Interview Highlights on leadership and challenges as the Mother of Palayan during "The Boy Abunda Interview Specials" --
1. On Celebration of Palayan’s 55th Anniversary before and after pandemic…
-“Before the pandemic, talagang it’s a one week celebration and ends up with a variety show. We invite showbiz people to entertain not only Palayanos but other people who would like to see their idols and of course other activities like Motocross.”
-(After the Pandemic) “We had few events, yung makatuturan for the Palayanos katulad ng housing kasi dumadami yung resident ng Palayan so we would like to put up a building na parang condo type for them tapos mayroon din kaming na-bless na mga bahay to answer disaster resiliency.”
2. On COVID-19 and when ECQ was implemented by President Duterte...
-“After his announcement, we got busy kasi we were preparing PPE’s already, looking for suppliers. Ang hirap noon eh yung mga masks, alcohol. So we were trying to compute and then we sent it to Palayan . We supplied first ang aking mga medical staff and other frontliners and nung nakumpleto na sila, we have to give to other municipalities plus dito na nga pumasok yung sinupply namin yung chicken, vegetable goods, rice sa mga barangay and money.”
-“Nagkaroon ako ng random testing in all barangays. We did 10,000 plus. Sa test, isa ako sa mga nag-piprick sa kanila. Hindi nila ako nakikilala kasi naka-mask, naka-PPE.”
-“Once there is a lot of number like in one barangay, covid positive, nag-lolockdown ako. Ang isang strategy that I’ve made, if there are OFWs or yung sinasabi nilang LSIs who are coming, you cannot enter our barangay. You have to pass through our RHU. Once you’re cleared, isolate ka sa bahay niyo and wala kaming death so far.”
3. On farmers…
-“Every year, I give recognition to the farmers. We have this farmer’s congress wherein we acknowledge yung growth nila and we ask them about their issues. We bring in mga people who can teach them. People who they can connect with and of course as surprise, they get to have yung mga raffle na kalabaw, biko, sako ng fertilizer, mga plow, etc., kambing, manok. We connected with API and the other agencies to teach them, to help them. Palayan is one of the areas na we have a lot of storage facilities for onions so there would come a time na mayroong surplus of onions. Pwedeng yung mga surplus ay Class B’s siguro. They can buy the cheaper price.”
4. On changing and empowering Palayanos’ mindset…
-“What I did, binibigyan ko sila ng confidence. Now itabi mo ako, kaya kong sumabay sayo . You expose them once there is training available, I send them because you’ll learn from travelling. So training may available in Boracay, may available in Davao, may available in anywhere, nakakapag-plane sila so natutuwa sila. Naeexpose . exposure lang naman ang kailangan ng mga Palayanos.”
5. Projects for OFW’s…
-“Regularly may Job Fair kami. Na-kick off ko na rin yung OFW day. It is a whole day event and then yung mga nahihirapan, if they want to be repatriated, to come home inaassist namin. Pagka sinesend off namin, binibigyan namin ng allowance.”
6. Projects for Senior Citizens…
-“Quarterly, to divide the 3,000 Senior Citizens registered to us, pupunta kami ng plaza concepcion and we sing to them, we do games. Afterwards, we give them gifts just to acknowledge them and tell them that they are still with us. During this pandemic, ako mismo, with the DSWD team, we went to barangays, give them regalo. Wala ng celebration pero at least we let them know you’re being remembered.”
7. On Healthcare Programs...
-“Political entry ko is through medical assistance. Other politicians give P150, P500 , P1,000 , P2,000 if they ask for medical assistance. Kami what we did, talagang we assist them from the time pumasok sila sa hospital hanggang madischarge, and most often than not, pati yung kanilang medication.”
