GERONA, Tarlac (Feb. 20, 2026) — In a departure from typical political rhetoric, Mayor May Eclar utilized the fundamental principles of physics to explain the achievements of the Gerona local government.
Addressing local officials and employees, Eclar invoked Newton’s Third Law of Motion to frame the responsibilities of public service, suggesting that governance is less about spontaneous luck and more about the cumulative impact of deliberate actions.
“Dahil sabi ko nga hindi lang yan minsanan, hindi lang ngayong administration na ito, pero this is a collaborative effort of everyone,” Eclar said, referring to the major awards and recognitions the LGU has recently secured.
Just recently, the LGU was awarded “Drug-Free Workplace Certification,” “Balangay Seal of Excellence,” and “Best Accounting Office in the Philippines,” in addition to the multi-year Seal of Good Local Governance. Ten of the town’s villages were also cited as Tarlac’s Best Barangay Passers.
She emphasized that these achievements did not materialize in a vacuum but were the direct result of a “force” exerted by a unified workforce over time. To the leader, the awards serve as the physical evidence of the energy invested by every department.
Eclar, a former public school teacher, was also blunt regarding the consequences of administrative inertia, particularly concerning the town’s strict “drug-free workplace” policy. She noted that the “reaction” to a lack of oversight would be a direct hit to the town’s operational integrity.
“Kung hindi tayo nagka-conduct ng mga random drug testing, pinabayaan lang natin yung ating mga kasamahan. Ano ang magiging consequence? Maaring hindi maganda, hindi magiging efficient and effective ang ating pagtatrabaho,” she warned.
The lady mayor further applied this “action-reaction” logic to the basic discipline of civil servants, specifically citing attendance and punctuality. She noted that while high performance yields “all praises or possible positive feedback,” neglect results in a “heavy” punishment that matches the weight of the infraction.
“Pag lagi kang late, lagi kang absent, nagpapabaya ka sa trabaho. Medyo mabigat, so mabigat din ang magiging kaparusahan,” she said.
By comparing life and governance to “picking up a barbecue stick,” Eclar reminded the assembly that every choice in the public eye has two ends—one that provides a safe handle for progress and another that carries the sharp point of consequence.
She urged the staff to make “honest choices” in their daily duties, noting that while the math of physics was difficult to compute in school, the application of its laws in the town hall should be clear to everyone.
“Sana, yung lesson na yan sa physics. Nung tayo ay nag-aaral, gaano man kahirap i-compute yan before, sana mas madali ngayon na i-apply natin sa buhay natin,” the local chief executive concluded.
