It is with a deep sense of history and gratitude that I formally accept and assume the inherent responsibilities of being the duly-elected mayor of Bani.

With great humility I enter upon its duties.

With an iron resolve to fulfill them, I accept the responsibilities of the stewardship thus entrusted upon me by our constituents. 'Dackel nga banag apo daytoy inted yo kaniac a gundaway nga agserbi kadakayo, ket mangnamnama kayo iti maysa nga naimpusoan nga panagserbisyo mi kadakayo amin.'

With your trust and support, I have no reason to fail.

I also would like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing mayor, my distiguished brother, Atty. Gabriel "Ambet" Navarro, for setting the tone and the high standards for me to emulate. I am inspired by your achievements and realize that the track record you left behind is indeed one tough act to follow. We thank you for making Bani a model town and a better place to live, work and do business.

I would also like to extend a hand of friendship to our able friends who also ran for the same elective position. I know you too have big plans for Bani and so I ask for your helping hand so that together we can make Bani a progressive and peaceful town. Let us be comforted by the words of St. Augustine who said, "We may walk different paths, but we travel the same road." 'Maymaysa iti kamkamakamen, isu nga agmaymaysa tayo, agtitimpuyog tayo, agkakadua tayo.'

And to our newly-formed Municipal Council headed by our Vice Mayor, the Hon. Hannibal Olores, I urge you to stand with me, shoulder-to-shoulder, as we chart the course of BANI for the next three years.

Today, June 30, 2007, marks my first day as mayor and as a public servant. One may overlook the historical significance of this event but on a personal level, I now understand the gravity of the responsibilities that my father, Mayor Marcelo Navarro Sr. must have felt during his own inauguration. He was a good leader, but more importantly, he was a good man; someone I try to emulate. I have learned a lot of Life's lessons from him; and two of the most important were:

1) Nothing is better than Honesty; and

2) There is no substitute for results.

As it was to my father, so it will apply to me. Truth and Action are now my guiding principles.

Hence, the hallmark of my administration would hopefully be one of transparency and accomplishments; one of accountability and solid achievements; and one that is less talk and more action.

We are now entering a new phase in Bani's colorful history; one that is filled with dynamism, responsiveness, and a positive outlook for the future. During my tenure, I shall strive, together with the support of our municipal council, to transform Bani into the leading town in Western Pangasinan. Bani shall become the model of how good governance, sound business practices, and an empowered citizenry can actually produce results that will lead to a progressive community.

How can we achieve this? Allow me to share my plans with you.

BANI H. E. L. P. S.

During my tenure, I will be implementing a series of priority projects which can be summarized by the slogan BANI H. E. L. P. S., with HELPS standing for Health, Education and Environment, Livelihood, Peace and Order, and Self-Reliance. I now ask for your indulgence as I outline the individual programs that define this acronym.

H is for Health. 'Gusto po namin kayong bigyan ng maayos na serbisyong pangkalusugan', specially those who can't afford this privilege. This is one of my primary projects.

This is why we will continue developing a community-based primary health care system which shall implement a comprehensive and responsive health care strategy. We shall train our barangay health workers and provide them with what they need to make health care more accessible and responsive to your concerns.

We shall be institutionalizing mobile clinics and conduct quarterly medical and dental missions, not to mention health education in all schools.

Finally, we will ensure that strict standards in health and sanitation shall be observed at all times by providing contingencies for clean water, safe food, and an environment friendly community.

E is for Education. As we all know, having access to quality education is the first requirement of empowerment and progress.

'Kayat ko nga ipaka-ammo kadakayo nga inawis tayo nga umay ditoy Bani iti U.P. Open University System. Saannen a masapol nga mapan dagitoy agad-adal tayo idiay Baguio wenno Manila tapno makapagadal ti U.P.'

We have made quality education that U.P. represents accessible to all of our constituents.

Moreover, in the near future, we shall be establishing a Community College and a training facility accredited by TESDA. This training facility shall have an enrollment to employment program. 'Ti kayat na nga saoen daytoy, habang nagtratraning ka agururayen ti trabahom.' Bani shall be a center of outsourcing employment in Western Pangasinan, rpoviding skilled workers to the world.

Finally, we shall be providing scholarship and financial assistance to our qualified students, so that they may achieve their goals for a better future.

L is for Livelihood. Pagdating naman po sa Livelihood, the Municipal Council and I will make it a point to provide all of you with the tools and assistance that you will need to live a decent life.

For this, we are in the process of setting up a Technological and Livelihood Development Center which shall serve as a conduit for all technological and livelihood projects that we have in store for Bani.

We have great plans for infrastructure development, including farm-to-market roads and rural electrification programs.

We shall develop further our agricultural and aquacultural sectors of our community, giving our farmers and fishermen access to modern training, equipment and capital, to enable us to acquire food security and provide more business opportunity for all of you.

Finally, we in the municipal government will create the necessary atmosphere to stimulate business growth, job creation and capital investment.

P is for Peace and Order. As a former general of the Philippine National Police, peace and order is my advocacy. 'No adda iti talna ken ornos adda rang-ay tayo'. This is why I am going to enhance our local polics's operational and logistical capabilities like providing them with patrol cars and radios so that they will become more efficient.

Our local police shall likewise be the recipients of modern training which aims to enhance their crime-fighting and investigation skills. I will also be pushing for additional police officers to be assigned in BANI to help you with your concerns.

Finally, S stands for Self-Reliance. In the end, my dear friends, all our programs in Health, Education, Livelihood, and Peace and Order are designed to provide you with the opportunities and the desire to become SELF-RELIANT. There is no higher objective.

We in the municipal government shall provide you with the tools to become EMPOWERED. We are planning for your future, but you must grasp it and make it your own. 'Huwag na po nating sayangin ang pagkakataon na ito.'

I therefore end my speech with an appeal to everyone here today. All of us must realize that the success of BANI is dependent on the partnership between the government and people. Our BANI HELPS program is only effective when the community realizes that it must also do its share, that it must also make some sacrifices. 'Masapol mi unay iti ideya yo no kasano tayo nga pagranayen iti ili tayo a BANI. More importantly, we need you to demonstrate civic-mindedness by vogorously participating in our efforts. 'Hindi na po pwede yung patulog-tulog o yung naghihintay ng tulong. Hindi na rin po pwede na unahin ang pangsariling interest kaysa sa ating pamayanan.'

We must rise as a community, to do what we can do with the best of our abilities, with utmost dedication, and with the indomitable spirit to serve our people. 'No maaramid tayo daytoy, I can assure you, we will achieve the success and empowerment that BANI richly deserves.

'Ngarud kailian, orasen para agtrabaho tayo! Orasen para umasenso!

Dios ti agngi-na ken Mabuhay ang BANI!

 

MARCELO E. NAVARRO, JR.
Municipal Mayor