Samar’s capital marks 10th year as city

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, June 16 -- The city government here marked the 10th Charter Day Anniversary on Friday through simple and meaningful activities. 

City Administrator Dennis Cosmod said the local government had lined up several activities to help locals become more aware of health and wellness as well as the value of education and poverty reduction.

“It can still be equally significant even with lesser expenses, and I am glad that the city government is taking the lead with the support of residents,” he said. 

Highlights of the celebration was the seven-kilometer “Walk for Peace” for all city government employees, local government officials, students, non-government organizations, people’s organization, teachers, military, police, and other private groups and establishments to Pupua village for the Mangrove plantation in its coastal areas. 

Another meaningful event was the five-kilometer “Eskolarun”- a benefit run for its 30 city government scholars. The city government have been assistance to deserving students from poor families.

On Friday night, singer Kitchie Nadal held a free concert at the city’s plaza. 

On Thursday, the city held the first regional job and business fair in Samar Island in partnership with the Department of Labor and Department of Trade and Industry.

Cosmod said that 1,000 applicants have registered at the fair that offered more than 3,000 jobs. 

“In our 10th year as a city, we stand, look back and marvel how far we have come, we can also look forward to a new peaks ahead. It hasn’t been an easy journey for us. But we aspire to do better for ourselves and our children,” Cosmod said. 

The city is the capital of Samar province and home to 103,879 people. 

Catbalogan is one of the 16 towns that applied for cityhood status which was approved by the Senate in February 2007. 

The residents ratified this change through a plebiscite on June 16, 2007 with over 92 percent "Yes" votes for cityhood.

But in November 2008, the city temporarily lost its cityhood status after the Supreme Court granted a petition filed by the League of Cities of the Philippines, and declared unconstitutional the cityhood law.

On April 12, 2011, the Supreme Court, in an en banc ruling, affirmed the finality of the constitutionality of the 16 cityhood laws. (Jazmin Bonifacio/PNA)