Jul 03, 2009

City councilors vow to make Sangyaw Festival more impressive

By April Rose Q. Uykieng

Leyte Samar Daily Express

TACLOBAN CITY -- With the success of the Sangyaw festival, majority members of the city council are pushing for a more impressive Sangyaw Festival in next year's fiesta celebrations in order to promote tourism to the international level and have more visitors coming in and joining the festival.

Councilor Jerry "Sambo" Yaokasin said that an amount of P5 million was recently allocated for this year's Sangyaw festival which aims to promote tourism in the city.

"We are promoting tourism to Tacloban and pushing the economic status of the city. We are hoping that Tacloban will be known not only nationally but also internationally,"Yaokasin said.

"It is a conservative budget. But hopefully by next year the budget will be more than 5 million. It's an annual budget and the city has funds for it coming from the Tourism Program. It's money well spent," Yaokasin added.

Yaokasin also said "there is a breakdown report that the City Tourism Council already submitted. It is shown there down to the last centavo is accounted for."

This report on Sangyaw's funding was supported by Councilor Bianco Mate and Councilor Cristeta Pedrosa.

"The 5 million budget is a conservative amount. That amount is the liquidation of the previous year. However, the city is already a highly urbanized city so we can afford to have a higher amount for the next year's festival," Councilor Mate said.

In another development, the issue on garbage that were scattered around the city on the day of the Kasadyaan Festival parade, Councilor Mate said, "Actually, what happened was that the garbage trucks were blocked by the PNP personnel to enter the city. That was the reason why the garbage were not collected on that day and on time. There is a schedule for garbage collection around the city."

Councilor Rufino Pacanan suggested that garbage should be taken out by the establishments at night, and be collected by garbage collectors during the night time. So it will not cause traffic jam.

The city councilors want to have unity with the Provincial officials for the next year's celebration of Sangyaw.

"We are open to unifying the two festivals. It would be good to have one big festival rather than have two and be in bad terms with the other," this from Councilor Cristina Romualdez.

"Para naman ito sa celebration ng Sto. Niño festivity hindi naman ito para sa amin lang. This is for all Taclobanons to enjoy and who wants to celebrate the fiesta," she said.

Councilor Robert Hernandez thanked the people who made those comments regarding the Sangyaw Festival. "Nagpapasalamat ako han mga tawo nga nagbabatikos ha amon, para upayon pa namon it amon trabaho ngan pa-uru-upayon pa it sunod nga Sangyaw Festival. There is room for improvement that the city and the city councilors can do for the next Sangyaw Festival celebration," he said.

Jul 02, 2009

LMWD GM challenges Mayor Romualdez to put up another water district in Tacloban

By Miriam Garcia Desecada

Leyte Samar Daily Express

TACLOBAN CITY -- The general manager of Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) has reiterated his challenge to Mayor Alfred Romualdez in his campaign promise for the Highly Urbanized City to put up now the city government-owned water district.

This is what LMWD general manager Nestor "Gang-Gang" Villasin told the media in an interview, stressing that since Mayor Romualdez warned that if there would be a continued poor delivery of water service of LMWD to water concessionaires of Tacloban, it might force the city government to establish a city water district.

Villasin said that LMWD has been no objection and even welcomes this plan of the city chief executive.

"Putting another water district in Tacloban is always a welcome move, and a good plan so that they could help solve the water crisis in the city, pero kon diin hira kukuha hin surok hin tubig it is no longer the problem of LMWD, considering that since I assumed my position as head of LMWD I never claimed that we have sufficient supply of water because of the system of the water distribution that could no longer accommodate the increasing number of water consumers under the coverage of LMWD," Villasin explained.

"Anu pa man an ginhuhulat nira, now that Tacloban is already a highly urbanized city, so it's time for them to put up their own water district," he added.

It was earlier announced by the LMWD management that the design of LMWD system could accommodate 18,000 water concessionaires and it has now reached to more than 27,000 household water consumers.

He said the LMWD has allotted some P25.6 million that will finance the entire project, and the bidding process is going on.

"Hihigupon an tubig tikang hiton aton surok han tubig ha Tingib, Pastrana, Leyte para we could properly distribute the water to the consumers. I am confident there is going to be an improvement as our option right now to solve the water problem in this city," Villasin said.

Villasin is optimistic about the multi-billion worth of water system expansion that will be financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

In fact, he said, the team of ADB is set to present the just completed feasibility about the project next week, hoping that this would be pushed through soonest.

Villasin warned the city government that it is not easy to establish their own water district, considering many laws for them to follow aside from the big budget needed for the purpose.

But Mayor Romualdez has found an ally in the Senate that is willing to help the city's problem of water adequate water supply.

During the visit of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, he urged Mayor Romualdez to ask a franchise in Congress for the city government to have its own water system.

"I suggested to the mayor to get a franchise from the House of Representatives for this purpose. I am willing to help the city, this is a public utility service, so they could put up their own water facilities, and water is the cheapest one we have natural sources, so there is no reason para magkaroon tayo ng hindi efficient water distribution," Enrile commented.

Meanwhile, the provincial administrator of Leyte, Vincent Emnas, appealed that any rally against LMWD would not be a solution for the water crisis that Tacloban consumers are confronting today.

"Dapat ngani ginhihimangrawan ini han mga concerned officials in LMWD as well as in the city government para mahaagian hin solusyon," Emnas added.

Jul 01, 2009

Archbishop Palma urges prov'l, city officials to unite

By Joey A. Gabieta

Leyte Samar Daily Express

TACLOBAN CITY - The region's highest prelate, Archbishop Jose Palma, exhorted officials from the city and the province to unite for them to achieve their goals that would benefit their respective constituents.
Palma made his appeal to city and provincial officials during his over 30 minutes Homily during yesterday's Pontifical Mass marking the 120th city fiesta.

