Tabuk City focuses to end poverty, ignorance

By Geraldine G. Dumallig

Friday 15th of June 2012

Tabuk City, Kalinga, June 14(PIA) -– “We believe that poverty and ignorance are the main problems that we want our people to be freed from in order that our citizenry can contribute in nation building,” Tabuk City Mayor Ferdinand Tubban in a message during the 114th Independence Day celebration in the province stated this saying these are the modern struggle that the people have to consider these days as in the fight for freedom.

“Poverty is holding our people hostage from enjoying a better quality of life,” he said relating that to lift the people of Tabuk from the poor quality of life, the city government has made its goal to focus more on poverty alleviation and reduction programs.

This development thrust he said has also become a policy guideline in the allocation of funds for the city government.

In line with the 114th Independence Day theme, "Kalayaan: Pananagutan ng bayan para sa tuwid na daan," and in consonance with the Aquino Administration’s thrust of "matuwid na daan," Tubban said that " our fight against bureaucratic red tape and graft and corruption while inculcating the values of honesty, simplicity, integrity and probity in the public service at the same time strengthening the culture of hard work, efficiency and quality service has become more meaningful.”

In its fight for freedom against poverty, the city government on Tuesday released the first tranche of livelihood financial assistance to at least 10 identified organizations from different barangays.

The provision of fund assistance according to Mayor Tubban hopes to give the Tabukeños a “breakthrough to free themselves from the clutches of poverty.”

“We cannot speak of freedom when our citizens are wallowing in poverty, when they are weak and hungry. We believe that when we help our people free themselves from poverty, we are making them stronger citizens who cannot be taken advantage of , who are not easy prey to any forms of exploitations and who are not burdens to society and the government but are assets for development and progress,” he underscored. (JDP/GGD- PIA CAR, Kalinga)