Few hours before the New Year merriment, Mabalacat City Mayor Crisostomo Garbo received an unexpected surprise – a personal letter from one of the city’s social assistance beneficiaries thanking the city mayor for his support to sickly Mabalaqueños.
Annaliza Presco-Perez, a resident of Mabalacat City, was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in 2018 and has since then, receiving financial support from the City Social Assistance Office (CSAO) after passing levels of assessment and case study.
In her letter, Perez said that the amount that she has been receiving from the city government is of great help in financing her expensive treatment which includes Chemotherapy, TomoTherapy, and other laboratory needs and medications.
“Many years back when you were not the mayor yet, I do not vote. That was so wrong and [felt] guilty about it. Truth is, I lost hope and [even felt] so proud that it won’t matter anggang ninu pa ing lukluk. Life is what we make it. Magsipag mu, for sure misadsad ka. Akalingwan ku, evil will never win with God, that amidst the darkness there will be light. Until you came,” said Perez.
“I was so adamant and always in debate whenever I hear and read unreasonable negative comments about you. Metung ku pu kareng gagaga anyang victory party yu pu. I remember that vividly – I was so weak then but I attended. I don’t want to miss that special event – a triumph against the wicked. You really came in the right time, and that was God’s plan,” the beneficiary added.
Furthermore, Perez is hopeful that she will be able to get back on track once she finished her cycles of medication. “Dacal pung salamat, you were so generous in your medical assistance program. Itang balu mung atin sumaup keka king katatakan asnang karagul pung bage. You just don’t help materially; you also give us assurance na atin kaming kayantabe esp when things go wrong. You were meant to be our mayor,” she added.
For his part, Mayor Garbo expressed his elation after receiving the personal letter from the beneficiary. In his response posted on Mabalacat City News, the city mayor said that her words serve as an affirmation that the city government is on the right track in providing for the varied needs of the Mabalaqueños.
“Alam kong hindi pa rin madali ang haharapin natin pero tila ba ako ay sinabihan na, “tuloy lang ang laban, tuloy lang ang paninilbihan.” Sa puso ko, yes, that is what I am going to do in 2022 with full determination and renewed strength. Sa sumulat sa akin, maraming salamat kaibigan, binigyan mo ako ng panibagong lakas, binigyan mo ako ng regalo na hindi nabibili ng pera. Salamat sa iyo,” the city mayor said.
The granting of medical and financial assistance to indigent Mabalaqueños has been one of the flagship programs of the Garbo administration to aid individuals and families in different crisis situations. (Mabalacat City News)
