Address of Nathan Sergio
Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Naga
23 February 2015
Esteemed Colleagues, Our Guests, Members of the Media, Ladies and Gentlemen, a pleasant morning to everyone: “17 Bicol LGUs get DILG “Seal of Good Governance” –that’s the title of the news report written by a certain Mar S. Arguelles in the September 10, 2015 issue of the newsweekly Bicol Mail. Same news report appeared earlier in the Inquirer.net. It also appeared in several other news outlets.
I would have discussed this as soon as the news report came out, but as they say everything has its own time and it was time for our INA, Nuestra Senora de Penafrancia. So, now, I rise to discuss this important matter.
I say important because it is known by everyone that we are virtually bragging to be the ”Center of Good Governance”,and that is so conspicuously placed at the entrance arch of the City Hall.
City Hall is the Center of Good Governance, and yet Naga City is not named as one of the 17 LGUs awarded the Seal of Good Local Governance by DILG. This is the painful truth: We are not among those LGUs with Seal of Good Local Governance.
Maray pa an mga kataid ta, mga saradit na banwaan kan Canaman asin Camaligan, ta kabali sa 17ng LGUs a na natawan honra. Gabos gabos sa Bicol,an mga natawan kaning honra, limang municipicio sa Camarines Sur; lima man sa Camarines Norte; tolo sa Sorsogon; saro sa Catanduanes; asin an mga provincias kan Sorsogon, Masbate asin Catanduanes.
Nasusupog ako kaini. Dakulang sampaling ini sa lambang opisyal kan ciudad, patin sa mga pamayo kan manlaenlaen na departamento o opisina sa City Hall, magin sa mga barangay kan Naga. Paano ta ini ipapaliwanag sa publiko? What happened to our claim that Naga City is the center of good governance?
It would now appear that the claim is nothing but a hollow brag. And like a fart, it stinks.
Time and again, I would hear a promise or pledge that we will continue and pursue the legacy left by our beloved former city mayor, the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo. But, this non-inclusion in the DILG recognition speaks something else about the state of affairs of our city, and about us. Garo pelikula, “tinimbang ka ngunit kulang”.
We can ignore this sad news– yes ipasipara—and pretend it’s not true, but this tract would even be more dangerous. We need to have a serious look at this situation, and see “saen talaga kita nagluya?” So we can appropriately address the deficiencies before the next rating period.
I have to admit that I heard and have read some reasons why our city failed to get the DILG Seal of Good Local Governance. But these, I think, are plain speculations, conjectures. What is the real reason or reasons?
And this is the very purpose why I availed this privilege to speak before this august body, to appeal attention to this fact and call for possible action.
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