7 governors, mayors, private sector reps nominated to head RDC Region 8

PALO, Leyte, Aug. 31 (PNA) –- The Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council has nominated two governors, two city mayors, and three private sector representatives as chairman and co-chairman of the region’s highest policy-making body until 2019.

The council nominated on Wednesday Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla; Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan-de los Santos; Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez; Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez; RDC private sector representatives Roy Bernard Fiel, Oliver Cam, and Tiburcio Morales.

Petilla, who served as RDC chair from 2013 to mid-2016, vowed to push for more development initiatives for three Samar provinces. The official earlier proposed to form a technical working to come up with development roadmap for the Island.

Bothered that Samar is always on the list of top 10 poorest areas in the country, Tan, a third-termer governor, vowed to work with other provinces to “level up” the economic status of Samar provinces.

Gomez, an actor and neophyte politician, vowed to focus on peace and order and tourism to attain economic growth. “I’m willing to help because I want the region to improve.”

Romualdez, a former actress and city councilor for nine years, said that Tacloban as a regional center, is in better position to bring economic development to the region. “I will push for economic development through agriculture and tourism,” she said.

As RDC’s private sector representative on agri-business, Fiel vowed to focus on farming to curb poverty. “My heart is into farming. I hope we can do a lot to our farmers,” he said.

Cam, who represents the business group, vowed to focus on inclusive growth in the region. “We cannot promise everyone to be rich, but we can promote options for better life.”

Morales, a representative of development administration sector, is advocating for integration of all development efforts of national government agencies as a solution to the age-old poverty in the region.

Under Executive Order No. 325, qualified to head the RDC as chair and co-chair are the provincial governors, mayors of capital towns and cities, presidents of league of municipalities in six provinces, and private sector representatives.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte will select among the seven nominees who will be the chair and co-chair. The appointment will be out before the end of the year.

Under the rule, if a local chief executive is chosen as chair, the co-chair will be from the private sector. If an official from the non-government group will be selected as chair, the co-chair is a local chief executive.

In the RDC full council reorganizational meeting on Wednesday, the new set of 13 private sector representatives also took their oath as the body’s regular members for the term 2016 to 2019.

The RDC serves as the counterpart of the National Economic and Development Authority Board at the subnational level. The RDC is the primary institution that coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the region. It also serves as a forum where local efforts can be related and integrated with national development activities. (PNA)

LAP/SQM