LTO asked to put up Camotes office

CEBU, Philippines - Vice gubernatorial candidate, businessman Glenn Anthony Soco, urged the Land Transportation Office to establish a satellite office in Camotes Island.

Soco learned about the problem from drivers of motorcycles-for-hire during his visit to the island.

He said that LTO should have a satellite office in Camotes Island following the difficulty of “habal-habal” drivers and operators in acquiring and renewing registration and licenses.

 â€œThey don’t need to travel to the mainland to process their papers for registration of the vehicles and licenses of the drivers”, Soco said.

The nearest LTO office to serve Camotes Island is located in Danao City in mainland Cebu.

Comprising the island are the towns of Poro, Tudela, San Francisco and Pilar with 82,424 populations according to the 2010 census.

Soco, running as independent candidate though nominated by Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), has been visiting different sitios and barangays to hear directly from the people.

During his visit in Camotes Island, Soco also learned about the need to upgrade the status and medical services of the Camotes District Hospital which is under the supervision of the Province of Cebu.

“God willing, if elected vice governor, I am committed to push for the improvement of the facilities and services of the said district hospital to make it competitive with the hospitals in Cebu City,” Soco said.

Soco hit his opponent, acting Governor Agnes Magpale, who served as Provincial Board Member in the fifth district of which Camotes Island is part of, for not doing something to address the problem in the facilities of Camotes District Hospital.

He said that people in the area should not be punished by letting them travel to mainland Cebu when the government could very well afford to improve the hospital’s services there.

Soco also urged the present administration to allocate bigger assistance to the senior citizens.

During his talk with them, Soco said that older people in the island complained that they did not receive financial assistance from the government.

“Sickly senior citizens are hoping for a greater amount of financial assistance from the provincial government,” he said. — (FREEMAN)