MESSAGE OF THE HONORABLE MAYOR JOAQUIN CHIPECO JR

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INAUGURAL SESSION

SP Session Hall/July 5, 2010

“Vice Mayor Severino  J.Lajara

Councilors Ruth Hernandez, Leeanne Aldabe,Edgardo Catindig,Moises Morales,Nino Lajara,Luis Vergel Baroro,Peewee Platon,Morel Manaig,Juan Lazaro,Santiago Atienza;ABC President Col.Saturnino Lajara at Sk Federation President Jayne Rizal; Mga kababayan na narito upang saksihan ang unang sesyon ng ating kagalang galang na SANGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD

Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.

Today, I am honored to address the distinguished members of this council and join them in fulfilling the mandate of the people. The people who have put their trust in our capacity to lead this city to its fullest potential and in our sincerity to safeguard their welfare at all times.

During our Oath Taking Ceremonies last week, our Administering Official, and the Honorable Justice Arturo Brion exhorted us to serve with honesty and integrity since our constituents deserve nothing less. As we take on the arduous task given to us, I feel I must first discuss the issue that is in your mind right now and inform you of the status of our investigation regarding the alleged stolen checks of the city.

As most of you know, I acted swiftly as soon as the alleged theft was reported to me on April 15. We immediately asked for the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation which resulted to a criminal case being filed in court against one of the payees of the alleged stolen checks who was caught transacting with our depository bank. The dependant has been arraigned and the trial has been scheduled.  Since then, the NBI  has called on several people to answer  questions and clarify matters regarding the case. An Administrative Committee was immediately created, whose members have performed the difficult task of examining records and log books and asking people to explain their side of the matter. Subsequently, a parallel investigation was conducted by the City Legal Office in conformity with the mandate of their office.

As you can see, we   have done   what is needed to be done    under the circumstances. To ensure a fair disposition of justice we are constantly following up the investigation of the NBI where two of our employees from the accounting Office are due to report this Wednesday. The Administrative Committee has submitted  its findings on certain city officials and employees based on their investigation  and has recommended courses of action that could be taken. I have directed the drafting of formal complaint against those who may be found responsible and accountable  for this misdeeds and directed our Legal Team handling these investigations to recommend the appropriate venue, either the Civil Service  Commission or the Office of the  Ombudsman,  where this complaints shall be lodged , in order to erase any misconception of partiality, one way or the other, if the Administrative Case where pursued at our level within the city Government. The committee is continuing its investigation as it tries to dig deeper into the case. Meanwhile, we have taken the necessary steps to ensure that the misdeed is not repeated. We have relieved the check custodian and the Office of the treasurer has been directed to tighten security on cash and accountable forms. We have regulated ingress and egress to the city hall building, especially after office hours on weekdays and on weekends. We have also prohibited the taking out of documents and equipments without proper authority.

I am fully aware that my mandate is to safeguard the city resources and that includes the people’s money. Hand in hand with this is my duty to give justice to everyone   irrespective of political affiliations. I have been asked why no head has rolled and no one has been suspended. I feel strongly that it is necessary to see that the justice system is carried out to the fullest, lest I be accused of partiality which would   pose dangerously destabilizing precedent in the future.

I assure you however, that no stone will be left unturned, every question will be answered and whoever is liable will be made to pay for the crime. The people have been betrayed and since no one is above the law, I promise you that justice will be served.

With that point clear, let us now deal with the work at hand and continue to move forward.

For those who have been re –elected to your office, you know the huge gains we have made to make this city one of the most important and most progressive in the whole country today. For those who have served before and are joining the government again  and for our councilor who is joining our council for the first time, I am happy to say  that you are entering the service  at a remarkable moment in the history  of city.

Acknowledged for being the first city in the whole of CALABARZON to post a gross income of P1 billion pesos in 2006  we now stand on the threshold of new opportunities  having been designated as REGIONAL CENTER last year. For the commendable efforts of the different departments comprising the city government, we have been cited for the outstanding performance in the fields of education, nutrition and environment protection. We are pursuing our goal of providing free and quality education with the completion of a new 3 storey building for the City College of Calamba and the establishment of a  Calamba  City Science High School. We are fulfilling our promise to rebuild our market with the impending opening of the pamilihang bayan. We are ensuring the delivery of health and social services with the construction of a new City Health Office which we hope to furnish with the necessary health equipments very soon. We have laid the groundwork for the proper management as an offshoot of the lessons learned from typhoons Ondoy and Santy.

And to complement our efforts to deliver basic services, we have intensified our investment promotion to answer the needs for employment and business opportunities. Having accomplished all these, what is in agenda for the next 3 yrs?

First of all, it is my intention to go full blast with the construction and development of the REGIONAL CENTER starting this year. We all realize that the establishment of the Center on Brgy. Mapagong  will not only improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public service  as the center becomes the home of regional government offices. More importantly, it will enhance the quality of life of our people and spin off new economic opportunities for the city. Naghihintay  na ng paglipat ang maraming ahensya ng pamahalaan  at kasabay nito ay ang pagdating ng kanilang mga kawani- kaya’t ang proyekto  ito ay hindi na maaring ipagpaliban.

Prioridad din sa aking programa ay ang pagbibigay ng mas malawak na serbisyo sa larangan ng kalusugan  sa pamamagitan ng  pagtatayo ng isang Panglungsod na Ospital. Sa tulong ng pribadong sector,  pinag aralan natin ang pagtatayo ng ospital sa Brgy. Punta  kung saan mayroon tayo ngayong Emergency Clinic para sa ating mga kababayan  sa upland barangays. Pangarap natin na magkaroon ito ng sapat na kagamitan  tulad ng X-rays, ultra sound,MRI, dialysis machines at iba pa, na ngayon ay madalas ihingi ng financial assistance sa ating pamahalaan. Naniniwala tayo  na ang pagkakaroon ng sariling ospital  ay tuugon sa mas maraming pangangailangan ng ating mga mamamayan  at panahon na upang ito ay mabigyang katuparan.

