Current of events

STORIES – NOT necessarily true – behind the headlines and the stories spinning out of them.

EdPam lands 8^th in World Mayor Prize

Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan was ranked 8^th among the Top 10 city mayors of the world for 2012 by the City Mayors Foundation (CMF). At Numero Uno was Mayor Inaki Azcuna of Bilbao, Spain.
Reacted Punto’s resident wit – lay-out designer Dondie Ventura: “Clearly, the CMF judges preferred chorizo de Bilbao over sizzling sisig.”

Congratulatory messages and heart-rending testimonials have come EdPam’s way in the wake of his runner-up win.

“Another feather in the cap of Kapampangans and Filipinos.” So hailed City of San Fernando Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez, himself a runner up – 4^th place in 2005 – in the World Mayor Prize.

“His passion to public service has contributed to the betterment of our city. He knows the needs of his fellow men and he has never failed to provide for all these needs.” So goes a testimonial from one Gerald M. of Angeles City.
Still, EdPam can’t rest easy, mindful of the Bard’s caveat. “uneasy rests the head that wears the crown.”

Already we hear of tabloid correspondent Robling Sanchez and Barangay Claro M. Recto chief Val Lagman planning to ask the London-based CMF to strip EdPam of the runner-up honors. As they did with the Department of the Interior and Local Governments after the agency showered the mayor with awards for good governance and excellent fiscal administration.

Quarry revenues close at P650-M

Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda, in 30 months, succeeded where all other previous administrations in their full terms failed with the Capitol’s quarry collections reaching a total of P649,782,500 at the end of 2012.

Capitol records showed that from July to December 2010 – Pineda’s first six months in office – collections amounted to P119 million; for the whole of 2011, over P238 million; and for 2012, the breakthrough of P272 million.

If the increase in the quarry collections – totalling to P616 million in three years – under Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio was hailed as a “miracle”, then how shall we call the all-surpassing collections achieved by Gov. Pineda?

So what is greater than a miracle? Divine revelation? It sounds blasphemous. So “unprecedented” will just have to do.

Guv leads in ground-breaking of new birthing station

Gov. Pineda led the ground-breaking ceremony for a P4.9-million birthing station inside the municipal hall extension located in Barangay Bahay Pare, Candaba on Tuesday.

Ah, one more reason for DILG Secretary Mar Roxas to declare Pampanga a “hot spot” not only in relation to the coming elections but moreso in insurgency – the birthing station clearly a subversion to the Reproductive Health Act.

LBC New Year robbers charged

Suspects take P750-T, leaves (sic) huge amount behind  

Charged for robbery. To be convicted for sheer stupidity.  
Villar vows to empower Pampanga farmers, Aetas

In Floridablanca last Wednesday, former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, a senatorial aspirant, vowed to help fight poverty by empowering farmers and teaching livelihood to residents of Pampanga, including Aetas.

It was feared by militant farmers groups that Villa’s empowerment of farmers  translates to providing cash for their lands to be converted to Camella subdivisions. And empowering Aetas means hiring them as yardboys and menials in those subdivisions.

Clark airport posts 1.3M passengers

The Clark International Airport posted a record of 1.3 million international and domestic passengers for 2012.

This is a 71-percent increase from the previous year, making it the fastest growing airport of the country, said Clark International Airport Corporation president and chief executive officer Victor Jose I. Luciano.

Records showed that Clark airport attracted 1,312,979 passengers from January to December in 2012 surpassing the 767,109 passengers in 2011. This is a 71.16 percent increase from the previous year. International passengers alone accounted for 1,013,096 passengers or a 77 percent of total volume in 2012 compared to 725,023 in 2011.

CIAC records did not show the 1,013,096 international passengers damning the oooh-sooo-sloooow processing at the always-undermanned Bureau of Immigration booths.

CIAC records did not show too the 1,312,979 passengers cursing the Clark airport’s stinking toilets, the cramped terminal, and the plywood “tubes” to and from the planes.