Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon said yesterday that the City Council as a whole has not yet acted upon the proposed executive-initiated ordinance putting as flexible the motorcycle fare based on the current prices of gasoline.
“We are still waiting for it,” he said in an interview at Tahanan ng Punong Lalawigan, the official residence of the governor inside the Capitol complex at Mankilam, Tagum City where guests, mediamen and provincial officials with Press Secretary Jesus Dureza took their lunch after the holding of local National Press Club activities yesterday.
Last October 8 the new measure passed the first reading and was referred to the committees of laws and of public facilities.
On the other hand, as to what is dubbed as urban poor ordinance, he said that its proponent Councilor Nicandro “Nickel” Suaybaguio has still to fully introduce the measure.
Observers earlier said that Suaybaguio’s measure may yet draw another controversy as it plans to suspend for five years the issuance of approval of permits and requirements to urban poor housing.
Last week, the city’s purok ordinance on motion for reconsideration was junked anew by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for being “legally infirmed”.
Under the proposed ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Imposing the Regulation of Fare Rates of Motorized Tricycles for Hire (MTH) of the City of Tagum” fare rates would vary based on the set schedule.
If gasoline prices per liter (gpl) range P20 to 29.99 it will have P6 for regular fare and P4 for student or senior citizen; P30 to P39.99 gpl- P7 regular fare, P5 student/senior citizen; P40 to 49.99 gpl- P8 regular fare, P6 student/senior citizen; P50 to P59.99 gpl- P9 regular fare, P7 student/senior citizen; P60 to P69.99 gpl- P10 regular fare, P8 student/senior citizen; P70 to P79.99 gpl- P11 regular fare, P9 student/senior citizen; P80 to P89.99 gpl- P12 regular fare, P10 student/senior citizen; P90 to P99.99 gpl- P13 regular fare, P11 student/senior citizen; and P100 and above gpl- P14 regular fare, P12 student/senior citizen.
The fare rates are good for the first three kilometers of the Central District from where the passenger originated, and would have an additional of P1 for every kilometer or every fraction thereof. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
Former Vice Gov. and current executive assistant Anthony G. del Rosario (AGR) yesterday vehemently belied the report that he has been staying always in Manila sub-office of the provincial government of Davao del Norte, saying that it was “not true”.
In an interview, he said that on the contrary he is preoccupied with his work as a provincial sports coordinator and to the sports activities launched by the provincial government.
Del Rosario talked to the local press Monday after the lunch following the opening rite for the Capitol’s media center building and the oathtaking of the officers of the National Press Club- Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley Chapter guested by Press Secretary Jesus Dureza.
He added that his preoccupied field activities might be the reason why other people have not seen him at the Capitol.
He said that he had never visited in fact the Capitol’s sub-office at Regus Business Center located at Taguig City, Metro Manila.
Earlier report said that as sources were supportive to the earlier declaration of the former vice governor to run for the District 1 congressional post that would be vacated by last-termer Cong. Arrel Olano by 2010 they wanted the young Del Rosario to be visible in the province.
Meantime, in a phone patch radio interview with Radyo Ukay- Davao City blocktimers Ben Wang and Manny Pajarito, Del Rosario said that it was still “too early” to talk about politics and that he would still wait for the “plan” of his fellow members of the Lakas-CMD in Davao del Norte on who would be the party man for the congressional post in the District, an apparently dissimilar stance he gave during the Kapihan sa Kapitolyo about a month ago when he declared his bid for the post.
He said he would abide and follow the decision of the Lakas-CMD in the province although he cited that “there are sectors” which have been reportedly endorsing him to take a crack for Olano’s post by 2010.
The provincial government forged a contract last April following approval of the provincial board with Regus Business Center where the provincial sub-office will hold office “to facilitate all official transactions of the provincial government in the National Capital Region (NCR)”.
Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario contracted with Ms. Cristina Davila, the general manager of Regus Business Center. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
The kabir chicken that former Compostela Valley Gov. Jose “Joecab” Caballero had then been massively reproducing and dispersing in droves of thousands to the farmers in the province is political animal no more under the administration of Gov. Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy.
