by Franklin P. Gumapon
DIPOLOG CITY, March 24 (PIA) - - Around 50 members of the Regional Development Council (RDC)-IX were here yesterday for their 139th meeting tackling issues and concerns involving the implementation of infrastructure, agriculture, education and health programs in Zamboanga Peninsula.
Regional directors and representatives of the different national line agencies, provincial governments of Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay, city governments of Dipolog, Pagadian and Zamboanga, Ipil municipality of Zamboanga Sibugay and private sector representatives came and attended said conference.
Prior to the conduct of said meeting, the group participated in a tree planting activity at the city’s reforestation area situated at sitio Puting Bato in Barangay Dicayas. More than 500 seedlings of Mahogany, Lumbayao and Narra trees were planted.
In yesterday’s meeting, RDC-IX chair Mayor Evelyn T. Uy also awarded plaques of recognition to Ms. Velia Santos Ebol, 71, a volunteer affiliated with the Zamboanga Peninsula Women’s Solidarity Foundation, Inc., and the Youth Solidarity for Peace (YSP)-Zamboanga City. Ebol was one of the three national awardees of the 2011 Search for Outstanding Volunteers-Individual Category while the YSP was one of the winners in a nationwide search for the 10 Accomplished Youth Organizations for 2011.
In a related development, RDC-IX has favorably endorsed the recommendation to increase the travel allowance of government officials and employees from the current P800 per day to P1,900 per day to cope with the rising costs of meals and hotel accommodation.
“The best resource of the government is human capital and let us consider the dignity of government employees by giving some comfort during official travels,” said a private sector representative.
The meeting ended with some updates of the National Greening Program by Director Arleigh Adorable of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-IX. Adorable said DENR-IX was able to surpass its 2011 target having covered more than 1,400 hectares planted with forest, fruit and rubber trees around the region. (FPG/PIA-Zamboanga del Norte)