Embracing Change, Leading the Way
Catapulted to the mayoralty on a campaign promise of “BAGONG MARAGONDON”, Mayor Rey A. Rillo proves that he has the ability and capacity to lead the entire municipality towards progress.
Barely 100 days in office, he has set his own style in public administration. Governance that is based on principled leadership and higher ethical standards.
Driven with so much desire to serve his constituents, he comes to office regularly to take first hand and personal account of the day to day activities of the LGU.
Where are we heading to?
Change is not as fast as a click of a mouse. It is a process. One must identify the underlying factors hampering the “desired change” we want to see.
Gladly, Mayor Rey is doing such an intelligent approach. He is addressing the present problems besetting our municipality one at a time.
Low income. The Municipality of Maragondon is very much dependent to the Internal Revenue Allotment(IRA). But, we should not stop on this. In response, Mayor Rey directed the concerned department to intensify its Revenue Generation Program. Business establishments and real properties should be tax accordingly. The Municipal Mayor even take full legal steps to mandate the different telecommunications company with established cell sites in Maragondon to pay the right business tax due to them. In fact, Globe Telecom paid a total of P1, 107,882.70 as a result of Mayor Rillo’s firm stand in increasing tax collection in the municipality.
Unemployment. We cannot totally eradicate unemployment but we can lessen it. The LGU is continuously supporting the Local Recruitment Activities that our Public Employment Service Office is initializing. In fact, we have conducted several LRA from which 364 applicants were hired.
In a wider perspective, Mayor Rey A. Rillo is closely coordinating with Provincial Director Noly D. Guevara of Department of Trade and Industry. This has something to do with the “shared service facilities” granted to the Municipality amounting to 3.5 Million Pesos in forms of machinery and equipment for our re-engineered bamboo products. We can create more job opportunities as we start the full operation at Layong Mabilog Livelihood and Training Center.
Rehabilitation and Improvement of Barangay Roads and Farm to Market Roads. The new administration is fully cognizant that we are bereft of solid infrastructure. There is an ongoing clamor from our constituents in upland barangays concerning their roads. We are financially constrained to launch big projects in concreting our roads. Meanwhile, the LGU has provided 31 dump trucks of filling materials(panambak) to the different barangays.
Mayor Rey is consistently soliciting aid from the Department of Agriculture. Much to our delight, we have received an official correspondence from OIC-Regional Executive Director Vilma Dimaculangan of DA RFU IV-A forwarding our request to Secretary Alcala the amount of 20 Million Pesos for the improvement of Farm to Market Roads at Pantihan 2 and Pantihan 3.
There is also a scheduled bidding on October 14, 2013 for the rehabilitation and improvement of barangay roads at Mabato and Layong Mabilog amounting to P800,000 and P600,000 respectively. We are proud to say that the budget allocation for the projects came from our local funds.
The Municipality of Maragondon is also very active in the implementation of health services. In fact, we had PAMET Free Laboratory for 62 pregnant women on August 08, 2013. Eleven patients went a direct rectal examination for free on August 16, 2013. Dental mission was held at Sta. Mercedes wherein 172 Day Care Children were examined, given toothbrush, toothpaste and soap. Seventyone (71) patients availed our ambulance service.
Mayor Rey A. Rillo believes that education is the only antidote to poverty. He is giving his full support to the education sector. He has donated 150 pieces of school chairs to PUP-Maragondon Campus on October 2, 2013. He has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NCST-IIRT for Study Now Pay Later Program on September 5, 2013. This will benefit our Out-of-School Youth who cannot afford to go to school.
There is an ongoing negotiation with MERALCO regarding the extension of its facilities in Barangay San Miguel A and Pinagsanhan B.
The Land Bank will install an Automated Teller Machine(ATM) in our municipality upon proper arrangement. This will benefit our teachers, GSIS pensioners and cardholders.
There is so much more to say. We’ve taste Mayor Rey’s leadership for the first 100 days. A man true to his words. With the proper use of municipal funds, we can carry our flagship programs and projects.
What do we have now? A Local Government Unit that is sharply awake and reasonably disturbed in meeting the demands of its people. A public servant embracing change as he leads the way towards development.
