Vice Governor Rene Relampagos suggested for the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) Tagbilaran City District Office to be relocated instead of the proposed renovation of the current facility.
Relampagos, during the unofficially dubbed “Kita ug ang Bise Gobernador” media briefing at the Capitol on Tuesday, said that renovation of the current LTO office along J.A. Clarin Street will not solve the issue on congestion of the facility considering that it is built on a lot with limited space.
The casual press briefing’s title unofficially coined by members of the local media covering the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is a play on the now defunct “Kita ug ang Gobernador” program of former governor Edgar Chatto.
“Ang atong nakita sa present office sa LTO Tagbilaran grabe ang congestion, grabe ang lack of space diha for the personnel and the clientele so tungod niana gi-tanaw pud nato ang space na currently na ilang gigamit, mura’g gamay ra g’yud ng areaha,” said Relampagos.
Relampagos made the statement after newly appointed LTO Tagbilaran chief Atty. Vicente Gador, Jr. during a courtesy call to the SP earlier on the same day said that they are planning to renovate their Tagbilaran facility, one of only two district offices of the agency in the province.
According to Gador, they will temporarily relocate the Tagbilaran district office to Panglao while the current facility undergoes renovation.
“After the renovation, it will go back to Tagbilaran and we will leave a licensing office in Panglao,” he said.
Relampagos meanwhile noted that the provincial government is willing to offer assistance in looking for a new site if the LTO decides to relocate.
“So kung maghisgot ka og renovate-on na nila, ila lang ayuhon mura’g it will still not address the problem so probably it’s high time now nga we consider in locating that elsewhere where they will be given more spacious area nga aron gyud mas dako ang ilang working area,” he said.
The LTO district office in Tagbilaran has been known to constantly draw flak from the public for its reported slow service and congestion.
Earlier, LTO VII director Victor Caindec admitted that the LTO Tagbilaran District Office has given him “headaches,” noting that the office has undergone several leadership changes throughout his term as the agency’s highest ranking official in the region. (R. Tutas)