Governor Lilia “Nanay Baby” G. Pineda will lead starting today the two-day seminar on various thrusts and directions of the provincial government in three separate venues at Clark Freeport which will be participated in by at least 5,000 reelected and newly-elected barangay officials.
The seminar is aimed at empowering the barangay officials in the effective and efficient delivery of basic services, good governance and get actively involved in the programs being pursued by the provincial government.
Each of the 500 plus barangays in Pampanga shall have 10 participants, from the barangay captain, secretary, treasurer, and kagawads, thus, the expected total of 5000 plus participants. With such a big group of participants, there will be three separate venues where officials and resource persons shall alternately visit on schedule.
“Dapat lahat ng mga halal na opisyal mula sa probinsya hanggang sa barangay ay pamilyar sa mga gawain at makatulong nang husto sa ikatatagumpay ng ating mga programa para sa mga mamamayan.”
According to Joel Mapiles of the Provincial Information Office (PIO), the seminar shall focus on such issues as solid waste management, the putting up of materials recovery facility (MRF) in every town, peace and order, update on laws governing barangay administration and the activation of councils as barangay counterparts of those in the municipal and provincial levels.
Another important objective of the seminar, according to Mapiles, is the presentation of the final draft of the Pampanga Development Plan (PDP) to barangay officials “to familiarize them and enlist their active involvement in the implementation of the plan”.
The governor, along with 2nd district Rep. Gloria M. Arroyo, is in full support of the plan which saw the former president taking on a principal role in the drafting of said plan. Regional Director Remigio Mercado of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chairs the technical working group (TWG) in charge of the drafting of the plan with both Pineda and Arroyo closely involved in the process.
“Malaking tulong ang galing at malawak na karanasan ng ating dating Pangulo sa pagbubuo ng plano at tiyak na angkop ito sa pangangailangan at katangiang taglay ng ating lalawigan,” the governor acknowledged.
The Provincial Mayors League (PML) led by its president Mayor Jerry Pelayo of Candaba are likewise expected to attend and lend their support to the finalizing of the PDP which is considered the roadmap to sustainable progress for Pampanga and all other projects pursued by the provincial government.
Expected to act as resource persons in the seminar, aside from the aforementioned officials are those from the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP) and other offices concerned with the issues to be tackled in the seminar.
“Inaasahan nating ang seminar ay makatutulong ng malaki sa ating mga taga-barangay upang maunawaan ang ginagawa at dapat gawin para sa lalong ikauunlad ng ating lalawigan,” the governor ended. (Pampanga PIO)