Sees lots of benefits

TACLOBAN CITY—The proposed establishment of a naval base in Leyte, initiated through a resolution approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, has gained the support of Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez.

Romualdez, who chairs the Regional Peace and Order Council, said that having such a facility in the province and Eastern Visayas would be a significant advantage.

“Yes, I welcome it. You know, they wouldn’t propose a naval base without thorough study. There is always a reason behind it,” he said when asked for his reaction to the resolution.
Romualdez, a cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., emphasized that aside from enhancing security, a naval base could also help attract investors to the region and even during a disaster situation.

“If it boosts security and even business confidence, why not? In the last 10 to 15 years, we’ve seen naval bases provide critical support, especially during typhoons and other disasters,” the city mayor said.

He dismissed concerns that establishing a naval base in Leyte could make the province a potential target for foreign attacks.

“No other country will invade us. That won’t happen,” Romualdez said.

The Leyte provincial board passed the resolution on Dec. 3, inviting the Department of National Defense (DND) to construct a naval and airstrip facility in Leyte.

Board Member Carlo Loreto, the proposal’s author, said the facility would enhance security in the province and the entire region, while also contributing to economic growth and disaster response efforts.

Leyte’s strategic location, he added, makes it an ideal site for a naval base.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro previously announced plans to construct additional naval bases and airstrips across the country as part of the DND’s efforts to strengthen national defense capabilities.

These facilities are also intended to support the Philippine Navy’s new assets under the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.

Earlier, Teodoro confirmed plans to establish a new naval base in Misamis Oriental, which will serve as the Philippine Navy’s central operations hub in Mindanao.
(JOEY A.GABIETA)

CALBAYOG CITY– Agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) Gary Rubante from this city was so happy to receive from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) his Certificate of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROM) on Sunday, December 8, which relieved him from financial burden over the farmland awarded to him under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

“Maraming-maraming salamat po kay Secretary Conrado Estrella III ng DAR at kay Pangulong Bongbong Marcos dahil ipinagkaloob nya po ito. Sa wakas ay wala na po kaming babayarang ganito kalaking halaga, P111,842,” Rubante exclaimed.

Rubante is one of the 1,504 ARBs from the provinces of Western Samar and Northern Samar who are the first recipients of COCROM distributed in Eastern Visayas, held at the Calbayog Sports Center.

Presidential sister, Senator Imee Marcos, was supposed to hand the 2,140 COCROMs that will erase P41,333,397.65 of unpaid amortizations and debts incurred from the 2,813-hectare lands awarded to them under agrarian reform programs. But due to the inclement weather, she was not permitted by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to depart from the Tacloban City airport.

The distribution rites proceeded with DAR Assistant Secretary Rene Colocar alongside DAR Eastern Visayas Regional Director Robert Anthony Yu, Samar First District Representative Stephen James Tan, Vice Governor Arnold Tan, and City Mayor Raymund Uy, leading the distribution.

On July 7 last year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 11953, or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act that will condone P57.557 billion principal debts of 610,054 ARBs nationwide.

Aside from the COCROMs, 592 electronically generated individual titles under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project and 10 Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) covering an aggregate area of 1,127.1534 hectares were likewise given to 532 ARBs from the above mentioned provinces on the same occasion.
Meanwhile, Marcos instead sent a video message which was shown during the said event.
(JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA/PR)