Forget about his foul-language – invectives thrown to Catholic leaders, and other unpalatable remarks which we should already now be used to, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte struck it out right at the nail’s head reminding government leaders and employees to do their jobs with sincerity and in all honesty.
He emphasized that they must report to office on time and be in the office for the whole duration without spending part of the day’s work guiltlessly gallivanting around, or else..!Reports have reached him that many of these employees do it already as a bad habit.
Indeed, employees who do this are short-changing government by being paidfull salary for the whole day.
The President was in Sta. Elena in the city to visit and inspect the housing projects intended for Typhoon Yolanda victims.
To many this may just be an ordinary sound bite of a reminder. But since it came from this President, who really means what he says the call registers and effectively seepsinto the hearts and minds of government workers because the Presidentexpressed them with convincing authority and that they know President really mean it, that if they will justtake this lightly, they know it will be dangerous for them, knowing the President.
Some old lessons in public service re-emphasized by Digong and rightly so!
Mayor Romualdez to work closely with gov’t agencies at the “Yolanda” resettlement sites
TACLOBAN CITY – Coinciding with the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday (January 25) to New Hope Village Housing Project in Barangay Sta. Elena, this city, Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez committed to work closely with the national government in projects that would benefit “Yolanda”-hit families in the city.
New Hope Village is a project of the National Housing Authority (NHA) for displaced Yolanda-hit families. It has 1,000 units; 900 units have already been raffled off to beneficiaries while some 500 are now occupied.
Mayor Romualdez said that the city government is putting up satellite offices in resettlement sites to bring much needed services to resettled families while committing to work closely with the national government for the benefit of Yolanda survivors.
Meantime, Mayor said, “… the visit speaks a lot of the government’s thrust to ensure that displaced residents gets decent housing… safer, better living condition.”
“It’s an indication that the national government is there to share the city government’s effort to ensure self-sustaining communities that will nurture future Taclobanons,” she added.
Since assuming office in July 2016, Mayor Romualdez has made the transfer of displaced families to their new homes at the relocation sites as her top priority.
In fact, before the November 8 visit of President Duterte wherein he issued orders to fast track Yolanda projects, the city government-led initiative Caring Giving and Reaching Out has moved close to 3,000 households to the relocation sites.
The city government has also endeavored to bring much needed utilities, like potable water to the sites which lack basic amenities.
President Duterte, during his Wednesday visit, issued a stern warning to government agencies involved in Yolanda rehabilitation to complete the transfer of 14,433 families in Tacloban City from coastal communities to resettlement sites by March of this year.
Mr. Duterte said he is giving officials 15 days to submit the required documents and permits.
“So by March…lahat…March, nandiyan na ‘yan. Tubig, ibigay mo sa tao, libre ‘yan…tapusin niyo ‘yan, 15 days, directors,” ordered Duterte.
“’Pag ayaw mo, I will charge you with neglect of duty…I will charge you administratively, ‘wag na ‘yung criminal charges, matagal eh…I can suspend you, then you’ll go to court,” he added
The President promised to return to Tacloban on March to check on the status of relocation in permanent resettlement sites. (HENRY JAMES G.ROCA/CIO)
Rep. Romualdez pushes education for the elderlies
TACLOBAN CITY- Leyte Rep. Yedda Romualdez defended before the committee on higher and technical education of the House of Representatives her proposed law granting full scholarship to undergraduate senior citizens.
Romualdez, vice chairperson of the House’ committee on government enterprises and privatization, sponsored House Bill 3704 or the “Senior Citizen Scholarship Act of 2016.
The committee has started deliberation on pending bills granting free college education.
Rep. Romualdez said that her proposal would help undergraduate senior citizens to improve their lives by giving them the chance and opportunity to finish their four-year degree in any state college and university.
The Leyte congresswoman requested the panel led by Zamboanga Sibugay Rep. Ann Hoffer to adopt the explanatory note of her measure as her sponsorship speech.
“The primary objective of this bill is to protect and promote the constitutionally upheld right to quality education and to ensure that education is accessible to all, without discrimination on the basis of age,” Romualdez said.
The congresswoman stressed that senior citizens are a valued part of Filipino society.
“In fact, the Constitution promotes not only their well-being and social security, but more importantly, their continued personal growth and development,” she said.
“Furthermore, this proposed law will also promote a more meaningful social participation and engagement by Filipino senior citizens in the present community and keep them active and creative in their retirement years,” said Romualdez.
Under her measure, a senior citizen will be given automatic full scholarship in the form of free tuition in a state college or university. (PR)
PCA administrator vows to sack officials if coco logging continues
PALO, Leyte- The administrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) said that he would not think twice in removing provincial heads or even regional managers if they could not stop the occurrence of coconut logging at their respective areas.
