Businessman seeks San Simon’s mayoralty post

SAN SIMON - A businessman engaged in the construction industry on Wednesday finalized his bid to seek the mayoralty post here as he filed his certificate of candidacy at the local Commission on Elections. Abundio “Jun” Punsalan, Jr., cousin of Pampanga Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Officer Art Punsalan, said he is seeking to challenge the current administration’s almost 18-year reign in the town.

Punsalan will be facing former three term and comebacking Mayor Rodrigo “Digos” Canlas, whose candidacy is backed by incumbent Mayor Leonora Wong. Canlas served the position in 2001 to 2010 and was succeeded by his then candidate Wong who is set to finish his term in 2019.

If elected, Punsalan said he will focus on upgrading health services for Simonians, and will prioritize the construction of a community hospital with at least 50bed capacity and complete with a dialysis center.

“I will also provide ambulances for each barangay, upgrade social services, including the door-to-door delivery of senior citizens’pension, and hopefully uplift the lives of our farmers here,” he said.

Punsalan also noted of his aim to provide youth development programs by engaging them into sports and providing a wide scope of job opportunities, especially on the factories in the industrial zone here.

Meanwhile, Punsalan said he is running under the Partido Laban Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan party along with his slate vice-mayor aspirant Migs Yambao, and councilorables incumbent Vice-Mayor Honorato “Keko” Almario, Dading Santos, Dey Tayag, Mark Macapagal, Olson Santos, Ruby Simbulan, Jeanette David, and Richneil Bravo.