Calbayog City Mayor supports charter change

CALBAYOG City Mayor Reynaldo Uy said he supports the move to amend the Constitution through Charter change (Cha-cha).

Uy, who is a former representative of Samar first district, said there are some provisions in the present Constitution that should be amended, like its economic provisions and the term of office of all elected officials.

Uy said extending the term of office of all elective officials would ensure that they could provide better service to their constituents.

He also said the number of economic provision of the Constitution hampers the country's economic development.

"Yes to Cha-cha because for a good elected government official, three years is not enough. We need to have more time," Uy said.

The present term of elected officials, according to him, is too short for them to carry out all their intended programs and projects intended to their constituents.

Uy also said the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution should be amended as the strict restrictions of foreign business and property ownership in the country had put us at the tail end among our neighboring Asian countries.

"We have to re-think and re-visit the ownership of lands and properties in the Philippines by foreigners if we are to embark on the massive invitation of foreign investors to put investment in the country," Uy explained.

At present, the 1987 Constitution only allows Filipino citizens to own properties and businesses in the country.

"If want more flow of capital in our country, I think this provision in the Constitution should be amended to invite more foreign business investors to come," Uy added.

The talks on Charter change was ignited anew when Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone proposed that any move to tinker the Constitution should now be started.

The first attempt to change the Constitution was during the presidency of former President Fidel V. Ramos who sought to change the present system of government into a parliamentary form of government and lift the term limits of public officials.

Under former President Joseph Estrada, a similar attempt was also proposed with a process called Concord or Constitutional Correction and Development proposing for amending the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution that is seen as impeding to the entry of more foreign investors in the country.

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also sought for Cha-cha only to met strong resistance from various sectors.

Source: Leyte Samar Daily Express

The owner of this blog does not intend to copy or violate the copyrights of the writer/ publication, but to disseminate and make Taclobanons aware of the current happenings in the city. If writer/ publication wishes to have this removed, just contact dancer.silent@yahoo.com.

Eastern Visayas exported $55.05 million in 2010

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Eastern Visayas reported that export sales from small medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region have reached $55.055 million in 2010.

Cynthia Nierras, DTI regional director, said the increased direct export generation was a result of the government's Export Pathway Program (EPP) aimed at penetrating the international market.

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Nierras said majority of the income generated from export was contributed by SC Global Coco Products Inc., one of the EPP-enrolled SMEs that the DTI assisted in developing plans of expanding its export market.

"Through our referrals, SC Global realized around 419 percent increase on volume sales order from its market in Europe, the United States, Taiwan and China," Nierras said.

For 2011, the DTI has targeted at least 10 percent increase in export sales as a result of the agency's initiated and facilitated events from One-Stop Documentation Center (OSEDC), international trade fairs, market matching and trade centers.

At least 219 SMEs in the region have been assisted by DTI for the EPP program in 2010.

Meanwhile, the DTI reported the region earned some P212.052 million from domestic investments in 2010.

The top contributors were financing facilitation, P80.821 million; National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center (Nerbac), P51.97 million; and investment facilitation, P45.949 million.

"Total investments generated for the last period in review is 21 percent higher than the accomplishment in 2009," Nierras said.

For this year, Nierras said the agency projects an increase in domestic investments at least 15 percent through trade fairs, market matching, SMEs displays and financing facilitation.

Meanwhile, Nierras said that in an effort to increase income from SMEs, the DTI will continue its capability development program by training them on export awareness, export readiness, market readiness, and market entry and export sustainability.

According to Nierras, literacy training will also be conducted to SMEs for them to become globally competitive by increasing its capability in assessing market through the Internet.

A total of 55 SMEs have been trained last year and they were introduced to different portals and acquired working knowledge in surfing the Internet, skills in uploading and updating marketing information, skills in transacting safe and business, and working knowledge in using Google applications for documents, talk and e-mail.

Source: Leyte Samar Daily News

The owner of this blog does not intend to copy or violate the copyrights of the writer/ publication, but to disseminate and make Taclobanons aware of the current happenings in the city. If writer/ publication wishes to have this removed, just contact dancer.silent@yahoo.com.

5 Leyte towns possible tourism hotspots

FIVE towns in Leyte province are currently targeted for a “selling mission” for tourism investment to be undertaken by the Provincial Government together with the Department of Tourism (DOT).

The towns were identified as Matalom, Baybay and Inopacan in the fifth district and Palompon and Tabango in the third district.

All of the five towns have identified local tourism attractions as well as potentials that could be developed.

Leyte Governor Jericho Petilla said in the “selling mission”, tourism is being viewed as the prime mover for local economic development in the identified areas.

The governor added there have been many efforts towards tourism development in the province but tourism still has yet to go on full-swing for the province.

The governor recently called a meeting together with local municipal officials, tourism officers, and district representatives for the identification of tourism-investment potential and consolidates efforts and programs for tourism.

Among those who attended were Representatives Lucy Torres-Gomez and Carlos Cari of the fourth and fifth districts of the province.

Island beach getaways, diving and eco-tourism spots, spa and wellness attractions, as well as cultural destinations are to be identified, validated and consolidated along the named towns, which will become the province’s main offerings to travel trade players in trade exhibitions, which the province targets to participate on March this year and on a later date in various areas such as Macau, Hongkong and China.

The governor explained that the purpose in joining “selling missions” is to attract investors to the area.

“Admittedly, the government is not a good investor. We cannot do this on our own, we rather need investors to invest on us,” Petilla said.

However, above all, the selling mission to be undertaken would largely convince investors to build hotels in the province.

Each of the identified towns in Leyte’s western side has their tourism destinations to boost: Matalom has the Canigao Island; Palompon has Kalanggaman Island and the Tabuk Marine Park and Bird Sanctuary; Inopacan has Digyo Island; Tabango has the Seven Island Destination; while Baybay is considered as a prime area for hotel investment.

The governor believes that it is very important to assess the destination first before it is included in a tour package to encourage investors.

The validation will also include the readiness of the place and community preparedness in accepting the visitors.

Source: Leyte Samar Daily Express

The owner of this blog does not intend to copy or violate the copyrights of the writer/ publication, but to disseminate and make Taclobanons aware of the current happenings in the city. If writer/ publication wishes to have this removed, just contact dancer.silent@yahoo.com.