Kaugnay sa nalalapit na pagbubukas ng ating PAMILIHANG BAYAN,isinasagawa natin ngayon  ang pagsasaayos ng mga suliraning legal  kaugnay sa pagbibigay ng mga pwesto sa mga stallholders. Kasabay nito , bibigyan din natin ng pansin ang pagsasaayos ng ating SLAUGHTERHAOUSE na naaayon sa hinihingi ng batas. This is necessary to ensure that our constituents get only the freshest and safest meat  products from our market.

Bahagi na ng ating tinutugunan taon taon  ay ang suliraning dala ng bagyo  na karaniwang  dumadating sa ating lungsod . Malaking bahagi ng ating drainage system ay atin ng  naisaayos  at inaasahan na malaki ang maitutulong nito sa pagsugpo sa baha  sa maraming lugar sa poblacion. Ngunit bukod dito, nakikita natin ang pangangailangan ng isang lugar na magagamit  na  EVACUATION CENTER    na masisilungan ng mga taong kailangang lumikas sa kanilang tahanan. Saksi tayo sa hirap  na kanilang dinaranas tueing dadating ang mga kalamidad na ito, bukod pa sa  suliranin na dinudulot nito  kapag itinitigil nating ang klase ng ating mga  mag-aaral dahil madalas  ay ang mga paaralan ang  ginagamit nating evacuation sites.  Dahil dito , balak din nating magtayo ng isang EVACUATION CENTER   kung saan natin ilalagay  ang mga biktima  ng bagyo at ibang sakuna. Intensyon natin na lagyan ito ng sapat na pasilidad   gaya ng comfort rooms , gamit sa pagluluto at iba pang personal na pangangailangan. Kasabay nito , pinag iibayo natin ang kapasidad ng ating mga tangapan, lalo na ang City Disaster Coordinating Council at Social Services Office,na tumugon sa anumang uri ng kalamidad. Ang mga pagsasanay ay kasalukuyan nilang ginagawa  kasabay ng pgdiriwang ng Disaster Consciousness Month sa buwang  ito.

The need for employment and livelihood are areas which we have constantly addressed in the past. For this term, we hope to give more attention to the organization of cooperatives and teaching its members the value of thrift and deepening their appreciation of the cooperative spirit. Mahalaga na maturuan ang ating mga mamayan na tumayo sa  sarili  mga paa, ang matutong  magtulungan at sa  sariling kakayahan, ay  mapaunlad ang knilang kabuhayan.  Ang ating bagong departamento, the Cooperatives and Livelihood Development Office, ang  Magpapatupad  ng  mga p rograma ukol dito.

As you know, we have  implemented the re organization  of the different offices in the city  Government, with th end in view of streamlining the bureaucracy  and ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness  of the different departments. While we have addressed a big part of the issue, we are in the process of setting   some records straight taking into account the primary consideration of merit and fitness. We have implemented the ATM payroll system for our regular employees and improved  the accessibility  of City Hall  to the public through a new PABX telephone system  were more telephone lines are open to attend to the needs of the people of Calamba.

Corollary to this , it is our hope to finally implement the computerization program. As you know, technology is a proven catalyst in increasing efficiency and productivity in any organization. Between government and the general public, between government and business, between government and any sector of society... computerization helps create an environment which conducive to the fast and   efficient delivery of services. Considering the volume of our transactions and as we aspire to expand our operations, the computerization system will increase government  staff productivity, reduce overhead  from less paper management , improve capacity for planning management  and improve  access critical  information , that will not only  cut red tape   but will instill  a sense  of accountability among government workers. Sana po  ay  nagkakaisa tayo sa paniwalang ito  at inaasahan ko   na magtutulungan tayo  upang  ang computerization program ay tuluyan ng maisulong.

Ito ay ilan lamang sa mga programang  nais kong mabigyang katuparan sa susunod na tatlong taon . Bukod  sa pagpapatuloy  sa mga nasimulan na  nating   programa, bukas ako sa mga suhestyon mula sa inyo  at mula sa taong bayan,kung ano pa ang maari nating gawin . We all realize the  importance of harmonious relationship between the Executive and Legislative  branches of goverment . Hangad  ko sana   na  kalimutan na natin ang pagkakahiwalay na dinulot  ng eleksyon  at tugunin  natin ang hamon  ng paglilingkod na magkakasama. Hindi ko inaasahan na magkakapareho tayo  ng pananaw  sa  lahat ng pagkakataon . Ang mahalaga  ay ang malinis  na pagpapalitan ng  kuro kuro at paggalang sa  kagustuhan ng mas nakararami.

Ang ating dakilang bayani, Gat Jose Rizal ang nagsabi ... walang halaga ang isang bato kung ito ay nasa tabi  lamang nga batis... magkakaroon ito ng halaga kung magiging bahagi ng isang gusali. Huwag sana tayong  mging  kontento na nasa isang tabi lamang ng dakilang silid  na ito ... maging aktibo tayong bahagi ng anumang pag uusap.. ng anumang proyekto... ng anumang programa na mag aangat sa antas ng buhay ng bawat Calambeno. Ito ang layuning ating  sinumpaan sa harap ng Diyos  at ng bayan. Ito ang  inaasahan  ng taong bayan . Ito ang gawaing dapat nating gampanan.

Marami pong salamat at maging mabunga nawa ang susunod na tatlong taon para sa ating lahat.”