Calasiao Mayor Sneaks In to Senate to Lobby

                                     FROM BUSY SCHEDS

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO, Pangasinan – Even before attending a convention in Cebu, the mayor here sneaked in to the offices of high government officials like Senators to relay to them his project requests for their intercession in the national government.

The projects are appraised to cost P300 million.

Calasiao Mayor Kevin Roy Macanlalay speaks during the Employability Enhancement Program held recently at the 3rd Floor, Conference Room of the Municipal Hall of the town. This program was under the initiative of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and attended too by Executive Ogie Montoya of the Public Employment Service Office of the local government unit and a representative from the Provincial Office.

“Nag request tayo ng mga farm-to-market roads itong likod ng munisipyo na building, puto stalls – kung sakaling maayos ang puto stalls diyan -, farm to market (roads) sa mga barrios,” said by Mayor Kevin Roy Macanlalay.

The senators and the officials Macanlalay met at the Senate in Pasay City were Senators Ramon ‘Bong” Revilla, Alan Peter Cayetano, Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr. (popularly known as Jinggoy Estrada), Imee Marcos, Christopher Lawrence” Bong” Go, Mark Villar and Aquilino Martin” Koko” Pimentel.

He told Senator Revilla that he could not join him here for his visit because of the conclave in Cebu City.

Revilla distributed financial assistance to one thousand of Macanlalay's constituents here. He was instead accompanied by former Mayor Mark Roy Macanlalay – the older brother of the incumbent mayor.

Mayor Macanlalay told Northern Watch Newspaper that Senator Pimentel pledged to support his project.

He said even if not all of the Senators could intercede with the national government to grant his financial request that would be still laudable if some of the projects materialize in favor of the local government here.

Macanlalay visited, too, the office of Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose “Jerry” Acuzar in Diliman, Quezon City to follow up his request for 2,000 cheap prized condominiums for the people here. He met there instead Undersecretary Brian Villanueva.

He visited DHSUD for the fourth time to lobby for his pet project.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through Senator Imee Marcos extended here recently at the Municipal Agriculture Multi-Purpose Hall financial Assistance to countless hard up residents of this landlocked town.

The DSWD program is dubbed as Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).

Those who led the distribution of the financial aids were Municipal Administrator Romalyne Macanlalay, Municipal Social Welfare Development Office Head Editha Gorospe, DWSD Region-1 and the employees of the local government.