JVR sees his governance on a high note

CEBU, Philippines – Despite some controversial issues hounding his administration from the hiring and slashing of job order personnel to the delicate issues involving the reconstruction of Tabunok public market, Talisay City Mayor Johnny De los Reyes sees his administration on a high note.

De los Reyes, a neophyte local chief executive and a businessman, boasts of investments in the city by some private businesses.

De los Reyes said it was only during his administration that malls and soon-to-be constructed hotels in the city has spurred job opportunities to his constituents as part of his programs, the Adopt-A-Talisaynon.

“Sa ako rang administrasyon nga naay nagtukod ang mga dagkong malls, fastfood chains ug umaabot nga hotel. Naningkamot ta niini para sa Talisay,” De los Reyes said. He added that he has been visiting the barangays for the water system projects in the sitios.

Delos Reyes, who showed frustrations over the failure of construction of Tabunok public market project, is still hopeful that the market will rise before 2016.

According to De los Reyes, it was the promise he made along with his former allyVice Mayor Romeo Villarante in the last election.

“Mao kana ang among saad niadtong 2013 nga tukuron gyud ang merkado apan gibabagan man sa konseho, ang taga-Talisay nalang ang maghukom sa umaabot 2016,” the mayor added.

The mayor believed that the Alayon Party-dominated council is trying to sabotage his administration.

For 2016, De los Reyes has chosen City Councilor Valeriano “Val” Ylanan as his vice mayoralty candidate under the Liberal Party junking Villarante, who was his runningmate in the 2013 elections.

De los Reyes said he has chosen Ylanan as his running mate because of his “unending support” to his administration.

“Si Val man gud kay mubarug gyud basta mohisgot ta sa kaayohan sa Talisay. Dili siya moila kung partido ba mo o dili, basta para lang gyud sa kaayohan sa tanan,” De los Reyes added.

De los Reyes expressed frustration with Villarante because of the latter not allegedly supporting his major infrastructure projects like the public market.

Meanwhile, Villarante denied the claim that the move of the city council is trying to sabotage JVR’s administration by clipping his dream on the construction of the public market.

“That is not true. The real issue is on transparency over the construction of the market,” Villarante said.

While he admitted that he and De los Reyes ran together in 2013 election, Villarante said he has never been a rubber-stamp when it comes to good governance.

Villarante said the council has passed more than a thousand resolutions and almost 50 ordinances for 2014.

However, the data of resolutions and ordinances passed by the council in December is yet to be collated.

According to Villarante, some resolutions have been passed without the need to undergo the usual way of enacting a law or have been passed in one day while other resolutions underwent the normal procedure of crafting a law while other resolutions passed under some other legislative procedures.

“We have the highest number of resolution and good number of ordinances passed. Development projects and we have approved all projects endorsed by the Office of the Mayor except two projects,” Villarante said, citing the open canal project in Lawaan II since there are questions on proof of ownership and the Tabunok market.

“We are giving all our support to the mayor regardless of our differences,” Villarante added.