TACLOBAN CITY– The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the region launched on Monday a campaign to make the forthcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) free of vote-buying and vote-selling.
Dubbed as ‘Kontra Bigay,’ the campaign was launched three days before the start of the campaign period which will run from October 19 to 28.
The program created a Kontra Bigay complaint center task to receive complaints and reports of vote-buying and vote-selling from any citizen who has personally witnessed the act of offering or promising by or of voter’s acceptance of money or other consideration from the relatives, leaders, or sympathizers of a candidate.
It shall assist in the preparation of the complaint, the affidavit of witnesses attesting to the offer or promise by or of voter’s acceptance of money or other consideration from the relatives, leaders, or sympathizers of a candidate.
In a statement, lawyer Felicisimo Embalsado, regional elections officer, said that the importance of a secured, accurate, free, honest, orderly, peaceful and credible election is the concern not only of the Comelec but all the stakeholders in our country.
He added that all these tend to motivate people to cooperate and develop trust which is a catalyst for unity. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
HOUSES FOR THE REFORMED REBELS. Soldiers are constructing 17 housing units intended for members of the New People’s Army who have surrendered to the government. The housing units are located in San Jose de Buan, Samar. Story on Page 19.(Photo Courtesy, Emy Calagos)
3 Leyte mayors claim EO 17-A unconstitutional
HOUSES FOR THE REFORMED REBELS. Soldiers are constructing 17 housing units intended for members of the New People’s Army who have surrendered to the government. The housing units are located in San Jose de Buan, Samar. Story on Page 19.(Photo Courtesy, Emy Calagos)
TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Rep.Richard Gomez dismissed the claims that an executive order he issued when he was the mayor of Ormoc City was contrary to the order of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to cancel the ‘pass through’ fee collection by local governments.
He also insisted that Executive Order 17-A he issued on February 27, 2020 did not impose any fee for vehicles transporting goods using the national roads within the city of Ormoc.
“EO 17-A only prohibited the exportation of sand and gravel materials from Ormoc City,” the Leyte solon said in a statement.
According to him, he issued the order on the basis of a report from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of ‘rampant illegal extraction and transport of sand and gravel materials and quarry materials’ in the district.
“So EO17-A was issued to address the urgent concerns in the DENR report, in the exercise of the authority by the city government to enforce measures for environmental protection, ecological balance, and environmental recovery…,” Gomez said.
“I did what was best for the people and the environment and I suggest other municipal mayors to do the same as well and respect the policies of mayors from other areas and observe their own jurisdictions,” he added.
To recall, Ramon Oñate of Palompon, Edgardo Cordeño of Isabel, and Bernardino Tacoy of Matag-ob claimed that Executive Order 17-A issued by Gomez is contrary to Executive Order 41 issued by Pres. Marcos.
They have sought the assistance of Interior Sec. Benhur Abalos for this local order be lifted.
The mayors claimed that EO 17-A is still being implemented by Mayor Lucy Torres Gomez.
On September 25, the President issued EO 41 directing all local government units to lift the ‘pass through’ fees to help lower the cost of goods and also help revive the local industries under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
The mayors claimed that EO 17-A has affected the flow of sand and gravel materials in the third district of Leyte as it resulted in the increase in prices of aggregates, in particular.
The mayors said that from the previous P900 per cubic meter, it now surged to P1,600 to P1,700 per cubic due to the additional cost of transporting it to their areas because vehicles that are transporting these materials have to pass to other municipalities to avoid crossing to Ormoc where their product will be confiscated as ordered under EO 17-A, they said.
“This EO 17-A is even more restrictive if not unconstitutional considering that it did not only impose fees upon entering the national highway of Ormoc City but it prohibits any sand and gravel business to pass through Ormoc City coming from other towns,” they said in their October 1 letter to Sec. Abalos.
The mayors, who are political allies of Rep. Gomez, hope that the DILG will intervene by ordering the city government of Ormoc to enforce the President’s EO 41 immediately.
SUPPORT FOR CHANGE. Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez expresses his support on the campaign of the United States Agency for International Development(USAID)’s Cities for Enhanced Governance and Engagement (CHANGE) during his talks with various non-government organizations held on Thursday (Oct. 12). (TCIO)
Mayor Romualdez shows support of USAID goals
SUPPORT FOR CHANGE. Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez expresses his support on the campaign of the United States Agency for International Development(USAID)’s Cities for Enhanced Governance and Engagement (CHANGE) during his talks with various non-government organizations held on Thursday (Oct. 12). (TCIO)
TACLOBAN CITY– To advocate for participatory governance, social accountability, and transparency, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) commenced on Thursday, October 12, at the Rosvenil Hotel, the two-day Safe Space and Trust Building in Governance, Consensus, and Network Building Seminar Workshop for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Tacloban City.
