Region 8 officials, residents share SONA expectations, predictions

TACLOBAN CITY, July 24 (PNA) -- A day before his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), officials and residents in Eastern Visayas shared their wish list to President Rodrigo Duterte.

For Leyte Vice Governor Carlo Loreto, the President will surely express his strong position against criminality and illegal drugs.

“For the past few months, we see the intensified campaign of the present administration on criminality and illegal drugs. The message is very clear and I think that is where the President will reiterate his stand, his ultimatum against criminals and illegal drugs operators,” said Loreto.

In the intensified anti-drug war, 60,393 self-confessed drug users and 5,914 alleged drug pushers have surrendered nationwide since July 1.

In Eastern Visayas, the campaign yielded 962 drug personalities from the 2,227 houses visited.

Loreto also predicted that the new administration will expound fiscal policy, priority legislative agenda, Charter Change and projects that he will implement to improve situations in the provinces.

“I just hope that if he ever mentions Eastern Visayas, it will be a good term and he will implement priority projects in the region just like what he said before that he wanted to explore the possibility of implementing a railway system in the vast land of Mindanao,” Loreto said.

“I just hope that the SONA will really be the picture of what he will going to do for the next six years, but he should not also forget his anti-poverty reduction program that is very important and his plan on how to improve the economy of the country,” said Tacloban City Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin.

“But I think he is really doing good and effective at this time. He is doing the unexpected beyond the expectation,” he added.

Yaokasin hopes that Duterte will promise to push for the full development of the Tacloban Airport, which the previous administrations failed to achieve.

Florida Enovejas, village chief of Bangon Gote, Tarangnan, Samar wanted to hear from the President his sincerity to help improve the living conditions of the poor.

Bangon Gote is a small farming village located more than eight kilometers from the town center and can be reached through a bumpy road.

She said that although all village dwellers are into farming, their produce is only good for their personal consumption due to poor rural infrastructure.

“We are hoping that the President will see our condition. We hope to hear from his SONA the livelihood assistance from the present administration,” said Enovejas.

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) recipient Carmelita Rosialda of Naval, Biliran is looking forward that the Chief Executive will continue the implementation of conditional cash transfer.

Rosialda’s eldest son is a recipient of Expanded Students’ Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA), an college educational grant for 4Ps beneficiaries.

“The program can really help families like us who are incapable of sending children to school,” Rosialda said. (PNA)
BNB/SQM/ROEL T. AMAZONA