Catbalogan City ensures safety of guests in int’l LGU event

TACLOBAN CITY, March 2 (PNA) – The city government of Catbalogan in Samar is finalizing security plans for hosting the United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG-ASPAC) which will be held in the city on April 6-7, 2017.

The local government has asked the assistance from the Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office and the Philippine Army regional headquarters to secure guests from 19 countries.

Catbalogan City Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan said around 300 local chief executives and other key officials will attend the pre-conferences and main event on April 4 and 7.

“We will tap the PNP for full security of our guests from their arrival at Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City to their destination in Catbalogan. We should consider that Catbalogan is the home of the 8th Infantry Division, the mother unit of all Philippine Army units in the region, they said they will give us full support,” Tan said. 

“We requested that from Tacloban City airport to Catbalogan, there will be a composite team visible in every eight kilometers,” Tan added.

Aside from the main event, there will be pre-conferences on April 4 and 5 to accommodate other activities not included in the main-two day event. 

Mayor Tan said for now, it is only Catbalogan City that is a member of the United Nations-recognized UCLG-ASPAC in the region. The city is an active member since 2015, and Tan has been elected to the UCLG-ASPAC Executive Bureau and Council member. 

She considers endorsing other committed cities in the region to become members. 

The theme for this event is “Kasuswagan Kalibutan: Creating Connections for Sustainable Societies.”

Among the topics for the pre-conferences will be local leaders’ dialogue, session on sustainable development goals and new urban agenda and session on financing and local economic development.

Tan expects all local government executives in Eastern Visayas will attend together with 50 members of the League of Cities and 50 members of the League of Municipalities in the country. 

A science fair and trade fair will be open to the public. It will showcase invention of people from Eastern Visayas, and also trade and food products of the different local governments.

The UCLG ASPAC is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia with its secretariat headed by Bernardia Tjandradewi. 

Catbalogan, the capital of Samar province, is home to 103,879 people. It is Samar's main commercial, trading, educational, political and financial center. The city has a seaport serving inter-island vessels. (PNA)
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