Basic Needs

Clark Freeport Zone’s continuing growth should be paralleled by the local government units outside the zone. Angeles City for one should be ready to feed and address the social costs brought by these developments. Take for example added food consumption for those who will be hired by the locators but would likely live within the city proper. More workers, more warm bodies also mean more power and water consumption.

Of course aside from the basic demands of the prospect locators who will be investing in the Next Frontier, CDC is likewise encouraged to carefully study the food supply for the 47,000 workers.

But going back to Angeles City, thousands of residents are now complaining of the recurring power interruptions, poor water supply and inefficient garbage collection. For Barangay Lourdes Northwest alone, the residents were very upset due to lack of water for almost three days last week. The barangay also failed to collect garbage during and after the Holy Wee.

This is one indicator that Angeles City should refocus its priorities and resolve the most basic needs of the constituents. I am talking of food, power, water and proper solid waste management. With the growing population of the city brought by continuous development in Clark and nearby industrial areas, LGUs like Angeles City should be more than prepared to address the social costs and provide the basic needs of the people.

I am calling the attention of Mayor Blueboy Nepomuceno. Sir, please check the city’s arrears with the Kalangitan landfill and work out how to settle the account if only to properly resolve our problem on solid wastes.

I think these issues are important than your plan to build a P600 million sports complex which we do not really need at this point in time. Let us fix the house first and make sure that our people are comfortably living in the city before we dream of things that are yet to be a necessity for us.