BANI, Pangasinan, Philippines – “A symbol of true bayanihan.”
Thus said President Aquino when he inaugurated 100 housing units painted yellow and blue in Barangay Dacap Sur here under the government’s Core Shelter Program, the other day.
Aquino said the project dubbed “Burubor ni Ayat (Spring of Love)” for victims of last year’s typhoon “Emong” might become a model for housing projects of other institutions.
“We often hear of people power. To me, what you showed to make this project a success relives the real meaning of people power,” he said.
It was Aquino’s first official visit to the province since the May elections. He was welcomed by Bani Mayor Marcelo Navarro Jr., Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza, sixth district board member Ranjit Shahani, former governor Victor Agbayani and former vice governor Oscar Lambino, who are all members of the President’s Liberal Party.
Palace ‘snub’?
But local officials of Pangasinan expressed disappointment on Aquino’s visit for allegedly snubbing the mayors, congressmen and Gov. Amado Espino.
League of Mayors of Pangasinan executive vice president Jonas Castañeda said he did not receive any invitation from the Presidential Management Staff.
“This is unusual and this has never happened before,” Castañeda said in a statement, adding that mayors are normally invited when the president visits the province.
Local officials who don’t want to be named said they were disgusted with the “presidential snub” since they supported Aquino’s candidacy in the last elections. Aquino won by a wide margin in Pangasinan.
Only three out of 48 mayors in Pangasinan attended Aquino’s visit.
Pangasinan reporters who covered the event wondered why Espino was not around in the presidential visit, as his rival in the gubernatorial race, Agbayani, was there.
In a statement, Espino said he did not attend the event because he, too, was not invited.
Being a former regional and provincial police director, he said he knows that a presidential visit must follow protocol. – With Eva Visperas