MISSING THE ACTION by: Kiko Ortelano

IS HE READY?

A lot of us doubt very much if Governor "Among Ed" Panlilio is ready for the national stage.

Of course his detractors in Pampanga all choruses that he is not ready. They have tried everything to discredit the governor. They have consistently peddled half-truths and lies.

Let us talk about facts.

About two weeks ago, there were a few senior citizens in Magalang who posted banners in front of the Magalang municipal hall demanding that the Gov and the Vice Gov forget politics and work together so the Balitucan District Hospital can be improved and they can get better medical services. Immediately the following day at the Talakayan radio program of DWRW, the host Perry Pangan interviewed the Vice Gov over the phone regarding this incident. Pangan's questions were very leading and he was obviously very fond of the vice gov and was not even objective about the gov. The two of them practically put all the blame on the gov without even getting his side or at least the hospital director! TALK ABOUT BALANCE AND UNBIASED JOURNALISM!

The fact is that the Balitucan District Hospital was repaired and renovated at a cost of about 3.9 Million pesos last year! This is just phase one. The project has three phases which can be completed by 2010! There were also additional and new medical equipment that were delivered to the district hospital. Purchases for medicines were normanlized and the budget for such were also increased compared against the budgets provided during the terms of previous governors.

Not only that. The Roman Pangan District Hospital in Floridablanca was repaired and renovated at a cost of about 11.8 million pesos. A 2-storey building was additionally constructed for the same District Hospital costing about 2.9 million pesos. Improvement and renovation works costing about 2.7 million pesos were implemented at the R. Rodriguez District Hospital at the Bulaon Resettlement, CSF. The Mabalacat District hospital was also repaired at a cost of 4.6 million pesos. Additional transformers were also provided at the Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Hospital at a cost of about 770,000 pesos.

In additon to all of these repairs and renovations, the provincial government procured and received (donations with the freight costs covererd by the provincial government) additonal equipment, supplies, medicines, and tools that it distributed to all the eleven district hospitals of the province.

NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR PROVINCE THAT SUCH MASSIVE SUPPORT WAS EXTENDED TO THE DISTRICT HOSPITALS BY ANY GOVERNOR!

The PAMISAUPAN Caravan is another thing. Critics of Among Ed allege that medical missions are regular activities of past governors of the province.

This allegation is not true. No governor of Pampanga has ever made it institutional to provide regular every 3-weeks medical missions to far-flung barangays of the province.

The PAMISAUPAN Caravan of Among Ed is not just for medical missions. This caravan includes other medical services like dental, blood typing, papsmear, de-worming, immunizations, circumsitions, family planning seminars, etc. In addition to these the caravan also includes supplemental feedings, vitamin supplementations, sports clinics, job assistances, household pet vaccinations, distribution of relief goods, entrepreneurship seminars, consultations, and a lot more depending on the prevailing requirements of the barangays.

Among Ed has empowered everybody during his term as Pampanga Governor. He has convened the Provicncial Development Council which decides what infrastructure projects should be undertaken using the 20% development fund of the province. THIS WAS NEVER DONE BY ANY OF THE PREVIOUS GOVERNORS OF PAMPANGA!

In addition to the convening of the PDC, the governor has also convened 22 other provincial councils. This is more than enough proof that the governor believes and trusts the local leaders of the province including those from the private sector.

What about concrete proofs of the governor's fight against graft and corruption?

The governor constructed one covered court each at Duquit Elementary School in Mabalacat, Sta. Cruz and Pulung Santol both in Porac each costing about 1.54 million pesos. A congressman in Pampanga has been building covered courts all over with each costing from 4.5 to 5 million pesos each! PER HIS OWN STATEMENT IN A LOCAL TV PROGRAM, EACH COVERED COURT HE BUILDS NOW COSTS 5.5 MILLION PESOS AS HE HAS ADDED COMFORT ROOMS TO THE STRUCTURES. This clearly shows that the gov does not receives any SOIPs from contractors which usually leads to bloated contract costs.

The disparity is so obvious and yet we do not hear any complaints from other people. Not even a whimper from all of the noisy personalities in Pampanga like Fr. Resty Lumanlan of KCI (may tao ba talaga kayo o kayo-kayo lang talaga?), Mrs. Lolita Hizon , Mr. Rene Romero ( may tao ka ba pwera sa mga empleyado mo?), Rosve Henson of KAMBILAN (bakit kay among ed ka lang nag-recall kahit sinasabi mong may corruption sa quarry noon pa at kumita ka ba sa RECALL petition?), and the talkative mayors like Jerry Pelayo of Candaba and Mayor Guerrero of Floridablanca.

The governor also constructed a 200 lm road in Sto. Nino, San Luis town at a cost of 472,000 pesos. When the road was measured after the project completion, it actually exceeded 200lm. Then another politician was going to do another road project in the same town, The local politician advised the local leaders in the barangay that they should not compare and expect the same from the new project as its "administration" is different. They were practically told that they could not expect the same quality and or output on a peso per peso basis.

Obviously based from the above few examples of Among Ed's governance, HE IS READY TO GO NATIONAL!

The bigger question is; ARE FILIPINOS, ESPECIALLY POLITICIANS AND GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES READY FOR AMONG ED?

LUID KA!