Mayors from different cities in Negros for 3rd Island Caravan
BACOLOD CITY -- Mayor Evelio Leonardia welcomed yesterday the arrival of different local chief executives from key cities including second and third class cities all over the Philippines for the 3rd Island Caravan here in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.
Leonardia as National Vice Chairman of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) yesterday hosted a dinner fellowship to more than 30 local chief executives at the New Government Center.
The island caravan started yesterday with different outreach activities headed by their LCP National President Benjamin Abalos Jr.
Among the highlights of their tour is the distribution of wheelchairs, livelihood support, scholarship program and any other assistance to various sectors. This island caravan is until August 30, 2008 wherein the local leaders will tour the whole island of Negros including Bais City, Mabinay to Dumaguete City.
Meanwhile Mayor Benjamin Abalos Jr., LCP National President, said majority of their members opposed the ongoing conversion of towns into new cities because this could reduce the Internal Revenue Allotment shares of the existing cities.
Besides, he said, those towns who applied for conversion into cities is not qualified on the basis of income requirement since they have not reached the 100 million pesos required target.
Earlier, the LCP filed a case with the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of the creation of 16 new cities under the 13th Congress.
During the fellowship yesterday at L'Fisher Hotel, the mayors from different cities share their views regarding the compliance on the Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources through Secretary Lito Atienza earlier said that most of the cities failed to close their open dumpsite and convert it to a sanitary landfill.
The City of Bacolod also asked for the extension of the deadline set by the DENR since the city has just acquired a new site for our solid waste management program.