In an interview, provincial agriculturist Dr. Rolando Simene said that the provincial government is no longer dispersing kabir but only maintaining about 400 kabirs at the Lamdag center for breeding with the local bisaya and other chicken breeds for experimentation.
He said that Uy remained committed to develop further the sprawling 97-hectare Lamdag agri-eco-tourism center of the provincial government at Pasian, Monkayo.
He added that the governor is actively pursuing to develop more the fresh milk production from the buffalo stock at the agricultural center in view of the melamine scare in the country.
In early 2000s Caballero started the development of the Lamdag center which was then lying as idle, neglected provincial farm barn since when the province was not yet separated from Davao del Norte.
There was one time that the former governor was named by the monicker “Cabirero” by his oppositionists including the present governor, who was then serving as the senior boardmember during Caballero’s third term.
Uy before becoming a boardmember ran but was defeated by the recent birthday celebrator last Saturday, provincial elder Prospero Amatong during the 1999 toss up for the district 1 congressional post. They had only a margin of over 1,000 votes in the election where Uy was then allied with Caballero.
Earlier reports said that Caballero would be running for a “comeback either-or”, meaning either as congressman in District 1 where he was defeated by Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong in the last polls, or as governor.
This developed as reports also said that District 1 Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora is also entertaining to run as governor in the province, besides eyeing to run as mayor in Compostela town.
If Joecab’s comeback is realized, he would no longer have thousands of kabirs in his hand. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
For not replying to request of town dad for a year
oct 20
NABUNTURAN- A local official of the Department of Interior and Local Government here assigned at the municipal hall is facing a resolution in the Sangguniang Bayan declaring him as as persona non grata for not responding to several requests of a councilor for over a year now until at press time.
Councilor Raul Caballero filed last week a resolution declaring municipal local government operations officer of Nabunturan Evan Pascua such for alleged conduct unbecoming as a government officer pursuant to Republic Act No. 6713, otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
The resolution is already at that hands of Vice Mayor Romeo Clarin and is expected to be calendared in tomorrow’s SB session.
Caballero charged that on Sept 3, 2007 he requested Pascua for an opinion relevant to the procedure in rendering a committee report but it was not responded.
The councilor questioned as “erroneous” the particular procedure of the Sangguniang Bayan of discussing and approving any committee report without first adopting it.
The practice has been running as a wayward procedure compared to other local sanggunians for 15 years, leaving always having no items in the unassigned business of the day, sources said.
On October 1, 2007 Caballero made a follow up letter reiterating the same. Still Pascua did not reply.
On September 25 this year Caballero sent another letter on the same matter to DILG provincial director Abito Bernasor but his office refused to receive it and instead it was referred to the municipal mayor’s office for the same to be received.
Caballero’s resolution stated that it was more than a year that Pascua “is adamant to answer the request” in alleged violation to the 15-day period provision of RA 6713 for all government officials and employees to act promptly on letters and requests from the public.
“The actuations shown by (Pascua) constituted disrespect and conduct unbecoming of government officer not only to the requisitioning official but to the entire people of Nabunturan,” portion of the letter stated.
Efforts to reach Pascua for comments proved futile. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
Prices of computer nowadays are dropping. It’s different before, 5 or 10 years ago, when acquiring a computer was considered a rare luxury. Appliance stores in Davao City and Tagum City then made so much a killing for profit by selling slow-speed computers at so expensive price through installments.
Now you can buy a computer set at P5,000. It’s a surplus though but it works for the novice and practicing, kids and youths who are not addicted to top speed RAN online game and its ilk, say it’s only for encoding, web research and small games (not the one the needs 1 gigahertz of processor and 1 gigabytes of memory, that’s so fast at these specs).
With the fast rate of computer innovations and production of new brands and products at much improved performance and more features, as well as the stiff competition of computer makers while chip and parts makers are vast for computer assembly industry, computer imports are ever coming to the country inevitably decreasing computer prices. It’s like the cellphones.
