The town of Rodriguez in Rizal Province holds its 149th Araw ng Montalban on Monday, and while the ongoing enhanced community quarantine means public gatherings are out of the question, Rizal 2nd District Rep. Fidel Nograles has other ideas to inject a bit of festiveness.
Nograles will be launching a food and nutrition program in the town to commemorate the historic day, where he will personally visit the town’s different barangays to distribute food to 2,000 poor households.
He also revealed that the food package will include live chicken and a bag of vegetables.
“Imbes na ang mga kababayan natin ang dudumog, tayo na po ang lalapit sa kanila, practicing the proper protocol, of course,” the neophyte lawmaker said.
He also revealed that the food package will include live chicken and a bag of vegetables to emphasize the need to eat healthy amid the pandemic.
“Magandang mapag-usapan ang isyu ng kalusugan sa panahon na ito, kaya gagamitin natin itong pagkakataon para marinig ang hinaing ng mga kababayan natin, at para rin magabayan sila sa mga hakbang na puwede nilang gawin para siguruhin ang kalusugan ng pamilya,” said Nograles.
The solon also said he has coordinated with the local agriculture office so that families interested in planting vegetables and other food crops could get starter kits.
Nograles also reiterated that there is an ongoing push to revert to the town’s old name of Montalban through House Bill No. 337, which he filed during the First Regular Session.
The bill, he said, seeks to address the confusion over the name as well as the disconnect between the government and the people.
“The name Rodriguez has simply not stuck almost forty years after the name change. Almost everybody still calls the town Montalban, even outsiders. Naniniwala tayong mas mapapalapit ang taumbayan sa pamahalaang-lokal kung ibabalik natin ang pangalang Montalban,” the solon said.
He added that the people are proud of the name Montalban and its history, and reverting to the old name could tap into the people’s connection with the land to spark civic interest.