Gen. Luna mayor Benson Sangalang. (JOHN BELLO) by John A. Bello LUCENA CITY – Mayor Jose Stevenson Sangalang, simply called ‘Mayor Be...
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| Gen. Luna mayor Benson Sangalang. (JOHN BELLO) |
LUCENA CITY – Mayor Jose Stevenson Sangalang, simply called ‘Mayor Benson’ by his friends and constituent in his hometown of Gen. Luna, disclosed his plan to run as vice mayor to his returning mom as mayor in the May elections next year.
“I am running for vice mayor in next year’s elections, with my mom running again for mayor and there’s no need to make it a secret,” the young mayor, who is in his 3rd and last term, told several local media practitioners on Saturday, October 6, at Apple and Peach restaurant in Bgy. Red-V here.
Mayor Benson minced no words when he announced that he was running as vice mayor in next year’s elections to his mother, former mayor Eva Sangalang, who plans to return to public service after almost a decade of political hiatus.
He said it is better to tell it straight adding that the inquisitive media will get to know it anyway, sooner or later.
The mother and son tandem is facing a political challenge in the May 13, 2019 elections from Matt Erwin Florido, Gov. David Suarez’ executive assistant; and Jennifer Glifonea, a persistent and vocal critic who lost in the mayoralty race against Benson, as the incumbent mayor is simply called, in previous elections.
Garbage issue
Confronting the issue of garbage collection in his hometown, Mayor Benson said he has closed the dumpsite in Bgy. San Vicente and he has already prohibited the delivery of garbage to the dumpsite for a month as it has no mayor’s permit.
“I have allocated about P1.2 Million to fund a MRF for every barangay of our municipality,” he said adding that they have contracted a P50 million loan for the solution of their garbage which gets dumped in the neighboring town of Macalelon.
He said he has to step in as their town population is rising and their garbage problem is worsening.
Good thing he said that he has obtained a grant from the national government of P2.3 million for their garbage problem and that he is sure that their P50 million loan will be approved by the bank.
The mayor said that the town’s Internal Revenue Allotment when he first assumed office in 2010 was about P36 million but now it has reached P91 million.
He claimed that he has obtained a billion pesos worth of projects last year from several national government agencies in Manila.
“Naglakad talaga ako sa Maynila para lang masungkit ang mga proyekto na kailangan ng Gen. Luna. Kung hindi ako lalakad, hindi makasasapat ang aming pondo para sa aming mga programang pangkaunlaran,” he said.
On the issue of education, the mayor said that his mom Eva has put up the Polytechnic University of the Phil. campus in their hometown as their high school graduates could not get college education if they don’t go to Lucena city for their schooling.
He said that the municipal government is now funding the salaries of teachers and other needs of the PUP and several housewives who have not finished high school education have already graduated from Alternative Learning System offered by the Dept. of Education.
He took pride in the inclusion of the PUP budget in the General Annual Allocation of the national government and the ongoing 15.4 kms. road project from Gen. Luna to Lopez which is funded by Phil. Rural Development Program with local counterpart funds.
Mayor Benson brushed aside the negative issues thrown against him like the 2 yrs. old alleged P4 million car loan with Tiaong mayor Preza which he served as a mere ‘guarantor’ for his friend.
“Di ako ang tumanggap ng pera at kailanman ay wala akong kaso sa pera,” he stressed.
Life in America
Mayor Benson said he was 31 yrs old in 2010 when he became the townmayor of Gen. Luna. Before that, he said, he was a greencard holder enjoying his free-wheeling life in America when local politics beckoned him to come home and totally changed his life and his perspectives.
He said he was forced to surrender his US ‘greencard’ in 2010 when he started being mayor.
“I have not enjoyed the years between my 30 years old self to my 40 years old self when I got into politics and public service in my hometown of Gen. Luna,” Sangalang said.
“Politics is full of ka-plastikan, ayaw ko ng propesyon na to,” was his belief then, he said, when he was in America enjoying his young life when it was cut abruptly by a political summon from his family.
Asked to react about his critics, the mayor simply said ‘God bless’ to them; and to his constituents, “Thanks for the 9 years trust under my watch.”
