Man of The Year: Mayor Crisostomo C. Garbo, Mabalacat City

 
MCG. Mabalacat City Government. Mayor Crisostomo Garbo.

More than an instance of serendipity, this local government unit bearing identical initials with its chief executive assumes even some essence of providence – most manifest in the invocation of the Divine in each endeavor, Garbo translating it to dedicated labor, ever redounding to his constituents’ favor.    

Thereby, MCG meriting the highest stamp of approval in the Seal of Good Local Governance Award 2022 – Pagkilala sa Katapatan at Kahusayan ng Pamahalaang Lokal – for distinguished local government performance. It is actually the sixth time that the city earned the SGLG award. Garbo, not by mere coincidence mayhaps, also in his sixth year at the mayorship this year.

The accolade, as well as any other recognition that comes the city’s way, Garbo readily dedicated to the people: “Para kekatamu ya ngan pu ini, kabalen ku! To successfully deliver proper services to my fellow Mabalaquenians is my goal. This award is just a big bonus.”

The scale and scope – the facility too – of service delivery has become the hallmark of MCG, not only to the city constituency but even to other communities.

Indeed, what other LGU anywhere in the country could have done MCG’s deed of donating 16 ambulances to other LGUs – not only in Pampanga but in the cities of Balanga and Olongapo, and the Tarlac towns of Bamban and Capas as well? 

This, in February 2020 “as part of the blessings na pinagkakaloob po ng ating Panginoon, to be shared with others,” said the mayor of earmarking for donation part of the city’s share of the 5% tax on gross income earned by Clark Freeport locators.

“Kasi ‘yun po ang pangangailangan na talagang makakatulong po sa kanila in any eventuality. Alam niyo po, marami tayong pinaghahandaan ngayon. We don’t know because of this climate change, iyan po ang pinaka-importante ngayon… mayroon po tayong pangtulong,” Garbo noted at that time.

The coronavirus pandemic thereafter proving some prescience in the words of the mayor, the donation becoming truly providential.

On the home front, Mabalacat City has a fleet of 16 ambulances and all its 27 barangays have received rescue vehicles and garbage trucks, since Garbo took office.

MCG set a precedence as well in September 2021 when it donated 20 brand-new Nissan Navara pick-up trucks to the Pampanga Police Provincial Office for deployment in all police stations in the province. Then-PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar could only yearn: “Napakaganda na ito ay gayahin sa ibang pagkakataon at sa ibang lugar kung kakayanin din lamang.” 

That these donations were made during pandemic times did not in any way dent the city’s response to Covid-19.

 

CRIS confronts crisis

His training in the medical field enabled Garbo to cope with the uncertainty of the pandemic. CRIS – Covid-19 Response and Integrated System – was established for inclusivity, public awareness, and focused responsibility that are needed in order to have a sustainable and centralized cell-type integration in addressing the crisis.

Its comprehensive vaccination program became the toast of national government agencies, notably the DOH and the IATF, for its innovative approaches such as multiple small- and moderate-sized vax sites for greater accessibility thereby addressing the dilemma of vaccination hesitancy, and partnership with SM City Clark to use its cinemas as vax sites, setting the precedence, again, in Central Luzon where malls were present.

Garbo’s initiatives also included the “small bubbles program” – a force multiplier system tapping private companies to achieve a faster vaccination rate; the “after-work vaccination program” to accommodate constituents who find difficulty to show up on vax day due to work-related factors; and a mobile vaccination program catering to TODA and JODA members, which was the first in the region.

MCG was ahead of other LGUs too in the introduction and implementation of the “missed second dose” vaccination scheme.

Consistent with the policy of inclusivity, MCG was also the first in Pampanga to cover jail detainees in its vaccination programs

MCG came up too with a Home Care Package program with the RHU providing assistance in home-based isolation.

Mindful of the mental health of his constituents during the imposed restrictions, Garbo was among the first local executives to open barangay covered courts in a bubble set-up to encourage physical exercise as one coping mechanism.

On account of all these interventions and initiatives, Mabalacat City received the highest praises for its Covid-19 response, and recognized by the IATF for recording the highest vaccination rate in the whole region.

CRIS has also been hailed for having one of the latest data management analytics in partnership with DICT with daily dashboard.

Looking beyond the pandemic, CRIS reinfused the city’s vaccination data through QR-coded Mabalacat City Vaccination Status Cards which are digitally stored and integrated to other health programs of the city.

 

Exceptional healthcare

That Mabalacat City has exceptional healthcare comes with its chief executive’s territory – medicine.

