Nineteen Fernandinas recently underwent a Barangay Nutrition Scholars’ (BNS) Training at the Heroes Hall in the City of San Fernando.

The women were volunteers, day care workers, a barangay captain and several school principals from different barangays in the city.

The training, conducted by the City Health Office, provided the BNS with basic skills to deliver and monitor nutrition-related services in their respective barangays, in support of the nutrition program of the city government.

The activity was part of the 34th Nutrition Month celebration with the theme “Sa Wastong Nutrisyon ni Mommy, Siguradong Healthy si Baby.

Persons with disability (PWD) in the city gathered for social upliftment last July 17 in the City Hall. Spearheaded by the City Social Welfare and Development office, the affair was in celebration of the 30th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week.

This year’s theme is “Kapag May Access, May Success.”

Participants were from the San Fernando Elementary School Special Education class, Shepherds Care Work Center, Camp Olivas Work Center and the Blind Masseurs from Robinson’s Pampanga.

Announced during the gathering was the Ceremonial ID Extension for PWDs, as provided for under RA 9442 that amended RA 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons and Other Purposes.

With this ID, PWDs are entitled to 20 percent discount in all hotel and leisure establishments, medical, transport and other similar services that PWDs need.

It is expected that through RA 9442, PWDs will be given the chance to be fully integrated into the mainstream of society.

Some 200 students from Pampanga High School and the University of the Assumption High School Department trekked early morning of July 12 to plant 1500 tree seedlings along the San Fernando portion of the Megadike.

Leading the young group was Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, together with City Administrator Ferdinand Caylao and City Legal Officer Atty. Ramsey Ocampo.

With this activity, the City Government of San Fernando, through its Environment and Natural Resources Office, emphasized the need to plant trees to save the environment.

A clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a high priority advocacy of the Rodriguez Administration that needs the support of all Fernandinos.

“Blood donation is a manifestation of man’s willingness to sacrifice for others. It is an act of true public service that is geared towards the promotion of love for our brothers in the community.”

An act of Heroism – to extend one’s life. That is the atmosphere during the Voluntary Blood Donation campaign last May 20 at the Tiburcio Hilario conference room.

The campaign was organized by the City Health Office headed by Dr. Eloisa S. Aquino and the Philippine National Red Cross Pampanga-Angeles City (PNRC-A) chapter led by Augusto B. Ocampo, Chapter Administrator.

As the first of the series of blood-letting, the half-day activity was conducted by the medical technologists and staff from the City Health Office and Philippine National Red Cross Pampanga-Angeles chapter and was coordinated and supervised by Dr. Renely P. Tungol, City Voluntary Blood Donation Coordinator.

Twenty Five (25) prospective donors from the Philippine National Police underwent screening procedures involving an interview, physical examination complete with blood typing and hemotocrit determination and lastly screening for any blood-borne diseases such as HIV, malaria, Hepatitis and Syphilis.

The 11 blood bags that were collected were deposited at the Philippine National Red Cross Pampanga-Angeles Blood Bank Center.

As a policy, the blood donor cards are kept by the City Health Office to be given by the city to those in dire need of blood such as those experiencing acute massive blood loss secondary to surgery or accident, anemia secondary to malnutrition and blood transfusion secondary to hemodialysis.

The blood letting campaign is truly an act of volunteerism and selflessness as shown by all the blood donors who did not expect anything in return.(Story by Billy R. Danan & Photos by Ron Rowell M. Dabu)

The City Government of San Fernando through the City Tourism Office will hold a simple program in commemoration of the 66th anniversary of the heroic death of Filipino hero and San Fernando’s great son Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos on May 7, 2007 at the Macario Arnedo Park, Pampanga Capitol grounds.

This year’s theme for this event is “Bayaning Pilipino, Dangal ng Fernandino”

To lead the rites at the hero’s monument is City Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez, Vice-Mayor Edwin Santiago and the City Council.

Governor Ed Panlilio will give an inspirational talk before the attendees that include other city officials and relatives of Jose Abad Santos led by his grandson Rafael Abad Santos Galvez.

