By
Alfonso T. Ruda
DIPOLOG
CITY - A Zamboanga del Norte lawmaker considers good governance
a vital tool in maintaining peace and order in the community, as he urges the
local chief executives to attend to the needs of their constituents.
Congressman
Isagani S. Amatong of the province’s third district stressed during a joint
meeting of the Provincial Development Council (PDC) and Provincial Peace and
Order Council (PPOC) held here Thursday that good governance is an antidote to the
peace and order problem in the province.
The
first PDC-PPOC meeting under the administration of Governor Roberto Uy was
attended by provincial officials, city/municipal mayors, provincial heads of
the national government agencies, non-government organizations, police and
military officials and private sector representatives.
Amatong,
who served as governor of the province for 15 years, challenged the mayors to
deliver the basic services and infrastructure projects to their constituents
such as construction of farm-to-market roads, health facilities and other
projects to generate employment.
“When
there are no good roads, children living in far-flung areas could hardly go to
school. When there are no medicines in government hospitals, poor patients will
die. When jobs are not available, people will do something against the law.
That is why we need to provide for the health needs of our people, build
infrastructures to generate employment and we solve peace and order problem
because people have income to spend,” the congressman pointed out.
Amatong
is also optimistic that Governor Uy, who earns the moniker “Berto Semento,”
could transform Zamboanga del Norte to be the most progressive province and
remove it from list of poorest provinces in the country. (PIA9)