Samaco Bares Innovative Programs During His SOCA Delivery
Maasin City, Southern Leyte - Incumbent Mayor Maloney Samaco during his State Of The City Address (SOCA) has bared some innovative programs and projects in his speech held recently at Ampil Function Hall here.
The Mayor, it was learned, has 15 foundation programs/projects which in turn comprise several sub-programs and sub-projects in each that his administration has undertaken.
He disclosed that majority of his programs/projects are in continuity from that of his predecessors? Administration. Some of which were from former Mayor Damian Mercado, now the incumbent Governor of Southern Leyte province.
Samaco revealed that some of his projects were done in joint efforts with Congressman Roger Mercado through his Countryside Development Funds. The realizations of his programs were also made possible with the assistance and the concerted efforts from the staff and personnel at the City and other government agencies.
The erstwhile third-termer Vice-Mayor disclosed that the city jail is now smoke-free. During the past decades since its establishments within the old municipal hall building, prisoners and the jail personnel were not prohibited from smoking inside the jail. It is only now that smoking inside the jail is prohibited. He boasted that the current radical change is now adopted by the region 8 (Leyte and /Samar) jail wardens.
Also in the past, most of the prisoners would position themselves at the windows? railings. They would beg for some coins from the passers by to buy cigarettes or snacks. With new policy, he said, the prisoners are now busy by making sandals for some income. Soon they would be taught how to make lanterns, he said.
Likewise, mendicancy in the city is now minimized and prohibition of minors for playing video games during class hours were imposed. There?s also a massive information drive against swindling and neighborhood involvement in crime prevention, suppression and reporting.
He informed that the City College, which he pioneered, has 3 additional courses like BS Political Science, BS Social Works and BS Toursm. The first 2 are BS Agriculture-Major in Crop Science and BS Public Administration. He intimated that sons and daughters of barangay officials are potential scholars for the City College.
Another innovative move is that business permits for all kinds of businesses, he divulged, has now excluded SSS, BIR and building permit as part of the requirements for the issuance of the city?s business permits. He unfolded that the previous policy of having SSS, BIR and building permit for every business permit applicants has created some problems of delay on the part of the businessmen/investors. ?They should not held as hostages the businessmen or investors?, he said, ?who some of them are not from this place and were just renting the building they are occupying?.Actually, this is exactly what other cities are doing in issuing its business permits, Samaco disclosed.
The incumbent Mayor, an Engineer who is a sports enthusiast and a sportswriter himself, revealed that Maasin has produced a gold, silver and bronze medalist in the 2008 Milo Little Olympics-Visayas and the 2008 Visayas Inter-School Swimming Association (VISSA) in Dumanhug, Cebu.
Samaco further divulged that the City has also produced a gold medalist for swimming in the Palarong Pambansa 2007 thru athlete Edison Pacsa and a bronze medalist in the person of Goygoy Montalbo in the National PRISSA lawn tennis. The City has also organized the Maasin Inter-Collegiate Athletic Association (MICAA) which will spearhead in the yearly sports competitions among colleges in the city.
In the field of health, Maasin City garnered the maintenance of a CROWN award with a rating of 95% in 2007. Maasin is also number one, the Mayor said, among the cities and provinces in region 8(Leyte and Samar) as the lowest in malnutrition rate for the 3 consecutive years.
There?s now an active plan to relocate the present dumpsite to brgy. Bactul, he said. This kind of a dump site can be considered as revolutionized. He claimed that with the completion of this project in the near future, bad odor would be gone that visitors/vacationists can have their lunch near the dump site.
He said lot acquisition for the project cost P4M and the estimated cost of preparing the land for the dump site is P15M.When it becomes fully operational, he said, estimated operating cost is P2.2M.
He further informed that Self-Employment Assistance sa Kaunlaran (SEA-K) has a total release of P1.3M in 2007 and P0.8M in 2008 thru the financial assistance of Congressman Roger Mercado?s CDF. The newly-completed posting of roads? names of the city streets, he divulged, was made possible thru the funds of Mercado.
A new wet market was already constructed near the bus terminal and is nearing completion. The funds, he said, comes from the incumbent Congressman with a counterpart from the City Govt. The occupants at the old public market, it was learned, shall be moving soon to the new site which is more comfortable and modern.
The young Mayor added that the city government has initiated the relocation of some 40 families of squatters to the city?s vacant lot. He proudly claimed that these squatters can later own the lot by installment payment of only P300 per month, payable within 10 years.. He informed that this project was made possible thru the assistance from the United Nations Development Funds (UNDF).
Also present in the affair were Congressman Roger Mercado, City Councilors and other officials led by Vice-Mayor Effie Abiera-Sabandal, Barangay Captains and Kagawads, SP members led by Vice-Governor Miguel Maamo, 11, a Coral Cay Foundation guest, some city hall employees and guests and members of the local media. (Quirico M. Gorpido.Jr.)
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