The Chief Justice was the acting Philippine president of the Commonwealth in World War II and was executed for his refusal to collaborate with the Japanese invaders on May 2, 1942 in Lanao.

The yearly commemoration of the important dates in the lives of Filipino heroes, especially those whose roots are Kapampangan, forms a vital component of the City Government’s heritage preservation program under the leadership of Mayor Rodriguez. (Story and Photo by Billy R. Danan)

The prevailing distrust many of our people have of politics and politicians leads them to suspect that nothing is in the heart of City Mayors, City Councils, City Administrators and other City Hall officials other than the desire to amass a fortune through corrupt practices.

Nothing can be farther from the truth in the case of many cities right here in the Philippines. Among these cities, where there is a serious commitment to good governance and responsible citizenship is the City of San Fernando in Pampanga.

Let us highlight what the City of San Fernando is doing, focusing---in a balanced manner---on four key facets of city administration that it considered after articulating clearly its Vision.

"Infrastructure" is the first facet to which the city is giving great importance. Here it stresses the imperative of "building the necessary facilities and infrastructure" required for becoming a "gateway" meeting global standards. In addition, since the city aims at becoming an attractive "tourist junction," it has also committed to put up the appropriate infrastructure that would help it "preserve and conserve the environment and its natural resources."

Since infrastructure requires considerable resources, the city has naturally been led into the second facet, "finance." Until now, the City of San Fernando is heavily dependent on the IRA: It has committed to bring such dependency significantly down. This commitment, however, brings along with it the determination to show proof of the political will of its city officials, starting with the city mayor and the city council, to tap new sources of revenue for the city. This is where the rubber hits the road: The extent to which they make this determination effective and operative, with actual new revenue streams flowing into the city coffers, will determine the city’s capacity to put up the required infrastructure.

To be able to tap new sources of revenue streams for the city, the city officials cannot take their eyes off "organization." This is the third facet. It calls on them to improve significantly the quality of basic services they provide to all their constituents. To be able to do this, they have to improve their internal processes and bring the efficiency and effectiveness of these processes as close to global standards as possible. Then, there is the no less serious matter of enhancing partnership between the governors and the governed, i.e. between the "city government and all sectors" in the private sector. In this regard, a positive and active outreach program needs to be carefully crafted and efficiently executed, on a sustained basis, to win the "buy-in" of all key sectors in the city.

In carrying out such an outreach program, City Hall and its partners from all key sectors in the city should be united by the highest ideal of any public governance exercise. This ideal is service to everyone in the public constituency, i.e. all the city’s citizens, particularly the underprivileged in the marginalized segments of the community. Thus, under the fourth facet, "constituency," the focus is on job creation, improvement of the socio-economic condition, and the development, in every citizen of the city, of a deep sense of civic pride, and commitment to discharge all civic duties for the benefit of all San Fernandinos.

The inter-connections, between all four facets that the City of San Fernando (P) has given serious consideration to, are clear. One can not be considered without reference to the others. In this sense, there is proper balance and a sense of realism added to the clear Vision statement of the city. Such balance can help propel the city towards the execution of an integrated strategy, whose every component is made to reinforce all other components.

Central Luzon Growth Corridor Foundation, Inc. (CLGCFI) in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry Region 3 and the Department of Interior and Local Government Region 3 awarded the City Government of San Fernando 1st Prize Component City Category.

This award acknowledged the city’s efforts in the Streamlining Program in the Issuance of Mayor’s Permit and deepen the commitment of all LGU practitioners.

Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo of Aurora who is the president of CLGCFI, and Secretary Peter Favila of the Department of Trade and Industry awarded the plaque to Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez last April 16 at the Grand Ballroom of the Holiday Inn Hotel, Clark Freeport Zone.

Together with the Mayor were Councilor Reden Halili, City Administrator Engr. Ferdinand Caylao, Christopher Mangio from the Business License and Permit Division, City Planning Officer Engr. Ferdinand Limbitco, at Richard Prado of the Internal Control Division.

This is the second year the city received this award. (Story & Photos by Billy R. Danan)

The first batch of 194 students will have been deployed last April 6 under this summer Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES).

