan said that the past 45 months of the Pineda administration showed the “consistency” of quarry collections which he credited to “efficient operations and strict monitoring” of sand quarrying sites and trucking, as well as the “cooperation of industry stakeholders, including truckers and operators, the diligence and support of Gov. Pineda and the provincial board plus the hardwork of the Kapampangan A Lulugud at Matapat (Kalam) or the so-called “quarry boys” comprising the checkers and monitors.
Upward curve From the successes of the preceding Panlilio administration, the quarry revenues under the Pineda administration gradually took an upward curve from July to December 2010 with a total of P119,385,000 within that six-month period. In 2011, collections amounted to P238,380,000 and soared to P292,017,500 in 2012.
Natural calamities and constriction in the construction industry lowered the revenues to P238,902,500 in 2013, but still fell within the set monthly benchmark of P20 million.
