League of
Municipalities of the Philippines - Leyte Chapter President Remedios
“Matin” Petilla, the municipal mayor of Palo, said the governor is
ready for such a post and can help a lot in regional tourism
particularly his expertise in information and communication or ICT.
“He would do well in
helping the region become an ICT hub. He has done it for the province
of Leyte and with him as chair, he can also contribute to its growth
in other parts of the region,” Mayor Petilla said.
Several other mayors
in Leyte such as newly-elected Javier town mayor Sandy Javier
expressed confidence the governor would be effective as chairman of
the RDC.
His experience and his
performance as a governor in the last two-terms could prove that,
Javier said.
Meanwhile, governors
in Eastern Visayas who recently have grouped together as the Eastern
Visayas Governors League has decided to support and endorse Gov.
Petilla as the next
RDC chair.
Northern Samar
Governor Paul Daza who has been chosen as the president of the EV
Governors League, said that the Leyte governor is the most familiar
among governors on regional issues.
The chairmanship of
the RDC is voted upon by its members and endorsed to the President for
approval and confirmation.
Aside from the
provincial governors, the RDC voting members are the city mayors,
presidents of league of mayors, regional directors of major government
agencies and Private Sector Representatives.
As earlier reported,
Gov. Petilla revealed that he has been encouraged for the RDC
chairmanship even during his second term started in 2007. He likewise
disclosed that he has already made known of this interest to President
Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
The Regional
Development Council serves, among others, as a policy and recommending
body related to programs and projects in the region that needs
support, mostly funding, from the national government.
The Leyte governor, if
his bid is approved, would be succeeding former Calbayog City Mayor
and now Samar First District Representative Mel Sarmiento, who is said
to have made leaps and bounds during his incumbency as
RDC chair from 2007-2010.
