Gov. Edgar Chatto had his first “endearing†huddle with Pres. Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City on Tuesday, personally expressing the Boholanos’ gratitude for his administration’s support to Bohol development.
The governor thanked the president for the approval of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board of the variation design of the new Bohol airport and modernization of the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH).
The two Bohol projects are among the nine big-ticket national projects approved by the board, which is chaired by the president, in its first meeting under the Duterte administration.
Chatto led the Bohol officials, mostly mayors, to the launching of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) “Sulong Pilipinas: Local Governance Dialogues†led by Duterte at the SMC Convention Center, Davao City, on September 20.
A day earlier, the Regional Development Council (RDC) likewise thanked for the approval of the Bohol projects which the council, with Chatto as chairman, had itself then endorsed to the NEDA Board.
The Panglao airport variation design will include three boarding bridges and additional 500 meters for a total runway stretch of 2.5 kilometers at a sum of P800 million.
The entire new airport project, which construction in Panglao is on-going, can now thus amount to P7.2 billion until its completion and operation in 2018.
The Gallares hospital modernization will cost P2.2 billion, according to the governor who had the project also topping his conference with DOH Sec. Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial at the recent National Health Summit.
Before his huddle with the president, also in the presence of DILG Sec. Ismael Sueno, Chatto already expressed the gratitude of the Boholanos and RDC during his presentation in the Davao event.
Officials from Central Visayas designated the Bohol governor to present the region’s summarized output of a workshop, which was one of the activities during the launching event.
Chatto said the workshop, which also had participating officials from the provinces of other regions, was “an indicator of a listening†national administration.
The local government units do need to relay their priorities in consonance with the national agenda, he said.
Chatto commended the Davao gathering as he acknowledged it to be a clear guidance by the national leadership with respect to its priorities, one of which is the war on drugs.
Duterte expressed to the Bohol officials his concern for the Boholanos that he would have “killed†the “Leyte source†of Bohol drugs.
Earlier on one of his Cebu visits, the president expressed his anger at those who have “drug-poisoned†the Boholanos, whom he described as God-fearing people.
Duterte’s son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, is eyeing the next national presidency of the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines, for which he sought the support of the league’s interim National Executive Board (NEB) led by Tagbilaran City Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso.
The son Duterte hosted in his city on September 9 the NEB meeting of the league which national interim president, who is also Veloso, is a brother-in-law of Chatto. (Ven rebo Arigo)