The employment program is annually spearheaded by the City Employment Service Office (CESO) with the support of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Its primary objective is to help under-privileged but deserving students pursue their education.

It also aims to develop students intellectual capacities, harness their productivity skills and value for money.

SPES is mandated under Republic Act No. 7323 otherwise known as “An act to help poor but deserving students pursue their education by encouraging their employment during summer or Christmas vacations.”

The second batch will start work on May 5, 2008.(Story by Billy R. Danan)

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO - An alert citizenry, not guns, can assure peace and order in the community.

This was the emphasis during a meeting April 9 at the Heroes Hall between local peace and order officials, led by City Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez, and barangay captains and presidents of homeowners’ associations here.

The meeting was meant to brief the attendees on the prevailing situation in the aftermath of a robbery with rape incident on the night of April 4 at Villa Corazon in Barangay San Agustin, this city.

Mayor Rodriguez has observed that barangay officials as well as the public have become lax and generally indifferent as far as happenings around them are concerned. He said there is a need to put the welfare of many over the interest of oneself in these times of rising criminality and at the same time called on constant vigilance by the people.

For his part, Chief of Police Col. Renato M. Soria announced that the 29 index crimes committed in the city during the first quarter of 2008 is only one point above index crimes committed within the same period last year. He also said that their total crime solution efficiency rose from last year’s 67.65% to 91.94% this year.

However, he considers still inadequate the present 24-hour patrolling by his men and thus encouraged barangay officials to conduct patrolling in their areas.

According to Ret. Gen. Ramsey Ocampo, city legal officer and focal person for peace and order, the situation in San Fernando is “tolerable and manageable”. He said that the rise in crime rate is expected when there is increased social interaction brought about by progress.

“The important thing is that we are doing something,” Atty. Ocampo said. He also stressed the potent multiplier force present in traffic aides, barangay tanods, bantaybayan and kabalikat groups as well as communication networks like REACT.

At the end of the meeting, the group came out with 11 security measures for recommendation and possible adoption by homeowners’ associations and barangays.

These are the limitation of entrance and exit points in subdivisions, hiring of security guards, increased communication links, activation of the barangay defense system and tanods, conduct of Oplan Omega, preventing entry of illegitimate junk buyers into subdivisions, civic action through volunteerism and foot patrols, stronger coordination between adjacent barangays or subdivisions, barangay census with ID issuance, fencing of open gaps around subdivisions, and possible imposition of curfew councils in their respective areas.

The City Government headed by Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez together with the Multi-Sectoral Governance Council Committee on Education, Culture Preservation and Sports will spearhead the three-day commemoration of the annual Death March on April 7-9, 2008.

The program of activities include clean up day at the San Fernando Train Station, Sto. Niño on the 7th to be participated by City Hall employees and Barangay Sto. Niño; on the 8th is “Rilis Tren ning San Fernando, Dalan nin Kalayang Pilipinu” painting contest also at the San Fernando Train Station to be participated by 8 teams from different schools around the city; and the traditional wreath laying at the historic San Fernando Train Station on April 9 right after the “Walk with the Heroes”, from Heroes Hall Lazatin Blvd., San Juan to Death March marker and lighting of the "Apoy ng Katapangan” at the Train Station to be led by Mayor Rodriguez with Vice Mayor Edwin Santiago, World War II Veterans, Safer Run Inc., City Councilors and MSGC Members.

Heritage and Culture preservation is included in the 8-point agenda of the present administration of the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. This includes the restoration and preservation of historical sites to perpetuate their important contributions to our glorious past. San Fernando train Station is one of these sites the City intends to preserve.

It was in April 7, 1942 when the infamous Death March took place from Mariveles, Bataan and ended in Camp O’Donnel in Capas, Tarlac. The then town of San Fernando, Pampanga played an important role in this very historic event, as an actual march ended at the San Fernando Train Station in Barangay Sto. Niño, one of the most important means of transportation among traders during that time. It is in this train station where hundreds of American and Filipino soldiers held as prisoners of war (POWs) were dumped to train carts for transportation to Capas, Tarlac.