The activity, which will be held until Friday (Oct. 13), is a component of the Cities for Enhanced Governance and Engagement (CHANGE) and is being facilitated by USAID Change Project Component Leads Maria Paz Christi Moneva and Redempto Parafina, along with City Governance Coordinator Gemma Borreros and Program Coordinator Julie-Ann Deus.
To show his commitment to the event, Mayor Alfred Romualdez, in his welcome message during the event, underscored the significance of making smarter decisions and crafting policies that are adaptable to the culture to achieve development.The Chief Executive also expressed his gratitude to USAID for their support when the city was recovering from Super Typhoon Yolanda.
Among the CSOs participating in the two-day activity are the City PWD Federation, One Way Bike Club, World Vision, United Leymar Transport Cooperative, Kabalikat Civicom, United Architects of the Philippines Metro Tacloban, and PICE.
Increased engagement of CSOs in and oversight of local governance processes in a manner that the government approves of and supports is one of the goals of CHANGE.
One of the nine secondary cities where CHANGE initiatives are being carried out is Tacloban City. It is for this purpose that the local city council is being urged to approve the memorandum of understanding, which will most likely be finalized by the third week of November, 2023. (TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
TACLOBAN CITY – Tourism Sec. Christina Frasco will lead the groundbreaking for the construction of a tourist rest area (TRA) at the Balyuan grounds, this city.
The P10 million project will have its groundbreaking on November 7, city tourism officer Malou Tabao said.
According to Tabao, the location of the TRA is also where the causeway project will be built, connecting the city proper to the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport.
The proposed causeway project will serve as an alternate route in going to the airport from the city proper, cutting its time travel.
“The primary requirement is to make it accessible to the tourists. The TRA will serve as a convergence point for tourists serving as a tourism information area, buy pasalubong, and at the same time provide them comfort to freshen up,” Tabao said.
Aside from Sec. Frasco, the members of the Department of Tourism’s executive committee and management committee will also grace the groundbreaking, tourism regional director Karina Rosa Tiopes said.
Tiopes added that the TRA in Tacloban is one of two projects that will be funded by the Tourism Infrastructure Economic Zone Authority (TIEZA), the funding arm of the tourism department.
The other TRA that will be constructed is in Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
The town of Guiuan is where Sulangan Church, a pilgrimage site flocked by hundreds of people every weekend, and the Calicoan Island, the premier surfing destination in the Visayan region. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY – The city government of Borongan will be entering another memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Philippine Airlines (PAL) for the country’s national carrier to continue its operation at the city’s airport.
This was disclosed by Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda who said that the current agreement is set to expire in December.
The said agreement, signed on November 30, 2022, paved the way for PAL to open a flight in Borongan City.
PAL’s inaugural flight at Borongan City Airport started on December 19, 2022.
Agda said that during the renewal of the agreement, they will try to appeal for PAL to increase an additional flight from the current twice-a-week flight, or every Monday or Friday.
Agda noted of the favorable passenger traffic in September when PAL had two additional flights for the city fiesta.
On the suggestions to make the present Manila-Cebu-Borongan a direct Manila-Borongan flight, Mayor Agda said that he prefers the present set-up because there is a demand for Cebu-Borongan airline passengers. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Barangay residents of Sta. Elena, Lubi-lubi, and Cagngaran, all in La Paz, Leyte are soon to enjoy a better and concrete road which is to be completed soon.
Barangay residents of Sta. Elena, Lubi-lubi, and Cagngaran, all in La Paz, Leyte are soon to enjoy a better and concrete road which is to be completed soon.
TACLOBAN CITY– To divert traffic congestion in the town center, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office (L2DEO) continue the construction of the new by-pass and diversion road in La Paz, Leyte.
The construction of the La Paz Bypass and Diversion Road is a multi-year project of the DPWH. It measures 1.70 kilometers, including a bridge traversing the villages of Sta. Elena to Cagngaran, and Lubi-lubi, La Paz.
The multi-year project started in 2021 for the construction of a bridge and in 2022 for the concreting of 4-lane-wide Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP) with sidewalks and a drainage system.
For the current year, the department allotted another 45.91 million for the said project.
The completion of the whole stretch of the La Paz By-Pass Road is expected to provide better accessibility to the people of La Paz and nearby municipalities.
Oppura emphasized the need for improved transportation in the area to boost economic activity and livelihood, particularly in the agricultural sector, and to provide alternate commuters and additional capacity. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
