PLB-President and ex-officio provincial board member Ireneo ‘Boyong’ Boongaling by John A. Bello LUCENA CITY – The presi...
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| PLB-President and ex-officio provincial board member Ireneo ‘Boyong’ Boongaling |
by John A. Bello
LUCENA CITY – The president of the 1,242-strong Panglalawigang Liga ng mga Barangay in Quezon province has exhorted barangay leaders to unite and stay non-partisan to effect reforms and sustain development for the barangay in the whole province.
“We can be non-partisan and not become ‘tuta’ of any politician at kung may reklamo ang mga barangay captains ako ang bahala sa ABC president,” Liga ng mga Barangay-Quezon chapter president Ireneo ‘Boyong’ Boongaling said referring to the president of the Association of Barangay Captains in all municipalities of Quezon during a media briefing with local media practitioners held at their office building on Monday here.
Tuta literally means puppies or little dogs but are used to describe any person who is beholden to a superior and depends on the latter for support.
Boongaling said he hopes to align his barangay leaders towards unity of purpose and avoid factionalism to be able to work for the development of the barangays.
“Sana wala nang factionalism, magkaisa na kami, walang personalan para lahat ay kumikilos para sa pag-unlad ng barangay,” said the 40 yrs. old 2-term barangay chairman of Bgy. Masalukot 1 in Candelaria.
Boongaling, ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panglalawigan representing the barangays of the province, seeks to know personally each barangay chairman of the province and plans to go down the barangays starting next year and on into the following year to deliver various agricultural, medical and educational supplies to address the basic needs of his barangay constituents.
Boongaling said he has been going around in several barangays and recently inspected the 3 most depressed ones in Panukulan town where he saw the deplorable condition of their barangay halls. He said he has allocated P1 million each for the barangays to rebuild their barangay hall buildings.
Assumption to office
Boongaling, nephew of Candelaria mayor Macario Boongaling, has assumed office after defeating former San Antonio mayor Ariel Wagan - now a barangay chairman of the town - in the election for all the 40 ABC presidents of the province garnering a vote of 21 against 19 for Wagan.
“Pagkapanalo ko ay agad kinausap ko si Wagan para wala nang factionalism sa aming mga barangay leaders at makagalaw na agad kami para sa pagsulong ng mga barangay sa ating lalawigan,” said Boongaling who first made his political foray when he made an unsuccessful run for vice mayor in Matnog, Sorsogon in 2010.
He was sworn to office by Fiscal Biscocho, not by Quezon Gov. David ‘Jayjay’ Suarez who, he said, he has not yet met and discussed anything about barangay matters.
“Walang turn-over na nangyari from Esguerra nang mag-assume ako at ang tanging natanggap ko ay P1,000,084 at may utang pa kami na P700,065 sa regional office,” he disclosed at the media briefing referring to former ABC provincial federation president Jose Erwin Esguerra from whom he succeeded.
Asked about persistent speculations that he is planning on a vice gubernatorial run in the May 13, 2019 elections, Boongaling declared categorically in the negative, saying that he has not decided to run for such higher position as he is more concerned in strengthening the unity of the barangays and make them effective in delivering services and development programs for their constituents.
“Hindi ako lalaban for vice governor, may mga nag-ooffer sa akin pero tinanggihan ko,” the neophyte member of the Sangguniang Panglalawigan told the media to put a stop to further speculations on his supposed higher political aspiration in the province.
He informed the media that their group plans to hold a year-end congress for all Sangguniang Barangay members, Sang. Kabataan chairpersons, treasurers and secretaries to be held from Nov. 14 to 16 in Davao city.
Boongaling said he has invited Davao city mayor Sarah Duterte and Special Assistant to the President Christopher ‘Bong’ Go and already coordinated with them to the 3-day event which would be an occasion to map out their plans and programs of development for the barangays in the entire Quezon province.
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| Bokal Boongaling in his first press briefing with local media practitioners. |
