TACLOBAN CITY – Board Member Trinidad Apostol cushioned her colleagues at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to exercise diligence in approving a usufruct agreements for construction of offices at the Government Center in Palo town.
Apostol, who is a former congresswoman from Leyte’s second district, said that while she is not opposed with the provincial government entering usufruct agreements with other government offices, these should be given some serious considerations.
She said that considering that the Government Center, which houses several regional government offices, is fast becoming a prime economic property in Leyte, the provincial board should first take its “pros and cons.”
This call of Apostol amid approval of usufruct agreements entered by the provincial government under Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla with various government agencies.
The provincial government is set to enter usufruct agreements with the Regional Highway Patrol Unit-8, Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Civil Defense.
Apostol said the provincial government has first to ensure that the stipulations agreed upon in the usufruct are met before Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and the provincial board approves such contract.
The usufruct agreement usually involves a 25-year term which is renewable by another 25 years.
Also, the regional office can take possession of the property within one year from the signing of the usufruct and should undertake construction within two years from the execution of the contract.
The usufruct further states that the ownership of the building and all other alterations, improvements or additions on the property will remain with the provincial government at the end of the term or during renewal.
Gov. Petilla earlier said that entering into contract of usufruct with regional government agencies and other offices is part of a grand plan of the province to develop and fully utilize the government center property.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Regional Development Council (RDC) has approved on Friday the P651.66 billion 2017-2022 Regional Development Investment Program (RDIP) after months of drafting and series of consultations.
The amount has increased significantly from the total P430 billion proposed prior to the RDC sector committee meetings three weeks ago.
“There was an adjustment because we included more infrastructure projects especially those aligned in the priority of the Duterte administration. We need to build, build, build to support the President’s priority programs,” said RDC Vice Chairman and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Bonifacio Uy.
The RDIP contains a list and brief profile of programs and projects of agency regional offices and state universities and colleges in support of strategies outlined in the Regional Development Plan (RDP).
It also includes a list of activities of the six provincial governments in the region proposed for official development assistance funding and implementation by the central government.
The RDC will proofread the approved investment program, print the document, and send to the NEDA main office by October.
“This is still subject to regular updating to see what the needed projects are every year. Projects that are deemed important and critical for the region to attain development plan,” Uy added.
The projects and activities in the RDIP concretize the strategies in the main RDP. It has 15 key strategies meant to reduce poverty and sustain economic growth.
The 15 plan of actions are science and technology innovations, reducing inequality in opportunities in human development, accelerating infrastructure development, promoting regional competitiveness, reaching for the demographic dividend, promoting Eastern Visayas culture and values formation expanding economic opportunities in farming and fisheries.
Other strategies are enhancing peace, security, public order, and justice administration; enhancing disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and mitigation; enhancing good governance; building resiliency of individuals and families; expanding economic opportunities in industry; maintaining ecological integrity and a clean and healthy environment; providing an enabling and supportive macroeconomic environment; and expanding economic opportunities in services.
The RDP, which serves as the blueprint of the region’s development direction, is anchored on the Sustainable Development Goals, the Long-Term Vision of Filipinos or “Ambisyon Natin 2040” and President Duterte’s 0+10 Point Socioeconomic Agenda.
The RDC, the region’s highest policymaking body, approved the new RDP during its full council meeting on December 20, 2016.
Under the plan, the region aims to attain 5.2 percent to 5.7 percent economic growth in 2017.
For 2018 to 2022, the average target is 5.8 percent to 7 percent. In 2015, the region posted a remarkable growth of 3.9 percent in the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) due to massive post-Yolanda reconstruction activities.
The 2015 performance is a “significant turnaround” after the region incurred a 2.4 percent contraction in 2014, largely due to the destruction of the monster typhoon.
The region suffered a big drop in GRDP in 2012 at negative 6.8 percent after a minimal 2.1 percent increase in 2011.
It was followed with a big leap to 4.6 percent in 2013 due to the good economy before super typhoon “Yolanda” struck.
Last year, the region’s GRDP surged 12.4 percent, the highest among 17 regions in the country.
(Sarwell Q. Meniano/PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Philippine Ports Authority here joined the national maritime week with series of activities lined-up.
The holding of the said activity is in consonance of Proclamation 1094 issued by former President Fidel Ramos.
This year’s celebration has the theme, “Connecting ships, ports, and people”.
The week-long celebration kicked on Sunday (September 24) with a motorcade attended by various agencies followed by a mass.
Fire drills were done on the third day of the activity. Coastal clean-up, mangrove planting, feeding program and bloodletting were also held on Sept.27.
The week-long celebration ended on Friday (Sept.29) with a program held at the Leyte Park.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard ensured despite lack of its enforcers, the port area of Tacloban is secured from shipments of illegal drugs and that they are conducting maritime security patrol to prevent any entry of illegal drugs.(EMILY MONTALLANA, LNU STUDENT INTERN)