JARO, LEYTE – Three-termer Jaro Mayor Rolando Celebre delivered his last “Ulat sa Bayan” before hundreds of his constituents during a joint session of the Municipal Council and Liga ng Barangay.
Mayor Celebre recounted his nine years in office since his first term as local chief executive in 2007.
As a newbie then, he recalled that he vowed to ‘clean up’ the municipality. Cleaning up he meant was to straighten the financial status of the municipality and put in place the needed infrastructure for local development.
He summed up his three terms in four areas that he focused on in the last nine years. These are infrastructure and other projects, economy and agriculture, education and social services.
For infrastructure, Celebre cited the PhP24 million flood control dike in Brgy. Cabayongan which he said is a big improvement for the municipality considering how the dike has protected the people’s lives and source of livelihood. Another Php9.3 million fund allocation now sits with the Bids and Award Committee for construction of a similar flood control opposite the existing one.
He likewise cited other infrastructure projects completed under his term particularly in providing roads and bridges to the town’s far flung barangays making it easier for transport of goods and people. Other projects included water system, streetlights and drainage system in a number of barangays.
Meanwhile, he shared that funds are already in place for their Transport Terminal and Sports Center project costing PhP 3million and PhP 15 million respectively.
After the Super typhoon Yolanda in 2013, the LGU was able to rebuild its local facilities through the RAY funds of the DILG which went to the rehabilitation of their Municipal Building and Cultural Central.
The facelift and rehabilitation of the municipal building was already long overdue, he said.
The LGU is also a recipient of the Salintubig project of the DILG amounting to P10.7 million which would provide clean, potable water supply to the town’s various barangays.
Celebre then said the gains the town has made was evidenced by the award conferred to the LGU by the Department of the Interior and Local Government. These were the Seal of Good Housekeeping in 2013 and the Seal of Good Local Governance this 2015.
Sound fiscal management has earned the LGU a surplus of PhP 30million for 2014 and 2015.
Celebre thanked the Sangguniang Bayan for their support for many of the town’s implemented projects but bashed on his detractors, especially those in the social media.
“Sorry but I don’t have a Facebook account so I cannot really follow on your negative comments,” the mayor declared.
Meantime, he called on the support of everyone as he finishes his term in the next six months.
The mayor’s “Ulat sa Bayan” lasted nearly two hours and was witnessed by different sectors of the community including the academe, business, barangays and other stakeholders. (Ahlette C. Reyes)
