Simula pagkabata ay namasdan ko ang kanyang mahalimuyak na kagandahan. Nakita ko sa luntian niyang kaparangan, sa kanyang mga batis at ilog na nuon ay dinadaluyan ng malinaw na tubig na kumikislap sa tama ng araw, sa kanyang kultura at kaugalian, sayaw at awit, and even from the lively yet respectful conversations in homes and public places, in schools where we sat before teachers who taught us enduring values of love of God and parents and country, where we first heard and learned the patriotic song Ang Bayan Kong Pilipinas.
Yes, Angeles City has always been a lovely and beautiful presence, a nurturing and enriching experience. I practically grew to manhood from its bosom, amidst its people and leaders.
Then it happened. Mt. Pinatubo erupted in the middle of June of 1991 and devastated Central Luzon. Pampanga was destroyed. Angeles City was laid to waste. Ashfalls and lahar floods destroyed everything in their path. The economic life of the city practically stopped.
In the face of the massive destruction, our mayor at that time got too dispirited and left his office. Kung sa bagay hindi ko siya masisisi kung nawalan siya ng loob, pagkat talaga namang napakalagim ang kapalarang umabot sa siyudad ng Angeles nuon.
Sariwa pa sa alaala ng marami, natitiyak ko, ang kasindak-sindak na kapariwaraan na sinapit ng siyudad Angeles dulot ng pagputok ng Mt. Pinatubo at ng rumaragasang lahar na kaakibat nito.
But I believe in the courage of Angelenos to face adversities, and in the strength of their resolve to overcome whatever viccisitudes that visit their lives. I have seen that courage and resolve many times, and I knew even then that Angelenos would rise to the challenge.
So I walked down the ashfalls-filled streets of Angelenos shouting my voice hoarse with the rallying cry “Agyu Tamu!” summoning every Angelenos to rise and rebuild our beloved city. With a shovel in my hand, I started removing the ashfalls from the streets. Seeing me with my “pala” cleaning the street of debris and ashfalls, Angelenos went out to streets with shovels in their hands and shoved ashfalls off the streets—and that was the beginning of the great movement to rebuild the city and restore its former glory. We, the people of Angeles, rebuilt the Abacan bridge and the Friendship bridge, two vitally important bridges connecting the southern and northern parts of the city; we cleaned, reconstructed and even widened MacArthur Highway that runs across the heart of the city; electricity was restored in no time, likewise water utilities and other vital services such as communications and transportation facilities. We provided housing for the thousands of families that were displaced by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo through the resettlement projects in various areas of the city. In time, business and economic activities came back to life.
We also mobilized our people in support of the bill—which was later enacted into law, Republic Act No, 7227, otherwise known as The Bases Conversation and Development Act—that, among other things, provided for the conversion of the former Clark Air Base here into civilian uses. The law opened the way to the creation of Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC).
With the creation of CDC and CIAC and with their funding assistance of these two agencies, we were able, with the assistance and cooperation of CDC, to develop our barangays into cooperatives that provided jobs and livelihood projects for Angelenos and to construct the Circumferential Road that facilitate travel from Angeles to San Fernando and transform the place into a viable business area; and in support of CIAC, we spearheaded the development and construction of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) that has triggered various forms of economic activities in Metro Clark area and generated employment opportunities for Angelenos.
Despite all these, however, things have turned sour in my beloved city in the last three years under the administration of my former vice-mayor now the good mayor of Angeles City, His Honor, Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno. People have been asking me to come and help. My heart goes out to them as I hear their cry for help.
Madalas kung sasabian karing kekatamung kabalen na ali la milalako pag-asa uling maniwala ku na agyu nang mibangun ning Angeles at agyu nang ibalik ing kayang mewalang ningning basta balu na na agyu na ning manungkulan na ituki neng pasibayu ketang dapat nang kabilyan at katatalakaran. Abe abe , saup-saup at agnan-agnan tamung talakad at lumakad para isulung ya ing kekatamung kaluguran a syudad.
Agawa tamu ita. Uling Agyu tamu. Mabuhay!
See you again, next week.
Yes, Angeles City has always been a lovely and beautiful presence, a nurturing and enriching experience. I practically grew to manhood from its bosom, amidst its people and leaders.
Then it happened. Mt. Pinatubo erupted in the middle of June of 1991 and devastated Central Luzon. Pampanga was destroyed. Angeles City was laid to waste. Ashfalls and lahar floods destroyed everything in their path. The economic life of the city practically stopped.
In the face of the massive destruction, our mayor at that time got too dispirited and left his office. Kung sa bagay hindi ko siya masisisi kung nawalan siya ng loob, pagkat talaga namang napakalagim ang kapalarang umabot sa siyudad ng Angeles nuon.
Sariwa pa sa alaala ng marami, natitiyak ko, ang kasindak-sindak na kapariwaraan na sinapit ng siyudad Angeles dulot ng pagputok ng Mt. Pinatubo at ng rumaragasang lahar na kaakibat nito.
But I believe in the courage of Angelenos to face adversities, and in the strength of their resolve to overcome whatever viccisitudes that visit their lives. I have seen that courage and resolve many times, and I knew even then that Angelenos would rise to the challenge.
So I walked down the ashfalls-filled streets of Angelenos shouting my voice hoarse with the rallying cry “Agyu Tamu!” summoning every Angelenos to rise and rebuild our beloved city. With a shovel in my hand, I started removing the ashfalls from the streets. Seeing me with my “pala” cleaning the street of debris and ashfalls, Angelenos went out to streets with shovels in their hands and shoved ashfalls off the streets—and that was the beginning of the great movement to rebuild the city and restore its former glory. We, the people of Angeles, rebuilt the Abacan bridge and the Friendship bridge, two vitally important bridges connecting the southern and northern parts of the city; we cleaned, reconstructed and even widened MacArthur Highway that runs across the heart of the city; electricity was restored in no time, likewise water utilities and other vital services such as communications and transportation facilities. We provided housing for the thousands of families that were displaced by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo through the resettlement projects in various areas of the city. In time, business and economic activities came back to life.
We also mobilized our people in support of the bill—which was later enacted into law, Republic Act No, 7227, otherwise known as The Bases Conversation and Development Act—that, among other things, provided for the conversion of the former Clark Air Base here into civilian uses. The law opened the way to the creation of Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC).
With the creation of CDC and CIAC and with their funding assistance of these two agencies, we were able, with the assistance and cooperation of CDC, to develop our barangays into cooperatives that provided jobs and livelihood projects for Angelenos and to construct the Circumferential Road that facilitate travel from Angeles to San Fernando and transform the place into a viable business area; and in support of CIAC, we spearheaded the development and construction of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) that has triggered various forms of economic activities in Metro Clark area and generated employment opportunities for Angelenos.
Despite all these, however, things have turned sour in my beloved city in the last three years under the administration of my former vice-mayor now the good mayor of Angeles City, His Honor, Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno. People have been asking me to come and help. My heart goes out to them as I hear their cry for help.
Madalas kung sasabian karing kekatamung kabalen na ali la milalako pag-asa uling maniwala ku na agyu nang mibangun ning Angeles at agyu nang ibalik ing kayang mewalang ningning basta balu na na agyu na ning manungkulan na ituki neng pasibayu ketang dapat nang kabilyan at katatalakaran. Abe abe , saup-saup at agnan-agnan tamung talakad at lumakad para isulung ya ing kekatamung kaluguran a syudad.
Agawa tamu ita. Uling Agyu tamu. Mabuhay!
See you again, next week.
