Welcome to the Team

Where am I? the Capitol Building? Is this an inauguration for a head of state? I knew June 30 is the day when the election winners get to assume office, but this one is grand. I thought the mayors-elect, vice mayors elect and councilors elect would just stand onstage, take their oaths, give speeches, pose for pictures, and go home to be ready for the actual start of office the next day, on July 1. But, the event radiates beyond conventions to become grandiose. I don’t mean to gloss over superficialities when I should be focusing on substance. But I am helplessly drawn to how the affair was strikingly classically Victorian, yet still holding its ground as traditionally Filipino.

In a world where politicians are at each other’s throats from the local level to the international, it was especially calming to have all the former mayors together. It does not escape memory that on more than one incident, they had become opponents in elections through the decades. Yet, they’re all here to celebrate one momentous occasion. Their coming together signifies setting aside and leaving behind past differences which now mattered little and uphold unity for progress in the future that we all should look forward to. It’s a message to the public saying, “if they’re all on board, why wouldn’t you be?”. If these guys who at some points, ran against each other now support one direction together, so should everyone else who doubt, distract or seek to destabilize. That’s already a call for citizens to come aboard. Having them in attendance also dispels any notion of blame or shame against previous administrations. It’s an affirmation that every mayor that came before played an integral role in the achievement of the present and coming future.

Usually in inaugurations like this, the audience is enthralled with vague plans and promises that demand a response of applause no matter what. After all, the elected official has not started on the job yet. But, the Mayor’s speech was more of an accomplishment report of meetings, agreements and pledges that she has secured in the past month, and from how it sounded, it had been a busy month. I wouldn’t work on the week before my starting day at a new job. But Ma’am Leni seemed to have been performing since she was proclaimed as winner.

The plans spoken of were not vague generalities. They strongly hit close to home. Concrete practical measures were ordered to be implemented to reduce the risk of flooding which if you come to think about it, lest you have forgotten, is the worst tragedy that struck the city in recent memory. Included were plans to expedite the finishing of the repairs of Plaza Quezon, which had become an annoying inconvenience for pedestrians in the major convergence point in downtown. (I pass by that potential cause of accident and ask, when is this going to end.) I didn’t even think that it would be important for Plaza Rizal to have the same look. Addressing the backlog of classrooms were planned to solve the shifting of classes in schools. Furthermore, meetings were made to ensure that passenger jeepneys were still running their routes by the time students would go home from classes. Thank you for noticing that despite the very good services and obvious larger area of the Naga City General Hospital, it has been an annoyance to get there and get back from there. Another “thank you” for thinking of planning to make the more accessible former site of the Naga City Hospital as the proposed new City Health Office. There was announcement of stricter restrictions on parking on the streets of Central Business District 1 (of the traditional Centro), (which may raise concerns of where to park). An extra amount of time was devoted on the strengthening of safeguards on corruption and the employment regularization of decades long contractual employees in local government offices. On a related note, employment and promotion based on merit was emphasized. Although there were no concrete plans yet, it was noteworthy that City Hall would be looking at solving the problem of traffic (which is becoming seriously heavy) and waste-to-energy programs to address the landfill that has been filling up.

Most importantly, the speech concluded with a redefinition of how common folk understand Team Naga. It’s not just a group of select people. The Team is you, me and everyone, emphasizing every citizen’s active role towards progress and good governance. So, welcome to the team.

Proverbs 4:23: “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”