TACLOBAN CITY- The municipal government of San Miguel in Leyte recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Leyte Normal University that aims to help improve employees of said local government unit in dealing with their clients.  Mayor Cheeryl Enrica Esperas said that the agreement will surely help the employees to improve their skills in terms of human behavior in dealing with the public. “Dako gud it gamit hini nga MOA signing para an ngatanan nga mga empleyado han municipyo in mahibaro hin maupay nga pagtagad ngada han mga San Miguilnon nga makanhi ha municipyo or ano pa man it ira mga transaction dinhi ha LGU San Miguel,” Mayor Esperas added.

They are to teach customer relations, records management, financial management project, personality development and many others. Mayor Esperas said that those who will conduct the training are master teachers of the LNU who are doctorate holders. The town mayor appeals to the employees to avail the free skills training citing its benefits. Meantime, Mayor Esperas said that the improvement of the town water system will proceed as the needed funds of P12 million will be released. The water system project, located in Barangay Caray-caray, is funded under the Bottoms Up Budgetary of the Department of Interior and Local Government. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)

TACLOBAN CITY– At least eight projects under the first batch of the Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda (RAY) for Eastern Visayas is not yet complete nearly two years after the national government downloaded the budget to recipient local government units (LGUs).

Concerned LGUs are given until the end of this year to finish the construction of state-owned buildings, according to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Eastern Visayas Regional Director Pedro S. Noval, Jr. These projects are the town hall in Guiuan, Eastern Samar; public market in Tanauan, Leyte; civic center in Palo, Leyte; city hall extension and public market in Tacloban City and the city hall in Ormoc City.

“Based on our assessment, majority of these remaining sub-projects will be completed on or before the end of August 2016,” Noval said. “We’re extending technical assistance and regularly monitor the progress of implementation. Through this, the DILG can immediately provide technical assistance to address concerns,” he added.
The delay is attributed to the local government unit’s decision to strictly follow the Government Procurement Reform Act, which requires lengthy bidding and procurement processes.

“Very few opted to negotiate contract which is allowed in view of the fact that the President declared the state of national calamity,” Noval told PNA. Under RAY batch 1, the national government has poured P937 million funds for repair of 54 buildings owned by 61 town and city governments along supertyphoon Yolanda’s path in Eastern Visayas region. The second batch focuses on rebuilding of village facilities. RAY is the government’s strategic plan to guide the recovery and reconstruction of the economy, lives, and livelihoods in the affected areas. The objective of the plan is to restore the economic and social conditions of these areas at the very least to their pre-typhoon levels and to a higher level of disaster resilience. (SQM)