PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Senator Ping Lacson visited the vote-rich province of Pampanga on Friday afternoon, October 29, 2021.
Lacson held a dialogue with officials and residents of Mexico town in Barangay San Antonio, together with runningmate Senate President Tito Sotto in a hybrid forum organized by the Partido Reporma and allied political parties. It was tagged as a hybrid meeting as Lacson was physically present in the venue while Sotto joined the forum virtually.
The forum was likewise simultaneously streamed in different venues in the province, including in the City of San Fernando and Barangays San Juan in San Simon, Mandasig in Candaba, and Apalit in Floridablanca.
Lacson said the forum aims to become a venue for residents to air their most pressing concerns that can be addressed by the government.
“More than making speeches, gusto namin makinig sa kanila, kung ano ang mga kailangan at mga concerns nila. Ang gusto namin ay engagement at hindi iyong sila lang ang nakikinig sa amin,” he said.
Lacson also bannered the Senate bill he authored that aims to provide development to countryside communities by downloading programs to local governments.
Dubbed as Brave or Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment, the bill seeks to empower local government units throughout the country down to the barangay level by allocating development funds that cannot be impounded by the national government.
“Sa ngayon nakasala lahat sa national government. Gusto natin ibaba natin para mapakinabangan ng lahat. Ibaba ang resources at hindi lang ang responsibilities dahil iyon ang mas kailangan para magawa ang mga proyekto,” he said.
Lacson cited Mexico town’s establishment of a community hospital and dialysis center, which construction and operation are funded by the local government.
“Dine-devolve ang function pero iyong pondo naiiwan sa national government. Ang laki ng pondo ng Department of Health pero ayaw nila ibaba, tapos sa nami-misuse kaya ang hirap pagdating sa local government,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lacson said Pampanga is already the second stop of the hybrid forum after Rizal province.
He said they are also scheduled to visit other provinces in the coming days to also check on and listen to their concerns.