Try online search in Davao City stores, the usual source of supplier in Davao del Norte and Comval local government units for the product and you’ll see good, fast brand new laptops having a capacity of 1 GHz processor and 1 GB of memory, which are so fitted to for the city councilors and vice mayor eyeing to have “paperless legislation” next year priced lower. Say an HP Compaq Presario or Acer, both with 512 RAM, priced at P35,000. That’s fair and modest budget, although one could now buy a fairly fast WIFI (wireless) capable laptop at P25,000 nowadays.
But we’ll stick to P35,000-worth laptop that’s already so good for our city councilors. At this budget multiplied by the number of Tagum City councilors plus the vice mayor and the secretariat or 14, and add P200,000 for the two servers, peripherals and for the licenses of operating systems so the greedy software business alliance cohorts of Bill Gates will not run after the City Hall, and what we have as modest and practical budget for Tagum SP “paperless legislation” is a little over the half of the planned P1.5 million budget as proposed by Councilor Rey Salve. That’s too high a budget Kons.
An P800,000 budget is already so good and cool budget to our estimate. There’s actually no training seminar in other venues needed there. What is important is that the city IT department first set up the networking cables, and conduct hands-on training, dry run for the city councilors right at SP hall after the goods arrived. And that’s it. Meantime, Councilor Inting Eliot could have all the time learning the sophistication of his laptop at home with an apo at his side. There’s actually no so much fuss and grand in implementing a “paperless legislation”. And the balance of P700,000 that is squeezed out could as well be infused to the La Filipina public cemetery for our beloved deads to be happy. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
Davao del Norte provincial and city officials faced baffling scenarios from Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero when he personally visited them yesterday at the Capitol, Mankilam, Tagum City.
Senator Escudero was the guest speaker for the Philippine Judges Association in the evening in Davao Davao City but he made first a side trip in Tagum City to personally visit and consult politician friends.
He made baffling riddles about the real opposition in the county citing the flip-flopping record of several wannabes for the top post in the country. He named potential presidential bets as Senate President Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, Panfilo Lacson, and even former President Joseph Estrada.
“Sino ba talaga ang tunay na oposisyon?”asked Sen. Escudero. He just recalled past records of presidential wannabes flip-flopping in their past dealings with the Macapagal administration. Present in friendly roundtable exchange of friendly talk at Tahanan building at the provincial Capitol complex in Mankilam were Davao del Norte Rodolfo del Rosario, Vice Gov. Victorio Suaybaguio, Tagum City Mayor Rey Chiong Uy, District 1 Cong. Arrel Olano and others. They were cheerfully dumbfounded of Escudero’s presentation on past record of flip-flops of the said presidential wannabes. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
Davao del Norte District 1 Congressman Arrel Olano appears to be wanting to talk with the local media in fair weather.
He said that he did not want intriguing questions posed to him by the local media that would lead him to say words that would threaten to break the Lakas unity in the province.
Asked yesterday on whether he would make true his earlier statement of running for city mayor or for governor as among his options, he appeared evasive saying that he should not be intrigued with questions that would break the Lakas party in the province since City Mayor Rey Uy and Governor Rodolfo del Rosario as well as him belong to the same party.
He did not also give comment on the Purok Ordinance that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. junked last Monday.
But asked in an ambush interview about his congressional bill about puroks pending at the Congress, he said that it is still a pending measure. Asked further on what it is all about, he he cut short, saying: “it is not comfortable for us to talk about it here” in obvious irritation to the posed question as a streak of sunlight hit the place of interview. After snapping that, he then immediately sped away riding on his government issued car with plate no. 8. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
Congressman Arrel Olano of Davao del Norte’s 1st District might have already chickened out from taking another political career path gauging his latest tough talk with the local media. I got him right after Senator Chiz Escudero ended his friendly banter last Friday at Mankilam’s Tahanan with Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, Tagum City Mayor Rey Chiong Uy, him- Olano, Vice Mayor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio and several other officials.
