INFRA MAN. Mayor Rene Maglanque shows one more project on the pipeline — a multi-purpose trading and convention center cum evacuation site. Photo by Bong Lacson
CANDABA, Pampanga – Investors are now flocking to this bucolic town after its chief executive embarked on completing a road network that will connect its 33 barangays to the Poblacion area and finally free it from the perennial flooding problem. Mayor Rene Maglanque told members of the Society of Pampanga Columnists (SPC) last week that Puregold, SM’s Savemore, Chowking and oth-er big companies have all made plans to put up their business in this once somnolent town. Maglanque made his pronouncement in a recent tete-a-tete with opinion writers at the Mayor’s Office at the municipal hall which is currently undergoing repair and expansion. Actually, Puregold will start construction in April and will open in De-cember, he said.
Road interconnection
The Kapampangan region, which is composed of eight barangays, is now connected to the Poblacion. The road project was funded from the coffers of the municipality and a grant from the provincial government with P5 million allocations from each source for a total of P10 million, the mayor said. The Kapampangan region is finished but the Tagalog region is still undergoing construction because it got caught in the rainy season, Maglanque explained. But y May, it will be connected to the Poblacion, he added. Flood-free roads “My vision is to upgrade the major roads of Candaba to free them from flooding,” the mayor said. Maglanque said a road upgrading project worth P20 million is now finished and another P30 million will soon be in the works. “We had our groundbreaking last February for the upgrading and connection of this P20 million road project and it is now finished,” Maglanque said.Our roads will be passable even during the rainy season because they are now elevated, he said. We followed the same elevation of the Mandasig flood control (which raised the road to about 1.5 meters), he added.
Municipal hall with taxpayers’ lounge
The mayor said the municipal hall building itself is also now undergoing repair and extension at a cost of P10 million. The funds came from the Department of Public Works and High ways (DPWH) upon the endorsement of Sen. Lito Lapid, he added. When completed, the municipal hall will have an air-conditioned taxpayers’ lounge and a waiting area with television sets. By 2015, another P10 million will be earmarked for the construction of a second floor at the back of the municipal hall which will have office spaces for each 10 councilors, Maglanque said. Rep. Agapito Guanlao of Butil partylist has pledged another P5 million for department head offices and a large parking space will also be available at the back of the building, he added. “I did this because Iwant services to improve in Candaba,” Maglanque said.
Multi-purpose hall/ evacuation center
The mayor said a multi-purpose hall which can double as an evacuation center will begin construction in January. It will be called the Candaba Trade Center Multi-Purpose Trade Building, comprising an evacuation center, a venue for any trade fair activity, and other municipal and civil activities. “We had our groundbreaking for the project last Dec. 18 and on January construction will start,” he added. Maglanque said some P18 million will be spent for the project with P8 million local funding and another P10 million from 4th District Rep. Rimpy Bondoc. All buildings will have a neo-classic design. “Para kang nasa Spain (It’s like being in Spain),” he said.
Local revenues
While the local revenue is estimated at P11 million, the town actually gets only P10 million according to the mayor. “So we are now inviting more investors because we have improved our roads and facilities,”Maglanque said. So far, more than P100 million have been spent for Candaba including local funds for its makeover, Maglanque said.
Local produce
The mayor said this first class town is still the number one rice-producing municipality of Pampanga, contributing 35 percent of Pampanga’s rice production. Maglanque said he also considers duck eggs as the town’s main agricultural produce with a daily production of one million duck eggs supplying the balut industry of Pateros, among others. He said he supports the farmers by giving seeds directly to them, providing insurance for their crops through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC), providing them 21 hand tractors as well as a back hoe from the provincial government for the maintenance of their irrigation canals. Maglanque also said he makes sure that farmto- market roads are in good condition to help farmers bring their produce to the Poblacion. Soon, a community hospital and a college will be realized in our town, he assured.