Avelino Andal, PCA administrator, said on Thursday (January 26) during a press conference, that coco logging remains “rampant” in several provinces in the country, to include Eastern Visayas which saw more than 13 million coconut trees destroyed when it was hit by super typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013.
Andal, however, did not say the exact magnitude of coconut logging in the country except to say that it ranges to “minimal” in certain area and “worse” in other areas.
“I told them of movement of people. For those areas where coco logging continues, I have already decided that if they could not get rid of the coco logging, they would be transferred to provinces where there are no coconuts,” Andal said during a press conference held at the regional office of the PCA at the Government Center in Palo, Leyte.
According to him, he was “disappointed” that there were PCA officials who appear not following RA 8048 or the Coconut Preservation Act which prohibits illegal cutting of coconut trees.
Andal had recently issued an order for a moratorium in the cutting of coconut trees except if needed like if the trees could pose danger to one’s life or fell due to natural calamity like typhoon or in case of a road widening project.
The moratorium took effect last January 3.
Andal, however, could not say yet as to when the moratorium in the cutting of coconut trees would be lifted.
“Cutting coconut trees is a criminal offense. It’s like killing a human being. The reason for this is that it takes five to seven years before you can produce yield in each and every coconut tree,” the PCA administrator said.
He said that “several” apprehensions have already been made against those who violated the moratorium. Andal, however, could not provide details on this. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
Catbalogan city mayor joins group that will mark Magellan’s 500th year navigation
TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan was elected as the vice chair for Asia as part of the preparation of the 500th year anniversary of explorer Ferdinand Magellan navigation around the world.
The Catbalogan city mayor was elected during the gathering of mayors where Magellan navigated 500 years ago in a meeting held in Lisbon, Portugal dubbed as the Red Mundial de Ciudades Magallanicas o Global Network of Magellan Cities (GNMC).
Magellan was a Portuguese but worked under Spanish flag when he conducted the navigation in 1519 to 1522.
“Our commitment for the promotion of Magellan’s route as the first circumnavigation of the world along with the preparation of the 500th anniversary of the said feat scheduled in 2019-2022 is few of the tasks of the network along with the coordination between countries for updating and partnerships,” Uy-Tan said in a statement.
Although Magellan only landed in Homonhon Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Catbalogan was invited to be part of the network being a former capital of the Samar Island.
The Global Network of Magellan Cities is a network of all the cities that Magellan travelled to on the first ever journey around the world, promoting collaborative participation and cooperation among the different cities that share the history of Magellan’s first journey.
This network of cities will celebrate the 5th century of Magellan’s journey that took place from 1519 to 1522 this coming 2019 to 2022.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
N. Samar town marks “Agta Festival” in honor of Sto. Niño de Bobon
BOBON, Northern Samar- More than 3,000 people witnessed this year’s “Agta Festival” held this town in honor of Sto.Niño de Bobon.
The yearly festival is held every January 8 with the batch members of the Bobon Central School year 1979-1980 and Bobon National High School year 1983-1984 as this year’s “hermanos and hermanas.”
Susana Coloma, municipal tourism officer, said that the concelebrated mass was presided by Catarman Bishop Emmanuel Trance with co-celebrant Msgr. Gaspar Balerete, parish priest and was joined by other Catarman clergy and visiting priests.
Seven “tribes” joined in this year’s “Agta Festival” which competed for the prizes at stake. About 30 other motorized banca and balsa also joined the boat racing competition.
Declared as winners in the tribal dance competition with their respective prizes: first prize winner- “Tribu Cayang” of San Jose town, P30,000; 2nd Prize- “Tribung Itim,”– Bobon, P20,000; and the third prize, “Tribu San Rafael” of Catarman,P10,000.
The non-winners received P5,000 each.
Minor awards were also given with an additional P5,000 to Tribu Cayang for best costume; and Tribu San Roquenhon of San Roque town as most disciplined, while Tribung Itim as best in dance interpretation.
Meanwhile, in the balsa competition, for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd placers, each received P10,000; P7,000 and P4,000, respectively.
Mayor Reny Celespara, in his message, acknowledged his deepest gratitude for all the sacrifices of their town’s officers and members of the tourism council and this year’s hermanas and hermanos that resulted to the success of this year’s Agta Festival.
“Apisar san at inatubang nga kalamidad ug iba pa nga klase sin kakurian, waray kita mag pa apekto lugod dayon an aton mabaskog nga nga pagkaurosa pinagi san aton tinuig nga selebrasyon kan Sr. Sto. Niño,” the town mayor said.
(PETER D. PAREDES)