Mayor left thriving trade abroad to serve town

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANGALDAN – The reelectionist mayor here said she left a burgeoning business and a comfortable life in the United States to introduce her version of social services in this municipality her predecessors failed to give.

MEDIA FRIENDLY MAYOR. Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno (3^rd from right) poses with members of the TV, radio, and print in Pangasinan in one of the regular media forum that mayor calls every week. In the 44 towns and four cities province, it is only in this tapa producing town that media men of all stripes and rank join the mayor for interview and lunch.

“Sa akin no money because I earned more of what I am earning here. Power, hinde because ang trabaho ko sa America to let you know consultant ako dati ng 22 hospitals. I have five (inaudible) of my own business to tell you (My intention running and winning in 2013 was not money and power.  I earned more there of what I am earning here. I was a consultant of 22 hospitals in the United States. I have five (inaudible) of my own business to tell you, “she stressed when a media man badgered her if she runs for public office  either because of “plain service, sheer power, or love of money”.

What prompted her to run in 2013 election, she explained, was due to services she wants to introduce to her constituents that they did not experience.
“I have to run and win the mayoralty so I can help my constituents. I am living here for the rest of my life. I want to introduce various kinds of services that can make a difference to my people”

Some of the many major projects she introduced are new urgent care clinic, the slaughter house’s water treatment facility, the four shanties for the carabao merchants, one- stop- shop located at the ground floor of the main building of the municipal hall, the multi-purpose hall and disaster center located at the 3rd floor of the same building, and the pasalabung center erected near the municipal hall.
Parayno said that unknown to many she came here once or twice a year from the U.S for medical missions that she shouldered for the poor even before she became a mayor.
“I pondered then that in case I would head this town I promised to give the public services they had not experienced”.

One of her favourite projects that she had cut her teeth in the U.S was the urgent care clinic, located at the old infirmary building. She said it can serve as first aid clinic, and mitigate morbidity of the people in the town who suffered physical ailment and accident.
 “It takes 45 minutes inclusive of traffic to bring to Dagupan (City) a patient to a hospital there who was either struck by cardiac arrest or stroke”.
 She said if there is an urgent care clinic, the untimely death of people here could be avoided.
 She cited the case of former Mayor Herminio Romero who died in a heart attack as he was being brought to a hospital in Dagupan City. The mayor stressed the clinic would also be an income-generating project to the public coffer through its socialized payment system based on the financial capacity of the people who patronize it.
 She said the clinic is generally for free for the destitute here.
“It is like Region 1 Medical Center where its more than P1 million a day revenue from patients who are capable to pay for its quality service, much better than its private counterparts in Dagupan City, is used to subsidize the free medication of the indigents," a supporter who asked not to be named.
This town, according, to the mayor will have an annual appropriation of P225 million for next year's budget . Due to efficient tax collection and others, this town's 2016 budget will be the biggest among all the first class municipalities in Pangasinan.