GUINDULMAN, under Mayor Maria Fe Piezas now embarks on creating its own transparency in governance tool via a newsletter it is planning to produce.   And by equipping its vast pool of writers, she believes the effort would be worth it.   In a meeting with key department heads and consultants last January 28, Piezas bared anew her administration's thrust on the importance of transparency in government and in support to information and technology with the planned activity.   The information tool, a publication tentatively billed as Sidlak, or Bidlisiw would be distributed to the town constituents to let the people know of the affairs in government.

The newsletter, a purely developmental channel for news and feedback mechanism would also be posted on the town official website for easy browsing by Guindulmanons eager to read the news from home while staying abroad. “We believe that our constituents are entitled to know our government affairs and undertakings. We want these happenings to be disseminated to all and sundry so that there would be closer coordination between our local government and the community,” the mayor stated in her communication to department town heads.  We are duty-bound to give them the current and factual information due the, as well as develop the talents of our personnel in the art of proper information and communication, she stressed. As this developed, department heads sat down for a day-long writing workshop conducted at the Municipal Library February 5, with the mayor visibly participating, observers said.

 The department heads would act as the core group so as to ascertain sustainability of the project.  Aside from the department heads whom she eyed to compose the editorial staff, Piezas and the project organizers said they would be using the help of the town's barangay secretaries as reporters and feature writer-contributors. Bracing for another empowerment seminar in newswriting for the barangay scribes set Tuesday, secretary to the mayor, Felix Casingcasing said there have been many worthy events happening ion the town that could not make it to the news because the people are not empowered yet. Pressing on this fact, Municipal Local government Officer Jose Jekeri Taningco is hopeful that people would get to participate more in governance with the new venue. All of these while the local officials also believe that empowering its people through information would necessarily elevate the level of coordination between the government and its constituents, and spur local development. (rachiu/PIA)