Polibiz
By Nelson C. Robles

Legacy beyond legislation

Let the work speak for itself.

I am happy of some developments happening in my hometown Oton, the gateway to the South of Iloilo and a very friendly municipality.

Vice Mayor Vicente B. Flores, Jr., Chairman of the Municipal Agriculture Board, is currently leading the drive to promote vegetable farming by encouraging the parents to have a vegetable garden. Through this, they can just cook their garden's produce and earn extra money by selling its excess. If their children are students, they are assured of proper nutrition, save time, fare and effort from going back and forth to school during lunch break. Also, rice seeds of Matatag 6 and 9 variety as well as seedlings of fruit bearing trees like lanka and atis were distributed to the farmers through their associations in the barangay.

On the other hand, the Sanggunian's Majority Floor Leader and Chairman of the Committee on Education Hon. Greg M. Calvo, is up and about in reaching out to the Department Heads, teachers, PTCA Officers and Barangay Officials to address the need to uplift our quality of education in both the elementary and secondary educational institutions. They were given teaching aids in the form of cartolinas, pentel pens, inks, manila papers, and other materials. Community participation is being encouraged to address other issues and concerns. This initiative is the result of the education summit held last July 28, 2005; in addition, textbooks from Makati City by virtue of our Sisterhood Agreement with them is being distributed to the various elementary schools in Oton.

These young legislators are descendants of Oton's political clans. The Vice Mayor is the son of the late Dr. Vicente L. Flores, Sr., who has served as SP Member of the Province of Iloilo. Also, he is the nephew of Totik Flores, former mayor of Oton and his wife, incumbent Mayor Carina V. Flores. Mam Carina' must be convinced that Vincent is very much capable of carving his own niche in the arena of public service, because she entrusted to him the chairmanship of the committee on the revision of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan of Oton and others of similar importance.

Greg on the other hand, is a grandson of former Mayor Manuel P. Mediodia and nephew of the late Msgr. Ernesto L. Calvo. The latter is the town's 1 st Filipino Parish Priest whose leadership enabled the Ogtonganons to build the present church of Oton.

While this lineage can open doors for them, they choose to prove their worth and earn their place in the sun by the merit of their work. We need leaders like them to spur economic growth in our locality. In view of this, it is my ardent wish that we recognize them not only from where they came from but from the fruits of their labor that benefit the municipality of Oton. Legacy is nothing if it is not substantiated by deeds. So, let their work do the talking and let us heed their call for change and development.