CEBU CITY – Former Senator and 2025 senatorial candidate Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson intends to help keep Cebu “amazing” with his advocacies to safeguard the national budget and empower the local government units (LGUs).
Lacson, who received a big boost in his campaign after being endorsed by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on Friday, said Saturday that Cebu has experienced tremendous growth but there are still towns that are poor.
“I will continue being the vanguard of the national budget, to prevent funds from being unused or misused. That is my advocacy, and that will help Cebu because our thrust is to empower the local government units with the use of the national budget,” he said in Filipino, in an interview on Bombo Radyo Cebu here.
Related: Ping Lacson, Pananatilihing ‘Amazing’ ang Cebu sa Pamamagitan ng Pagbantay sa Budget at Pagpapalakas sa LGU
For years, he said the share of the national budget has been lopsided in favor of the national government, with only 20 to 25 percent of local development plans submitted by the LGUs getting needed funding.
Also, Lacson said that while Cebu has enjoyed tremendous economic growth and is the second largest hub for information technology and business process management, there are towns where public services are still not enough.
On Friday, Lacson – an adopted son of Cebu due to his crimefighting record and publicly acknowledged integrity in Cebu where he served as Metropolitan District Command (Metrodiscom) chief there in the late 1980s to early 1990s – received a warm welcome in Cebu while visiting several towns there after joining Governor Garcia’s One Cebu in its northern caravan.
Governor Garcia endorsed Lacson’s candidacy during one of the sorties Friday, which Lacson said is a “big boost” to his candidacy.
“Amazing Cebu, actually,” Lacson said of Cebu and the welcome he received there.
Also on Friday, Lacson said he intends to give Cebu’s rising tourism industry a further boost should he earn a Senate seat in May. He noted Cebu accounted for at least two million tourist arrivals – and has the capacity to do even better.
He said he would do his part in the Senate by pushing institutional amendments to augment the Department of Tourism’s budget, after talking with DOT Secretary Ma. Christina Frasco.
“I am pledging institutional amendments to augment the DOT’s budget. What the agency needs, I will gladly help it to improve more to help boost the influx of tourism in our country,” he said in Liloan town.
“We are number one in ASEAN in terms of tourist spending. So I’ll try to augment whatever needs the DOT will have to enhance our tourism,” he added.
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Ping Lacson, Pananatilihing ‘Amazing’ ang Cebu sa Pamamagitan ng Pagbantay sa Budget at Pagpapalakas sa LGU
CEBU CITY – Pananatilihin ni dating Senador at 2025 senatorial candidate Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson ang “Amazing” sa “Amazing Cebu” sa pamamagitan ng adbokasiya niya para bantayin ang pambansang budget at pagpapalakas sa mga local government units (LGUs).
Ani Lacson nitong Sabado, na nakamit ang endorsement ni Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia nitong Biyernes, napakalaki ng pag-unlad sa Cebu bagama’t marami pa ring bayan na mahirap pa rin.
“I will continue being the vanguard of the national budget. Minsan nasasayang, unused o misused. Yan ang advocacy ko. That will also help Cebu, dahil ang thrust namin is to empower the LGUs, with the use of the national budget,” aniya sa panayam sa Bombo Radyo Cebu dito.
Sa nakaraang ilang taon, aniya, masyadong tagilid ang LGUs kung ang hatian ng budget ang pinaguusapan. Hanggang 20-25 porsyento lang ng mga local development plans na sinumite ng LGUs ang binibigyan ng pondo sa budget.
Dagdag ni Lacson, bagama’t maunlad ang Cebu at naging pangalawang pinakamalaking hub para sa information technology at business process management, may mga bayan pa rin na hindi pa ramdam ang pag-unlad.
Nitong Biyernes, nakamtan ni Lacson – na “adopted son of Cebu” dahil sa kanyang record laban sa krimen at sa kanyang integridad bilang Metropolitan District Command (Metrodiscom) chief doon noong late 1980s hanggang early 1990s – ang mainit na pagtanggap sa Cebu habang bumibisita sa mga bayan doon. Sumama siya kay Governor Garcia at ang kanyang One Cebu sa kanilang northern caravan.
Inendorso ni Governor Garcia ang kandidatura ni Lacson para senador nitong Biyernes. Ayon kay Lacson, “big boost” ito sa kanyang kandidatura.
“Amazing Cebu, actually,” aniya tungkol sa Cebu at sa magandang pagtanggap sa kanya.
Nitong Biyernes din, sinabi ni Lacson na balak niyang palakasin ang turismo sa Cebu kung makabalik siya sa Senado. Aniya, hindi bababa sa dalawang milyon ang tourist arrivals sa Cebu, at maaari pa itong lumaki pa.
Aniya, balak niyang magmungkahi ng institutional amendments para palakihin ang budget ng Department of Tourism, matapos makausap si DOT Secretary Ma. Christina Frasco.
“I am already pledging institutional amendments to augment the budget of the DOT. Kung anong kailangan ng agency, I would gladly help the agency to improve more, sa ating influx ng tourism sa ating bansa,” aniya sa Liloan.
“We are number one in ASEAN in terms of tourist spending. So I’ll try to augment whatever needs the DOT will have to enhance our tourism,” dagdag niya.
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