“Team Matin” -2

This is the second part to the same title that appeared in OBSERVER, Wednesday, Sept. 5 issue of LSDE. This OBSERVER happened to witness Team Matin (Medical and Health Assistance Thru Intensified BaraNgayan) or MATIN, this big gathering of municipal officials led by Mayor Remedios L. Petilla, and Palo LGU heads of offices who joined the barangayan to bring public service right at the doorsteps of their constituents. The beneficiaries were residents of Pawing and other barangays of Palo.

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Mayor Matin Petilla delivered the last talk after other members of the team delivered theirs; councilors, brgy. captains and other personalities present. It was very heart-warming and doubly inspiring to hear the mayor narrate what she has done for only 2 years at the helm as the town’s executive and what to expect more in the future.

Some observers however, especially Tacloban broadcasters of Romualdez-owned outlets would appear like having closed minds and with hateful hearts whose only joy and satisfaction is to criticize albeit baseless charges against the lady mayor. The reasons why they do it of course are obvious.

These are some new mouthpieces together with one or two veteran broadcast commentators or two elder ones like me of the Romualdez political clan who co-ruled this country for a long time. They were driven out of the country via that historical episode, the 1986 People Power Revolution. Like everyone knows we are referring to Ferdinand Marcos-Imelda Romualdez conjugal dictatorship that allegedly plundered this nation. Their ill-gotten wealth, a part of which have been recovered, are still under litigation even after 26 years.

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Mayor Matin simply assured her audience of more improvements and projects for their welfare coming, to add many more to the finished and on-going projects she had implemented in Palo, again in just 2 years, all for Paloanons benefit.

This coming week she will already begin the dredging of creeks, some canals near flood-prone barangays. (Haaay! V and G,Tacloban)

She continues to encourage and assist farmers in planting vegetables and fruits like cabbage, lettuce, yes, broccoli, cauliflowers, pomelo, rambutan and many others. The Saturday Palo Market Day has become venue to sell some of these farm products produced right in Palo.

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Bangon River is now being improved to mitigate or totally stop flooding in adjacent areas. This problem that has threatened residents living along these river banks have been with Palo for a looong, looong time already and it is only under Mayor Matin’s watch that this is being addressed.

Worthy of note Mayor Matin did not apply a loan for this.

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The municipal building under construction could prove to be one of several landmark achievements of Mayor Matin. It is a new structure and when completed it will feature modern fixtures inside and outside in this new state of the art municipal building, Paloanons could be proud of.

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This project had been blocked, opposed and criticized by the local opposition and thru the Romualdez mouthpieces for flimsy reasoning. They could not stop Mayor Matin for she knew better. The old dilapidated building was already unsafe to stay in.

The source of funds for this new municipal building come from the savings of Palo and was also provided financial assistance from Leyte province through Governor “Icot” Petilla to include that funds-assistance from the national government.

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In spite of the millions of pesos that will be spent in the building, Mayor Matin Petilla did not seek a loan to construct this municipal building.

By: Alvin Gz. Arpon

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