Elected officials should go to the villages – Bobom

By Mortz C. Ortigoza URDANETA CITY – The mayor of this richest city in Region- 1 in fiscal appropriation said mayors and members of legislative of bodies should go to the villages so that they can feel the real pulse of their constituents. Mayor Amadeo Gregorio “Bobom” E. Perez IV said being a son of a former mayor does not mean he could be complacent in his leadership. “The bottom-line for government officials is performance and not lineage,” he quipped. He said he is hands- on in his style of governance by seeing to it he saw the problems personally either in the city proper or in the villages. Perez, who is the son of the long-time mayor here Amadito who is now an “ambassador” to Taiwan, helps steer this city with his father what she is today. He brought this city as the “richest” city and by winning the “Cleanest & Greenest City” all in Region-1. His administration earned raves and waves lately when he said that this city runs Urdaneta City University earned a yearly net windfall of P170 million revenues that all go to the city coffer. This amount buttressed the reputation of this city to be the number one city in Region -1 in terms of the approved fiscal appropriation of P641 million – an amount lower by P30 million if compared to the preceding year budget of P671 million due to the reduction of this city’s share in the internal revenue allotment for the League of Cities of the Philippines. The city of Laoag has an appropriation of P600 million in 2011 according to the Ilocos Sentinel, while the city of Dagupan has a proposed but uncertain budget of P581 million due to her “warring” executive and legislative bodies. When the young Perez won his mayoral post in 2010, he immediately asked the Sangguniang Panglungsod to implement an ordinance that many people in and outside of city thought was “unpopular” for a leader who will seek reelection in 2013. Perez said the Ordinance was the no-nonsense “Anti-Littering Law” that apprehend and fine by P500 as first offense anybody who are caught throwing rubbish like cigarette butt, candy wrapper, to name a few in public places here. Those who were fined by city enforcers without qualms were army and police officials and media men who are not from here. “Even you go to the far-flung villages in Urdaneta, you can not see any decals posted on the walls of public schools, and even private houses. Any one can be fined committing the illegal posting,” a resident who asked anonymity said. Because of this endeavor of Mayor Perez this city won the “Cleanest & Greenest Award” in the region. “Because of this effort, everybody supported the Anti-Littering Law. Everybody was proud of Urdaneta,” a resident said. Likewise, the mayor, according to the same source, won the hearts and minds of his constituents for his being low profile and down -to-earth. “He is seen reporting to office before 8 am and leaves it even beyond 5pm. After that he is seen doing ocular inspection at some nook and cranny of the public market, helping traffic enforcers in a busy city street, or doing some marketing for his family” When asked about doing for an errand for his family, Perez said he did not find it awkward to buy food for his family as he wanted to see what he buys are all fresh like fish. Meanwhile, Mayor Perez said that if his schedules permit him, he plans to join the members of the League of Cities of the Philippines for their trip in Hawaii on February 27 to attend the sisterhood agreement between Hawaii City and the 138 strong members of the LCP.