Taxes are not paid for souvenirs, and public services are not commodities to be wrapped in personal branding. Lashbacks followed Calapan Mayor Doy Leachon’s recent program of providing the youth with school necessities personalized with his own branding—a pervasive technique: propaganda disguised as public service.

While some people may argue that the program aims to serve the youth and bring assistance—which is a very admirable initiative from the city’s administration—it does not give any official or institution the right to integrate their own branding into services made possible through the people’s pockets.

This is the very instigation of misleading the vulnerable sectors of society.

Service is expected and not a favor. Officials are expected to act accordingly to the jobs they signed up for, one of which is providing the people with programs detached from their personal benefit. The mayor’s office’s decision to put up his political color within the public goods implies the color-box phenomenon—rubbing off his identity as a campaign in exchange for the people’s loyalty.

These acts are detrimental and a violation of the newly issued Anti-Epal Policy of 2026, where it is elucidated that no public official’s name, photo, logo, initials, color motifs, slogans, or other identifying symbols should appear on project signages, markers, tarpaulins, or materials funded with public money. If the goal is to supply the youth with the services they need and not to publicly exploit government funds, such actions must be stopped.

This issue does not solely exist in Calapan’s region but across the whole nation, where it should not be treated as a mere trifle, but rather as a malignant intent to misuse, trick, and take advantage of public resources for an official’s personal gain and perks.

Public funds are not meant to be anyone’s personal potluck, nor a private bank for a politician’s own social and political network. To handle the public’s funds, one must show the virtue of a true leader who respects the program’s objectives without any malfeasance.