Right off his very first days at the mayoralty, Garbo declared the health of the Mabalaquenians as top priority, effecting the allotment of P15 million for medical assistance and another P15 million for the city’s central pharmacy that he himself established.

While MCG does not operate its own hospital, it entered into partnerships with most of the city’s premium medical facilities to allow the constituents, especially the most indigent, access to their healthcare services. Specialists have also been hired to provide free medical consultancies that cover even critical illnesses and dreaded diseases.

Beneficiaries of financial/medical/hospital assistance availing themselves of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program for the year 2022 numbered 15,652 (4,955 males, 10,697 females).

The care of the infirmed elderly, already of high priority to MCG, Garbo further elevated to the ministerial plane – waking up as early as cockcrow to make his rounds of the community to visit the bedridden, bringing them provisions in cash and kind and engaging them in healing prayers.  

Dignity in death for even the poorest of the poor of the city MCG warranted with burial assistance.

 

Education

Yet another precedent set by MCG is the provision of free laptops to all public schoolteachers in the city shortly after the mayor took office – eventually proving prescient with the coming of the Covid pandemic making online education the main means, aye, platform, of schooling.

While being the first of its kind in Pampanga, the Mabalacat City College remained much in obscurity until its revival by MCG whence it is now listed in the Times Higher Education, South East Asia Ministry of Education, and able to enter world ranks in different categories. Often cited by the Commission on Higher Education for its socially-inclusive and trailblazing programs, MCC consistently produces topnotchers who are now at the forefront of workforce development complementing the manpower needs of the Clark Freeport.

The premium MCG has put in the skills development of its human resources greatly contributed to the city ranking first in the component cities category in the 2018 Competitiveness Index of the Department of Trade and Industry.

MCG also was the first in the region to go paperless through its data management unit in partnership with MCC by using the existing digital hubs around the city to ensure adequate and reliable connectivity.

Speaking of connectivity, Mabalacat City has its barangay desk digitally equipped with computers, software, printers, municipal forms for birth, and office supplies to compliment civil registration processing.

 

Child care

National acclamation makes a resounding affirmation of MCG being a true champion of the rights of women and children.

From 2019 to 2022, the Philippine Commission on Women certified Mabalacat City as a gender and development local learning hub for its efforts in gender-responsive local governance towards the promotion of human rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

At the resumption of the local council for the protection of children assessment, Mabalacat City got the highest in the functionality of local councils for children in Pampanga. Under MCG, the city also garnered the highest rating of 95% for the Seal of Child-Friendly LGU in Central Luzon.

The 2022 national Gawad Edukampiyon for LGUs implementing early childhood care and development was also awarded to MCG.

 

Build, Build

MCG has fixed its sight on a new city hall complex in a 2.1-hectare lot right at the central Camachiles area. It will comprise a four-storey government building with a 1,500-seat convention center, and a museum.

Set for groundbreaking in March 2023, the edifice is expected to usher in a new urban center clustering all frontline and key offices as well as vital partner agencies under one roof for improved government service to the people.

Also in the pipeline are a state-of the-art command center, a new public market building at its current location, and a new slaughterhouse.

A data center will also be built as the city gears for digitalization that will help monitor provision of key city government services especially in healthcare. Such monitoring has already been started with the issuance of MCG Cares data and ID card to the city’s indigent residents.

There is also a plan to build tenement housing for the city’s underprivileged and informal settlers.

MCG is likewise committed to build a 20-bed facility at the province-ran Mabalacat City District Hospital, and to provide counterpart fund in the construction of a new Pampanga provincial hospital inside the Clark Freeport.

Improvement of public schools is also a priority. A school building for the deaf and mute with its own multi-purpose hall will be constructed at the Mabalacat Central Elementary School. The same kind of building in Dau Central Elementary School will also get its own upgrade.

Under its tie-up in the CAMP (Clark-Angeles-Mabalacat-Pampanga) alliance, MCG has also earmarked some funds for employees of the Clark Development Corp.  whose health insurance have been discontinued. The funds will be used for emergency cases of affected Clark workers.

Funding for all these projects shall come from current sources like local taxes and the city shares in the 5% gross income earned from Clark locators. As augmentation, a projected P160-million annual income will also be possible through the newly-passed Local Revenue Code.

Monitoring fund usage, on the one hand, will be made through the first ever Internal Audit and Quality Management Systems for the city government, a program that will help in fiscal management.

With completion of these projects targeted within the next five years, Mabalaquenians – at this early – are already keen to secure a resounding new mandate for MCG.