Angeles City Sports Stadium

Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno will lead groundbreaking ceremonies of the Angeles City Sports Stadium on February 22 to coincide with the opening of the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association (CLRAA) Meet to be hosted by this city.

City Administrator Mark Allen Sison said that the ground breaking will help foster better sports programs and activities. The sports complex facility will be located along Barangay Mining here. The facility would include swimming pools, courts for basketball, volleyball and structures to house sporting events.

The project, which is expected to be financed through a multi-million peso loan from the Veterans Bank of the Philippines, was opposed by many Nepomuceno critics. But Nepomuceno and Sison said that like other needs of the city in terms of health, livelihood and poverty alleviation, sports should also be given the same priority.

“The services we give to our people will not, in anyway, be affected by the establishment of the sports facility. This is merely a part of the well-rounded governance of Mayor Nepomuceno,” Sison said.

The groundbreaking will be attended by local government officials, Angeles City athletes and CLRAA officials.

Sison said that the project, once realized, will also be an income generating facility for the city as it will be able to host sporting events and social functions of the city and other groups.

“The facility will also serve as the training ground of many of our athletes in order that we can develop more students to become competent athletes. We can now also strengthen the sports program of the city to include out-of-school youths that could be admitted through the sports programs,” he said.

Mayor Nepomuceno, for his part, said that the facility will also serve as a focal point to develop the western lands of the city; Nepomuceno said that the facility would be able to generate both human traffic and local tourism through hosting of national and regional sporting competitions.

“We would like to be known also as a city that has a deep love for sports. We want to see boxing competitions held here and our residents in the city to take advantage of the facilities of the soon-to-rise facility,” Nepomuceno said.

Nepomuceno said that Angeles City aims to rival Tarlac City in hosting even the Palarong Pambansa once the facility is completed here.

“This impact project will be a legacy that Angeles City would be able to benefit from for a very long time,” Nepomuceno said.

Paulo Bucud received his Most Outstanding Kapampangan Award for youth

“He doesn’t deserve it.”

This was the reaction of some groups and individuals when Paulo Bucud received his Most Outstanding Kapampangan Award for youth service on December 11 at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center here.

A 2007 MOKA awardee who refused to be named said that Bucud’s endorsements mostly came from the offices and departments of the Angeles City Hall where he worked.

A source at the Capitol said that committee officials were unaware of Bucud’s bid for councilor in Angeles City. He is under the ticket of Balibago Village Chief  Rodelio Mamac.

“Balamu kasi megamit yamu ing award for a political end (It seems the award was used for a political end),” the unnamed MOKA awardee added.

A MOKA awardee’s achievement and accomplishments should be “more of volunteerism, of excellence beyond official duties and not from the circle where he is paid,” she said.

The source, including other MOKA awardees in the past and other journalists, were also shocked when they saw Bucud at the stage receiving his award.

“How did this man win when everyone knows that he only worked under the administration of Mayor (Francis) Nepomuceno? The projects cited in his nomination were projects of the city administration, one acronymed NEPO is even patently political,” they said.

Raising some doubts on Bucud’s win, the source urged MOKA committee organizers and officials to revoke his award. She also feared that Bucud might use the award to boost his campaign in the 2010 elections.

Bucud was the only MOKA awardee this year being questioned by some individuals and groups.

“All others are outstanding Kapampangans except him,” they said.

Meanwhile, Councilor Jay Sangil also backed the source claim saying that there are other young individuals in Pampanga who deserve the award.

“Ano ba ang nagawa ni Bucud para sa mga kabataan sa Angeles?” Ano na ba ang napatunayan niya aside sa pagiging isang empleyado dati ng city hall? said Sangil in a telephone interview.

Other organizations and individuals are also calling for the revocation of Bucud’s MOKA award.

“Siguradong gagamitin lang ang award sa pamumulitika,” they said.

Source: http://punto.com.ph/news/printpage/6453