ILOILO City – What was the priority of the so-called “Pag-ulikid” community outreach program of the previous Espinosa administration?
Mayor Jerry Treñas asked the question as he bared the expenditures for food under this program of his predecessor, former mayor Jose Espinosa III.
Showing to reporters eight separate purchase orders for “catering services for the Pag-ulikid program,” Treñas said the city government spent P5.9 million for food ordered from one catering service company only.
One purchase order amounted to P990,000 for snacks which included chicken burger, ham salad sandwich, lumpia shanghai, hotdog sandwich, cheese pimiento, tuna sandwich, and cheese muffins, among others, according to Treñas.
As stated in the purchase order, the snacks were good for 15 days – at 220 persons per day.
Other purchase orders for food amounted to P700,000; P790,000; P788,000; P172,000; P968,000; P224,000; and P269,000.
“Wala man ko ga ano kay derecho man ina nila. Pero napinsar ‘ta bala, ano ang priority? May mga kabataan sa kalye nga indi kakaon, may gamasakit nga gina-dialysis,” said Treñas.
Had the Espinosa administration spent those amounts for health services like dialysis where a patient had to spend P4,000 per session, said Treñas, it could have saved a lot of lives.
Treñas hinted he had more exposés regarding the previous administration.
“Waay pa ko ka lab-ot sa litson ah, kag sa bulak. Ara pa lang kita sa babaw, waay pa ta ka panaog,” he said.
Espinosa, who lost to Treñas in a bitterly contested midterm election, could not be reached for comment as of this writing.
“Pag-ulikid” brought the city government’s frontline programs, projects and services closer to the villages.
“This has never been done before,” said Espinosa in a previous interview. “It’s fulfilling for us in the city government to serve people, especially those in great need.”
Under “Pag-ulikid”, the City Health Office offered free dental and medical services and free circumcision procedures. The Office of Senior Citizens Affairs provided identification cards for senior citizens. The City Veterinarian’s Office conducted free dog vaccinations. The City Civil Registry Office assisted those with issues in their birth certificates and marriage contracts.
The community outreach program also offered free legal consultation, sports equipment and wheelchairs for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
“Many of our constituents find it hard to go to city hall. We are thus bringing the city government to them,” said Espinosa.
Last month, the city government then under Espinosa announced that “Pag-ulikid” served some 146,737 city residents in 155 out of 180 barangays from April 2018 until May 2019./PN
