TACLOBAN CITY (CIO) – Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez on Friday, November 29 led the groundbreaking and capsule-laying ceremony of the proposed Commission on Election Regional Office 8 building that will be constructed on a City Government lot in Brgy. 91, Abucay.

The local Chief Executive was accompanied for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Php 45 million COMELEC Building by Tingog Partylist Representative Yedda Marie Romualdez together with COMELEC Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros, COMELEC Chairman Sheriff M. Abas, District Supervisor of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Engr. Arnaldo Bonifacio and Atty. Maria Corazon Montallana of COMELEC Samar.

In his speech, Mayor Romualdez appealed to other local government agencies to offer some of their idle lands to the national government offices to bring the services closer to the people and fast-track the progress of the Region.

“Here in the City, we don’t have so much land. And we’re working hard now with the national government to try to recover some lands that can be used,” he explained.

“Considering that this is a Highly-Urbanized City and we’re the center of the Region, it is really important that the resources of the national government reach the people here in Region 8,” Mayor Romualdez added.

Meanwhile, the use of the 500 square-meter city government lot was approved by the City Council through a usufruct agreement, renewable for 5 years.

According to Mendros, the said project was designed as an integrated building where the offices of the City Election Officer, the Provincial Supervisor, and COMELEC Regional Office will be located in the said area.

He likewise emphasized that once the construction of the awaited building is done, COMELEC will be able to provide improved and better quality service to the people.

“The project is expected to be finished next year as Php10 million have already been downloaded for the initial construction of the structure,” Mendros concluded. – C. Merin/CIO

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Photos: K. E. Napala/CIO