8. Initiatives on Education…
-“Yung mga teachers, I have the time na i-equip sila sa English proficiency and I believe in computer literacy. I-dadownload nila iyan sa mga estudyante nila and then there are also times na kami nag-coconduct kami ng computer literacy and english proficiency. Nagkaroon kami ng Business Center. Tuloy-tuloy po yung programa up to now so I like to put in GRMC that I’ve known when I was young. Gusto ko siyang gawin na Saturday for those students na interesado. Kasi nga importante sa atin yung ugali ng mga Pilipino, importanteng ma-hone. Kailangan nandun pa rin yung mapagkumbaba, magalang, may regards to the elders.”
-“We started opening yung One-Stop Shop ng Government. Kung OFW ka and you have to process your documents, you don’t have to go to Manila, you don’t have to go to Pampanga, you have to go to Palayan City.”
9. On a progressive Business Hub…
-“May open business hub who can cater and give job opportunities for the young people.”
-“There is a Call Center Sutherland which employs Palayanos and Nueva Ecijanos to hire people from areas close to Cabanatuan, Gapan, San Jose. Naglagay po kami ng mga satellite recruitment offices and training centers para i-train sila. If they pass, mayroon na po silang pupuntahan sa Business Hub and during the training, para ma-entice na rin yung mga bata, they get to have allowance for their transport, food. I ask this to be put up para sa mga Palayanos to have a job near them. Kasi ang ugaling I’ve learned about the Palayanos, ayaw nilang nalalayo sa pamilya kaya po nilagay namin ang business hub diyan sa Palayan.”
10. On Informal Settlers…
-“Nadadagdagan nang nadadagdagan ung shanti namin pero even if after I'm done , gusto kong mapaayos ang area nila. Ang isa kong issue talaga ay yung mga nag-gagrab ng area. Landgrabbers. Unti-unti naman naming naaayos with the help of other agencies like NHA and PAGIBIG, nakakapagtayo kami ng housing programs for people.”
11. For Anti-Illegal Drugs…
-“Nag-start na ko ng information dissemination sa mga bata and I called it the Anti-Illegal Drugs Summit so every year iyan. We inform the kids or the youth about the bad effects of doing drugs.”
-“Normally for rape cases amongst little girls, nakapag-drugs yung violator so I’d like to get opportunity sana to inform the little girls on how to protect themselves and knowing and sensing na ito ay dangerous person.”
12. On Corruption…
-“The money that the LGU of Palayan is getting goes back to the Palayanos so they benefit. Kaya ang ganda-ganda, na-fast track ko yung development sa Palayan because of this.”
13. Against violence…
-“Tahimik ang Palayan because maybe we have a good partnership with the army and the police. Talagang I keep close contact with them, I support the programs. Kaya for every time I feel, I sense na may darating na problema, I tap them and once I tap them, they support me. During this COVID, sila rin yung isa sa marami kong kasama.”
14. On converting Gun for Hire Men...
-“Give them employment. Once you give them employment and support their family, tatahimik and buhay.”
-“Sabi ko, ‘Tahimik na kayo, would you rather go back to sleep sa lupa ngayon na nasa kama na kayo or maging magulo ang buhay niyo?,’ and they opted to stay behind kasi nga tahimik, nag-dedevelop ang Palayan and they see the development.”
-“Kaya maraming crime is because of poverty.”
15. On advocacy as a Mayor...
-I really enjoy and love helping and good provider yung husband ko. I don’t need to take money from the government. Ibigay ko nalang sa kanila. Itulong ko nalang and the extra allowance I get.”
16. On being loved or feared by the people...
-“There was a comment na Matapang siya pero Magaling siya.”
-“At 51 yrs. old, ako yung nagbubuhat ng kahoy yung Sampaloc tree noong Ulysses para lang itabi. So if I do that, other staff or other people looking at you will also do the same.”
17. On politics...
-“It is not more of politics. I think it is more of me knowing that I can do something for a community kaya ako nandito. And I’ve proven and I can prove some more.”
-“I don't call it politics, I’m a public servant.”
18. On love of public service…
-“You get to see people love people, how people engage people.”
“I am Mayor Rianne Cuevas and ina ng mga anak ko at ina ng lungsod ng Palayan.”
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