The info man of Sen. Chiz told me while covering their table talk that the good opposition senator was on a side trip in the province just to meet with provincial officials who are his friends and possibly know problems and suggestions from his constituents in this part of the country. (He was the guest speaker of the Philippine Judges Association conference in Davao City in the evening) . Naturally, being an elected senator of the Republic the governor, city mayor and Cong.Olano had to meet and accommodate Sen, Chiz regardless that he is one great oppositionist. Maybe Cong. Anton of the 2nd District was not home yet last Friday, that is if the hatchet has already been buried between RDR and the Floirendos. Had that been the case, the Lakas-Kampi family in the province would have been complete in meeting the youthful Chiz, a presidential timber.
Sino ba kaya sa kanila ang tunay na oposisyon? Si Manny Villar? Si Mar Roxas? Si Ping Lacson? Si Erap? Sen. Chiz threw a puzzle to his listening pack of provincial and city officials. Each one of today’s presidential timbers, sans him and Sen. Loren, were unmasked of their flip-flopping records in terms of legislations pursued and positions to Pres. GMA’s policies and actuations. Sen. Chiz would seem to say that all of these presidential wannabes in the opposition picked up both carrots and sticks in dealing with GMA, and hence imply that all of them were not true-blue oppositionists. I wouldn’t enumerate here such flop-flops for lack of space.
They were all listening perhaps dumbfounded to the usual razzle-dazzle of Tagalog enunciation of the senator on the matter except quite visibly Cong. Olano who was so busy in his cellphone- texting. Had it not been a friendly banter, he could have been called as out of protocol before a talking senator. Maybe those were urgent messages. I wouldn’t imply that the congressman wasn’t interested to the topic of Sen. Chiz. He has nowhere to go except the opposition.
If Cong. Olano meant it true, during an ambush interview made by some local mediamen, that he didn’t want to be intrigued by the question posed of whether his earlier plan of running for city mayor or governor and others when the present reelectionists are all his partymates, then he is indeed nowhere to go. He said that “the mayor is with Lakas, the governor is with Lakas and I am with Lakas” “Don’t intrigued me with that question,” Olano threw a pique on us.
If we voluntarily take a ride over Gov. RDR’s hint that there seems to be no Floirendo running against him for his reelection, then all’s well is bound to end well with Lakas in Davnor. With the principle of the equity of incumbent, Olano couldn’t be the administration’s standard–bearer for mayorship, governorship, and even to vice governorship and vice mayorship that rightly belong to reelectionist Suaybaguio andAllan Rellon, respectively.He has no incumbent son or daughter to bargain for the open post that he’s finishing to serve, unlike Comval District 1 Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, who has his daughter Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay long gunning for the post in stiff competition with Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya (don’t disturb, just married).
But sadly, what remains to Olano for an easy admin crack is a lowly boardmember’s seat, for remaining up to this day to be porkless unlike their Comval counterparts. Such is a real contrast to a congressman’s position that has lots of pork barrel funds that a white paper of Speaker Nograles wanted so much to be demystified of its negative and irregular connotations. But he has lots of top posts for a picking at his pleasure and luxury. Only that he’ll have to jump ship to the opposition where Sen. Chiz truly belongs.
BLOGBUZZ: I felt the academe’s free spirit again. That was last Tuesday when I gave journalism crash course for the UMTC English Guild. Thanks for the invitation to the Rural Urban News, my outfit, for Felimonne Em-em Monteros, the guild’s prexy, Ma’am Armela Gertos, the amiable adviser…. Kodus to NBI Tagum for pinpointing the establishment where the known UM Tagum sex scandal occurred- the Aroma Café and Computer along Sobrecarey St.. Ironically, the suspect establishment is owned by Edgardo Silagan, the president of ICAT- Internet Café Association of Tagum City. The NBI agents armed with warrant seized Thursday 23 computer units from the alleged culprit establishment. Now justice for Baby and her family is near. (Tomorrow: Olano’s fret on purok. For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, email: chamonforte@yahoo.com)
