City execs get free land

The 12^th Puerto Princesa City Council, on their last regular session, approved the request of the City Government’s department heads and assistant department heads to allot a 1,000-square meter lot for each of them.

The request, despite questions and criticisms, was finally approved June 28.

During the report of the Committee on Ordinances and Legal Matters, Councilor Luis Marcaida III, its chairman, affirmed that they had “ascertained the legality of the donation of land.”

“It is an act of liberality and recognition to the department heads who have been with the City government for many years now,” Marcaida said. He added that , during their committee meeting, they had decided that the city government may give additional benefits to its employees.

Department heads and assistant department heads would be given a 1,000-squre meter lot each, reportedly in Brgy. Tagburos. Marcaida revealed that there would be 38 beneficiaries.

Asked if the beneficiaries are landless, he replies that it was needless to know that.

“There is no need to determine if the beneficiaries are landless because this is not a socialized housing project, but an act of generosity for their contribution to the city government,” he explained.

Councilor Feliberto Oliveros III also defended their approval.

“The logic of this is to reward those people who have been with the city for the past years and who have dedicated their time and effort to the city government,” Oliveros explained.

Vice-Mayor Lucilo Bayron also stated that “there was no reason for the Council not to approve it.”

A same request was also submitted by the rank and file employees but the councilors said that it was not pursued. Only the department heads’ request was followed-up.

Marcaida stressed that they were also recognizing the rank and file employees, but it was only the department heads who pursued their request for a parcel of land. The executives eagerly followed-up the matter that was why they were granted.

The Council assured, however, that as long as there are available funds, regular employees might also be given the same incentive.

PPC swimmers head for the nationals

The Puerto Princesa Hammerhead swimming team, the city’s official entry to the Hagedorn Swimming Cup G-League on May 22, emerged as the champion for the event.

The competition, held at the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex, was a qualifying event for the championship on July in Los Baños, Laguna. Over 200 swimmers from Southern Tagalog competed to qualify for the national race.

Hammerhead vice-president Dr. Josephine Go-Cruz said that their swimmers often spend practice time until nine in the evening.

“Our swimmers spend their whole days on a hard training. But it paid off,” Cruz said.

During the national championship last year, the Hammerhead team ranked eighth among the 75 swimming teams. For this year, the team aims to achieve a higher position.

Other winners for the swimming cup were: San Pablo Mantas (1^st runner up), Cetaceans Swim Club (2^nd runner up), Cavite Golden Flippers (3^rd runner up) and Lipa City Aqua Phantoms (4^th runner up).