By DANNY O. SAGUN

THIS corner for quite a time has not written anything about his humble town San Jacinto.

In fact, the municipality has not been in the news, print or radio, for the past several months, except for its being mentioned as the possible site for the planned landfill dumpsite project of Dagupan City. Or when a project there was inaugurated by Congressman Joe de Venecia. Apart from these, no significant issue or event has been reported out from that small town.

We could well ask if government transactions there have all been above board so that nothing irregular is being mentioned or exposed by anybody especially from the sangguniang bayan as in the past. It seems that no one from the legislative body is willing to talk as shown by the absence of any media interviews unlike during those days when then Vice-Mayor Ranul Mejia was all over radio exposing alleged anomalies or then Councilor Philip
Terrado was enthusiastically discussing his proposed measures or projects.

We can only wonder if no mediaman or beat reporter has been assigned to cover that town now. Perhaps, our media colleagues have already grown tired of going there with the absence of big news or issues. Or our officials there are of the boksingero type so that no reporter would dare spend his little money for fare and food without an assurance he would get something in return.

Big issue or not, we would like to call the attention of our town officials there on the beautification project for the public plaza.

The front part of the plaza along the main road is now full of makeshift stalls a visitor could no longer see what is inside the plaza. Some five years ago, similar stalls were removed from the same area on the reason of beautification. The owners had to locate for themselves their stores. Only a few were accommodated at the newly-built market building a year or two later.

Indeed plaza renovation took place with the construction of a fence and some other concreting works courtesy of then House Speaker Joe de Venecia. We praised our town officials for that as we similarly lauded Mangaldan officials for the beautification project for their plaza.

Soon however, or only about a year later, one makeshift stall after another rose in that once-prohibited zone until the whole stretch of the main road was occupied by peddlers selling buko nuts, palamig, softdrinks, balot, barbecue, cigarettes, cellphone load, etc.

How and where they get electric power and how they are billed for consumption are big questions. Who authorized them to put UPthose stalls and how are they charged by the municipal government are similarly valid questions. What happened to the beautification program is another controversial question.

We thought our officials were really serious in their bid to make the town proper clean, sanitary and beautiful in the eyes of the town residents and their visitors.

Now, it seems we were wrong. Saddening!