Zipline, cable cars in the mountains

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Mayor Johnny De los Reyes will deliver this afternoon his first State of the City Address where he is expected to detail his plans for this year until the end of his first term in 2016.

De los Reyes, who is on his first term as city mayor after he was elected in the May 13, 2013 elections, will deliver the report before the members of the City Council, City Hall employees and his constituents.

The program will be held at the City Hall grounds.

According to Vince Monterde, the city's public information officer, the mayor will outline his priorities and programs for 2014, aside from reporting his accomplishments for his first year in office.

Monterde said the mayor will cover his achievements, as well as his plans and priorities for the next two years involving different areas like asphalting and concerting of various city and barangays roads, social and medical services, peace and order and future plans on the promotion of tourism.

The mayor, according to Monterde, will discuss on his plans on putting up zipline and cable cars in the mountain barangays and standard-size swimming pool at the city plaza.

Tabunok market

The mayor is also expected to report on the status of the controversial Tabunok public market.

The reopening of Tabunok market, it can be recalled, was one of the changes promised to be made by De los Reyes during the campaign period and when he began sitting as mayor.

Observers have believed that the transfer of vendors from Tabunok to Barangay Lagtang was the main cause of the loss of former first district representative Eduardo Gullas to JVR.

It was Gullas, who constructed the Lagtang market when he was mayor of Talisay in 2004. 

De los Reyes and the members of the City Council last year clashed over giving authority to the mayor to enter into a proposed P387 million worth of loan intended to finance the construction of the public market.

At the moment, the mayor is still waiting for the response from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on his request for the half-billion rehabilitation funds intended for damaged public works infrastructure damaged by the typhoon and earthquake.

The request includes funding for the construction of the Tabunok public market.  (FREEMAN)