It’s Not the Worst Administration- Mayor Tabanda
Vol. XVIII No. 7 (Nov. 22-28, 2014)
I don’t know, they should tell me said Mayor Tabanda.
This allegation comes amid as Mayor Tabanda is strictly implementing laws and policies that benefit all and the general public and definitely not for the few and their own personal interests.
“We have the highest crime rate of physical injuries because of alcohol and alcoholism,” said Mayor Tabanda. For now, the liquor ordinance question was settled and together, we never stop dialogues with bar and karaoke owners where we arrive with consensus. We are not banning alcohol but we are just regulating it because of its negative consequences that include a killing along Km.6 a few months ago.
Good governance is what Mayor Tabanda is talking with aspects of transparency and people’s participation. She brings the municipals officials to the barangays for a clear-cut of what officials ought to be since people do not attend to them as their officials. “They have to know what we in the government are doing first hand. They have to know the procedures that is why we have the citizen’s charter for the suspicious citizens’ themselves not to be ignorant of the happenings by it’s role in disseminating information such as why they have to pay their taxes since taxes being aid are the lifeblood of the municipality of La Trinidad.
The administration of Mayor Tabanda does not bring out press releases of their accomplishments but they are doing everything for the people of the municipality’s sake. They explain to people and let them understand of what taxes and business permits are in particular.
“Many business people in the municipality don’t’ have permits because they claim to us that it’s their land where their businesses are being operated on and that they need not pay their taxes. But we explain to them the policies of the Bureau of Internal Revenue thereby causing awareness and willingness on their part as citizens,” said Mayor Tabanda.
Mayor Tabanda is doing everything on her capacities as stalled public servant that needs no physical and non-physical evidence but to refute such misquoted allegation, the Mayor herself is an active advocate of violence against women and children. She does capability building with her colleagues by inviting mutlti-sectoral groups. They have feeding programs to alleviate malnutrition among children. They also have livelihood and education programs. Funds have been allocated to different services and they inform these programs to people through consultations.
“The traffic situation in the municipality is becoming worse that is why we have created traffic schemes and task force to observe the traffic condition. Before the year ends, we would have put up barriers, pedestrian crossings with DPWH and have learned the encroached road right of way,” said Mayor Tabanda.
Budget for services is standardized is being complained upon but Mayor Tabanda cannot do anything to do it since she is guided by policies and national laws and she is just imposing them. “Based on experiences from seminars and my going out of the country, we have established sister hood with other countires in consonance to the ASEAN integration on education, economy, and tourism. We came up with some plans, systems, and disciplines for our employees’ capability and capacity building. We have peoples’ participation on business, economy, youth, and elderly. We have indigenous activities on culture, history, and arts,” said Mayor Tabanda.
Mayor Tabanda’s administration has been undergoing lots of changes in the system that caused the people to be unaccustomed of those changes every now and then. “People complain why they cannot do this and that that they have previously been doing. But we cannot do that already since I have inherited so many problems and that I have to put everything in its proper place. I have to deal with solid waste management, pollution, clean water and air act; I really want the best for La Trinidad. We have a zoning just like a house among others.
People say that Mayor Tabanda is rigid and strict but she is just asking peoples’ cooperation so as to maintain peace and quiet in the municipality. We cannot allow anarchy to certain groups to role out their own interests and laws. “Computer shops are allowing children to immerse themselves in their shops just to earn more. 51% percent of household in the municipality is critical of abuses. Security personnel and tanods are not obeyed anymore. Educated people sell alcohol at anytime just to have profit. Conscience is not bound anymore,” said Mayor Tabanda.
Mayor Tabanda is disgusted and disappointed to married women who are in bars way beyond time. She has seen how values have deteriorated. “As a mother and grandmother of La Trinidad, I go for family protection since if we do not have this would we be. My heart is for the family,” said Mayor Tabanda. We cannot please everybody. Detractors are always around but this is my place. My conscience is clear. What I’m doing is for the general’s guidance. I’m not scared. My door is always opened for explanations and this is what should be the case. They don’t come to tell me why it’s the worst administration since those people who say this maliciously are the ones whose personal interests are being stepped upon by my administration. If they are courageous enough they should come and talk to me, she added.
Just like in the renewal of business permits and payment of taxes, Mayor Tabanda is strict. “We will not renew permits that are lacking in requirements. Those who are not paying their taxes should likewise pay since they are being attended to by our officers, police people, garbage collections, and water, among others so as not to be unfair on the part of those people who are earnestly paying their taxes of of sorts,” said Mayor Tabanda.
Mayor Tabanda is just maintaining and promoting what is good for the general public. She said is is just doing what has been mandated to her under oath and within the bounds of law. She just wanted to implement effectively policies since it is officials who should always be present to provide peoples’ needs. “Ever since I entered into politics and the government, I did not enrich myself as a public servant. We live simple lives within our means and this has always been the case. It’s up to God to look after those people who criticize me. But given that they are clean, they can criticize but if they are not, they don’t have the right to criticize, they should criticize themselves first. For those who did not vote for me, they should accept me and that they could always change as election comes. But since I’m here, they have to follow and cooperate policies instead of them just talking. We should come together to address our problems that are besetting our municipality. It’s not personal, it’s just work,” claimed Mayor Tabanda.
In the exercise of Mayor Tabanda’s judgments, she weighs and does not give false hope if it cannot be done. But if it can be remedied without losing her integrity, she helps and she has been consistent in being generous. She does not need to tell it since she has friends who could attest to her ingenuity. “It will be abnormal if nobody would hate me as I do my job rightfully as I could. Even my relatives are no excused. I do not give favors. I should be in fair in just ground just as my detractors’ should be likewise. My husband can support me anyway, if my salary cannot suffice my needs, said Mayor Tabanda./By: Ezequiel D. Banas-e
