MABALACAT CITY – A good leader should put up a good seat of government, according to Mayor Cris Garbo, because this is a “window” of the city and its accomplishments.
“For 14 years, pasikip ng pasikip ang city hall. Nahihirapan ang mga kababayan ko. Nasasalamin ang liderato ng nanunungkulan kapag may pinupuntahan na maayos ang mga kababayan natin at mga investors,” he said.
He noted that Mabalacat has been a component city for several years now, but does not have a decent seat of government. The current city hall is located at the northernmost barangay of this city, at the boundary with neighbor Bamban, Tarlac.
The plan to construct a city hall at the very center of the city is not his own concept, he said. It will be strategically located along Macarthur Highway and near the Mabiga entry and exit points of the SCTEX.
“Hindi ko ito kathang isip. We’ve been surveying. Gusto ito ng mga kapitan, kagawads, organizations,” the mayor said, saying the plan is acceptable to majority of Mabalacat folk.
Mayor Garbo said the city government will continue with the plan, despite opposition from other sectors who said funds should instead be used to build a hospital.
While stating that the new city hall project would need some several millions, he also said that it is more expensive for the city government to build, operate and maintain a hospital.
Currently, the city government has service contracts with local private hospitals that include premier medial facility like AUF Medical Center and The Medical City for hospitalization, diagnostics, surgeries and other medical procedures.
“Kung ano ang plano mo, kokontrahin talaga ng kalaban mo,” he said.
The mayor told mediamen during a weekly kapihan at Bale Balita in Clark that the procurement process for the 2.1-hectare area beside the Hypermarket near Barangay Camachile and Dau has already been started.
“Payment na lang ang hinihintay at may documents pa na kailangan between the owner and the LGU. In actual, wala pa. Paano mo kokontrahin yung wala pa?,” he said.
Meanwhile, the old city hall building in Poblacion will be converted into a museum and office of the city’s Tourism department. Renovations have already started.
The current one situated at Xevera in Barangay Tabun will become an extension of the Mabalacat City College. The 2nd floor will be transformed into a combination e-library and conventional library, the mayor said. The Administration Office of the MCC will also be housed there, so that the current admin office at the MCC can be converted into additional classrooms.