Officials of the two local government units need each other reason that they should not turn against each other, the archbishop of the Palo stressed.

"We need one another. Our city needs the province (as) the province needs the city," the archbishop said in his Homily attended by thousands of faithful at the Santo Niño Church.

He added: "If we believe that we need other people to lead (our) people, we can say that we are the happiest in the world."

His call was heard loud and clear by Mayor Alfred Romualdez who led the Romualdez-Marcos pack who attended the two-hour Pontifical Mass.

Present were his aunt, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, cousin Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, wife Councilor Cristina Gonzales- Romualdez and his father, former Mayor Alfredo "Bejo" Romualdez, among others.

Conspicuously absent was Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla, his mother Remedios and their key political allies who normally attend the Pontifical Mass in previous years.

The two influential political families accused each other of undermining the holding of their respective cultural festivals during the city fiesta.

The Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival is identified with the Petillas while Mayor Romualdez revived the Sangyaw Festival two years ago. The said festival was a brainchild of his aunt, Imelda.

In last year's plebiscite on the bid of Tacloban to become a highly urbanized city (HUC), Mayor Romualdez and Gov. Petilla also traded accusations against each other. The HUC bid of Tacloban was supported by majority of the city's voters effectively making the city no longer part of the administrative control of the province.

Archbishop Palma said that unity not only among political leaders but also even within the community level and the Church would result to peace.

"We need to pray for peace. If there is no peace, there is a Child that is most affected," he said, referring to the city's patron saint, Señor Santo Niño, whom Palma described to be the "Prince of Peace."

"(Hope) there will be peace in our land; will there be peace in our hearts," Palma added.

In his homily, Palma repeatedly underscore the need for peace saying that the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), of he is a permanent member, adding that peace is a very important factor in achieving social change.

He said that this year was declared by the CBCP as the "Year of the Two Hearts for Peace-Building and Lay Participation for Social Change" and likewise as the "Year of the Priests."

Jul 01, 2009

Bongbong to seek Senate seat in 2010 polls, say Imelda and Imee

By Joey A. Gabieta

Leyte Samar Daily Express

TACLOBAN CITY - Fourteen years after of his failed senatorial bid, the only son and namesake of former President Ferdinand Marcos would try again to seek a Senate seat.

 

Bongbong's mother Imelda and sister Imee, who both said that his election as a senator would benefit not only Ilocos Region but Eastern Visayas as well, separately confirmed this.

The former first lady said that with the plan of her son, who is now representing the second district of Ilocos Norte, to take a second crack at the Senate seat, she would help on his campaign.

The Marcos widow said that with Bongbong at the Senate, Ilocos Norte would not only gain a senator but even Eastern Visayas which has yet to produce a senator in more than three decades.

Imee also revealed during a separate interview the political plans of her brother.

"Well, he is planning to run for the Senate. He is seriously mulling about it," Imee, who was in the city to join Tacloban's 120th fiesta, said.

During the 1995 elections, Bongbong ran but lost during his first Senate try allegedly due to "dagdag-bawas" scheme. At present, he is a member of the House of Representatives representing Ilocos Norte's second congressional district.

Imee said she has no political plan in relation to the 2010 elections, describing herself as "retired" from politics and insisting that she is now into animation and indie filmmaking.

The eldest daughter of Marcos, who ruled the country for 20 years, said that the family is hopeful that what happened to her brother in the 1995 elections would no longer take place.

"Iba na ang panahon ngayon," she said.

As to what political party her brother would join for his second attempt for a Senate seat, Imee could not say yet.

However, Imee hinted that Bongbong might join the Nacionalista Party whose presumptive standard-bearer, Senator Manny Villar, was invited as among the guests of the Sangyaw Festival, one of the highlights of the city fiesta.

Villar was described by Imee as a "friend," adding that the Nacionalista Party was once the political party of her father before he formed the monolithic Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL).

Asked if the family is supporting the presidential bid of the former Senate President, Imee said that they have yet to determine who among the presidentiables they would support.

"But he is a friend and he is a Nacionalista," she said.

But her cousin and Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez announced his support on Villar's 2010 ambition before the more than 1,000 barangay officials of the city during the Tuesday meeting held at the Balyu-an Ampitheater.

He said that his support on the presidential bid of Villar stemmed from his being a Nacionalista, citing that Leyte has been once a strong bailiwick of the party.

Jul 01, 2009

Imelda says move of Tacloban to revive Sangyaw laudable

By Lemuel Pagliawan

Leyte Samar Daily Express

TACLOBAN CITY -- Former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos said the revival of the Sangyaw Festival would showcase the identity and uniqueness of the Waray-waray people.

Marcos, who is in the city to grace the Sangyaw Festival and celebrate her birthday on July 2, said this initiative of his nephew, City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, is simply laudable as this is a thing "above politics".

"Activities like this should be given enough focus and attention as culture is the only instrument that unites the people," Marcos said.

She said other festivals in the city that seem to compete the Sangyaw Festival should just be ignored and not be given due attention as such scenario is but natural in a growing city like Tacloban.

"The city is growing. I believe that whatever is happening in Tacloban would serve as an enriching experience to every Waray here," Marcos said.

It can be noted that Imelda was given the highest award in the recent Sangyaw Achievement Awards night held at the Balyuan amphitheater this city.

Her contribution in promoting the country's culture and the arts proved the former first lady worthy of the award.

Visiting Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile also shared his insight about the Sangyaw festival as urged the Department of Tourism to market the festival to other countries in a bid to attract more visitors and tourists to come and visit the city.